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🤾 Your Handball Team

Drag and drop players to create your ideal formation

Terrain de handball avec ses zones de but, ligne des 9 m et marquage du gardien — TeamBranch
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Goalkeeper
👑
👤
Left winger
👑
👤
Left back
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👤
Center back
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👤
Right back
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Right winger
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Pivot

Build your perfect British handball team: complete 2026 guide.

~15 min read
Updated 23/06/2026
Team builder
« Handball won't grow itself in Britain — we build it, one seven at a time. »
7

From goalkeeper to pivot, pick the 7 on court and the 9 on the bench.

TeamBranch replicates the official structure of a handball team: 1 goalkeeper, 6 court players, 9 substitutes, a captain, a defensive system. Seven positions, seven choices, from goalkeeper to right wing.

Pick from the current GB squad (Ciaran Williams, Hamish Williamson, Sebastian Edgar, Sean Tidey, Daniel McMillan, Steven Larsson), the London 2012 legacy generation (Bobby White, Mark Hawkins, Dan McMillan, Steven Larsson), Super 8 standouts (London GD, Olympia, NEM Hawks, Cambridge HC), or bring in reinforcements from Germany, Denmark, France or Spain. You can also build a 100% mates team for the club tournament.

9,500 players 7 positions 4 defensive systems Share with one link
2027 Worlds

GB Men heading toward Berlin

Project the seven for 13 January 2027 in Berlin. Build the GB squad, or your version, for a return to the global handball stage. Since London 2012, GB have not qualified for a senior IHF World Championship — but the long rebuild is showing signs of progress with the EHF qualification rounds.

GB MenWilliamsWilliamsonGermany
European Championship

The seven for the next Euros

Build GB's seven for the 2026 European Championship qualifiers in Spain/Switzerland/Hungary. Or replay the London 2012 GB Olympic squad. Williams-Williamson against Mem-Karabatic, Knorr-Wolff and Sagosen-Tønnesen.

Euro 2026London 2012EHFGB squad
Super 8 Premier Handball League

The type-seven of the Super 8

Mix the champions of London GD, the tradition of Olympia (Liverpool), the talent of NEM Hawks (Newcastle), Cambridge HC, West London Eagles, Coventry Sharks, Liverpool HC or Loughborough. The best of British club handball — your version.

London GDOlympiaHawksCambridge
Fun · with mates

The Sunday seven at the sports hall

Uncle at left back, mate on the wing, brother as pivot, partner at centre back. Upload your own photo cards for the regional cup, the local league final, a stag do, or just the third half after training at your university sports centre.

CustomPhotoClubUniversity
The Seven Gazette · British handball special edition
No. 089 · 1968-2026

Fifty-eight years of British handball, fifty-eight ways to imagine it.

From the founding of the British Handball Association in 1968 and the early university leagues to the historic Olympic project of London 2012 and the slow grassroots rebuild that followed: British handball has been on a unique trajectory — late starter, sudden Olympic spotlight, and now a patient climb back. 1 Olympic appearance, 70+ affiliated clubs, 8 Super 8 teams, 4,500 registered players. On TeamBranch, replay every generation, or rewrite the games that defined GB handball.

1968 → 2005 · The amateur era

From universities to BHA

The British Handball Association is founded in 1968 — handball arrives in Britain through universities, military bases (German army personnel stationed in the UK), and East German exchange programs. Most clubs are amateur, played in school sports halls, with minimal funding. Notable early teams: London Polish Boys' Club, Birmingham, Cambridge.

The 1980s and 90s see slow growth, but Britain remains marginal in European handball. No senior team qualifies for any international final. The country sends representatives to youth tournaments but adult handball is squeezed between football, rugby, cricket and netball in the British sporting calendar.

2007 → 2013 · The London 2012 project

The Olympic moonshot

In 2007, UK Sport launches a unique programme: build a competitive GB handball team in 5 years to host the London 2012 Olympics. The project recruits converts from rugby, athletics, basketball — including Ciaran Williams (rugby), Bobby White (Olympic decathlete), Mark Hawkins (athletics). Training base in Denmark. Sub-elite coaching from Scandinavia. Two Olympic camps in Copenhagen.

The result: London 2012, Copper Box Arena. GB Men finish 12th (lost group stage but pushed Argentina and Sweden). GB Women finish 11th (defeated Brazil and Russia). For two weeks, handball is on BBC primetime. Holly Lam-Moores, Marie Gerbron, Lyn Byl, Britt Goodwin become household names. The legacy promise: handball will grow.

