The 2026/27 Rwanda Men’s Handball League gets underway on Saturday, October 10, with a new competition format, two new teams and greater flexibility for clubs to strengthen their squads during the season.
According to Rwanda Handball Federation Technical Director Aaron Rurangirwa, the changes are intended to make the league more competitive after last season’s campaign produced a closely contested title race in its final stages.
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Two teams have joined the top division this season: Mutendeli HC, who earned promotion after winning the second-division title, and PEVIC HC, a relatively new club that has competed in several tournaments and impressed enough to earn a place in the top flight.
"PEVIC is a new team that participates in tournaments. Based on their level, we decided to bring them on board,” Rurangirwa told Times Sport.
The federation believes the arrival of the new teams will intensify competition while creating more opportunities for players and clubs to develop.
New playoffs format
One of the biggest changes this season is the playoffs format.
After using a best-of-five system last season, the federation has opted for a best-of-seven series in the final. The semi-finals and third-place playoff will also be played over longer series than before.
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Rurangirwa said the decision followed consultations with first-division clubs and an assessment of the quality and competitiveness of matches during the previous season.
"The federation expects the new system to produce more competitive games and reduce the possibility of the decisive stages being settled too quickly.”
Another major change is the introduction of a recruitment window between the regular season and the playoffs.
The four teams that qualify for the playoffs will be allowed to strengthen their squads before the knockout stage. The federation has also increased the number of foreign players a club can recruit from four to six.
However, only four foreign players will be permitted on the match-day roster.
Clubs that already have four foreign players will therefore be able to add two more during the recruitment window, while teams without foreign players can recruit up to six.
"All newly recruited players will have to complete the registration process and obtain their licences before taking part in the competition,” Rurangirwa said.
He added that the change should help increase competition during the decisive stages of the season.
"I think in terms of competitiveness, we will have some good matches compared to last year,” he said.
APR schedule adjusted
Defending champions APR HC will miss the opening round as they represent Rwanda at the African Club Championship in Angola.
The federation has adjusted the schedule to allow APR to join the domestic campaign in the second round without disrupting the competition.
APR are scheduled to return for the second round, which will be played two weeks after the opening round.
The 2026/27 season therefore begins with several significant changes, as the federation seeks to make the league more competitive while giving clubs greater opportunities to strengthen their squads before the title race reaches its decisive stage.
First-round fixtures
Saturday, October 10 — Round 1, ADEGI venue
10:00 — ADEGI HC vs GS Tabagwe HC
12:00 — GS Tabagwe HC vs Mutendere TSS HC
14:00 — Mutendere TSS HC vs ADEGI HC
Ruhango — ES Kigoma
10:00 — E5 Kigoma HC vs Police HC
12:00 — Police HC vs Nyakarwanda HC
14:00 — Nyakarwanda HC vs E5 Kigoma HC
Sunday, October 11 — Musanze venue
10:00 — Musanze HC vs Gicumbi HT
12:00 — Gicumbi HT vs PEVIC HC
14:00 — PEVIC HC vs Musanze HC