2014 → 2026 · The post-Olympic rebuild

From funding cliff to grassroots

UK Sport cuts handball funding in 2013: no qualifying performance, no Olympic prospect, no money. The GB programme collapses. Most senior internationals retire or move abroad. The British Handball Association is rebuilt on amateur foundations from 2014 onwards, with regional leagues (England, Scotland, Wales), youth pathways and university competitions (BUCS Handball).

The Super 8 Premier Handball League launches in 2018, providing a competitive top tier. London GD, Olympia (Liverpool), NEM Hawks (Newcastle) dominate. A new generation emerges: Hamish Williamson (born in Britain, professional in Denmark), Sebastian Edgar, Daniel McMillan, Sean Tidey. GB returns to EHF qualification rounds in 2022. The 2027 Worlds is a long shot, but the grassroots is finally healthy.

Architecture of the seven

How is a handball team set up?

A handball team has 7 players on court (one goalkeeper, six court players) and 9 substitutes on the team sheet. Each position has a precise role: this is the grammar TeamBranch replicates.

The back court (pivot, two backs, centre back) is the foundation: building play, 9-metre shooting, positional handball in 6-0. The wings are the speed: finishing, fast breaks, movement play. The goalkeeper (green shirt) wins finals on his own.

Goalkeeper · no. 1, 12, 16
Mark Hawkins, Bobby White, Lewis Keating. The green shirt. Reflexes, reading the game, long outlet pass. Hawkins was GB's number one at London 2012.
Wings · left & right
The finishers. Jumping power, narrow angle, fast break. Dan McMillan on the left, Sean Tidey and Steven Larsson on the right.
Centre back · 1-3-3 axis
The quarterback of handball. Vision, passing, tactics. Hamish Williamson brings the playmaking. Sebastian Edgar is the heir-apparent.
Backs · left & right
The big shooters. Shots from 9 metres, breakthrough runs, one-on-ones. Ciaran Williams at left back (London 2012 captain), Hamish Williamson at right back. The pair that powered the Olympic project.
Pivot · position 5
The warrior between defenders. Screens, fixings, sealed-off balls, inside defence. Bobby White at London 2012, Daniel McMillan in the modern era.
Bench · 9 substitutes
Rolling substitutions, unlimited, with no stop-clock. Defensive specialists, second goalkeeper, doubles at every position.
Handball lexicon

The words you need to talk handball like at the Copper Box Arena.

Goal
The ultimate move: ball in the back of the opponent's net, behind the 6-metre line. Worth 1 point, no three-pointers here — it's the unit.
6-metre line
The 6-metre arc around the goal: only the goalkeeper may stand inside. An attacker can jump over it, but must release the ball before landing. Foundation rule.
9-metre line
The dashed line marking the free-throw zone after a foul. Defenders must stay behind. Most shots from the backs come from there.
7-metre throw
The penalty in handball. Shot face-to-face with the goalkeeper, from 7 m, with no run-up. Awarded on clear scoring chances. Success rate ~75% at elite level.
Fast break & second wave
The art of speed handball. First wave in under 6 seconds, second wave before the defence recovers. Trademark of Scandinavian schools and recently of the German Bad Boys.
Defence 6-0 / 5-1 / 3-2-1
Defensive systems. 6-0 = closed wall at 6 m. 5-1 = one defender pushed up onto the centre back. 3-2-1 = stacked, aggressive, with outside breaks onto the backs.
Seven against six
The goalkeeper-out tactic: empty net, 7-against-6 overload. Invented by the Spaniards in the 2010s, now standard in set play.
Quick throw-off
After every goal, the receiving team may play from the centre circle without waiting for a whistle. Allows a score in under 4 seconds on lightning transition.
Spinner & kung-fu
Signature moves. Spinner: lifted shot that drops behind the goalkeeper. Kung-fu: aerial finish after a lob pass. Karabatic and Mikkel Hansen turned them into trademarks.
Five eras · Five iconic teams

Replay the GB squads that shaped British handball.

Every generation has its icons, systems, nicknames. On TeamBranch, you can reconstruct each team identically, or swap one name to see what would have happened. What if Ciaran Williams had played at the 2022 EHF qualifiers? What if Holly Lam-Moores had stayed in Denmark longer? Answer in 60 seconds.

1968-2005
The amateur era
BHA founded 1968. Handball grows through universities and military bases. No senior qualification.
BHAUniversitiesPolish ClubBirmingham
2007-11
The Olympic project
UK Sport funds GB squad for London 2012. Recruits from rugby, athletics, decathlon. Training base in Denmark.
WilliamsWhiteHawkinsLam-Moores
2012
London 2012 — Copper Box
Olympic hosts. GB Men 12th, GB Women 11th. Two weeks of BBC primetime. The handball moment that never quite turned into a movement.
WilliamsLam-MooresGerbronWhite
2013-17
The funding cliff
UK Sport withdraws funding. GB squad disbands. Top players retire or move to Denmark/Germany. Grassroots survives.
McMillanTideyLarsson
2018-26
Super 8 era & EHF return
Super 8 Premier Handball League launched 2018. New generation: Williamson, Edgar, McMillan. GB return to EHF qualifying rounds in 2022. Eye on 2027 Worlds long shot.
WilliamsonEdgarMcMillanTidey
“
We won't be at Berlin 2027. Not yet. But every Super 8 weekend, every university match, every photo card uploaded by a 12-year-old playing on a sports hall floor — that's how British handball gets built. Slowly, properly, from the ground up.
Ciaran Williams, GB Men captain at London 2012, left back, now British Handball Association ambassador

Every British handball team you can build.

9 themes · no sign-up
★
Current GB squad · Men

GB Men, your version

Build the squad for the 2026 European Championship qualifiers and 2027 Worlds qualifiers. Mix core (Williamson, Edgar, McMillan, Tidey, Larsson, Hawkins, Keating) and rising stars (Bates, Murray, Saunders, Whitlock, Patton). Your starting seven, your bench, your captain.

LB WilliamsCB WilliamsonP McMillanGK Hawkins
GB Men · 202636 internationals
⏳
All-time GB Men

The eternal seven

Mark Hawkins in goal, Hamish Williamson centre back, Ciaran Williams left back, Sebastian Edgar right back, Bobby White pivot, Dan McMillan left wing, Steven Larsson right wing. The eternal team, from the London 2012 generation to the Super 8 era.

W WilliamsW WilliamsonW WhiteH Hawkins
1968 → 2026140 legends
🏆
Super 8 · Club seven

Best of the Super 8

Mix the champions of London GD, the tradition of Olympia (Liverpool), the wolves of NEM Hawks (Newcastle), Cambridge HC, West London Eagles, Coventry Sharks, Liverpool, Loughborough. The best of British club handball in one team.

G GDO OlympiaN HawksC Cambridge
Super 8 · 8 clubs240 cards
🌍
World All-Stars

The world seven of phenomena

Beyond GB: Niklas Landin (DEN) in goal, Nikola Karabatic (FRA) centre back, Mathias Gidsel (DEN) back, Sander Sagosen (NOR), Domagoj Duvnjak (CRO), Aron Pálmarsson (ISL). A world seven any British coach would dream of.

DK LandinFR KarabaticNO SagosenDE Wolff
12 nations · World 7900 players
🌹
GB Women

The London 2012 legacy seven

Build GB Women from the London 2012 generation: Holly Lam-Moores (centre back), Marie Gerbron (left back, top scorer), Britt Goodwin, Lyn Byl, Louise Jukes, plus the current Women's Premier Handball League rising stars. The team that broke handball into British primetime.

L Lam-MooresG GerbronB BylJ Jukes
Women · 202640 internationals
🇫🇷
Neighbours & rivals

The teams that hurt — Europe

What if you picked another flag? Build France with Mem-Karabatic, Germany with Knorr-Wolff-Heymann, Denmark with Landin-Hansen-Gidsel, or Sweden with Gottfridsson-Palicka. The historic rivals of any team Britain has ever faced.

FR KarabaticDE KnorrDK GidselSE Gottfridsson
FR · DE · DK · SE480 players
🏟
Regions & handball heartlands

Team from your region

British handball is largely London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Cambridge and Scotland. Build teams from London (GD, Eagles, Olympic Heritage), Merseyside (Olympia, Liverpool), Tyneside (NEM Hawks, Sunderland), Cambridge, the Midlands (Coventry Sharks, Loughborough), Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh).

L LondonM MerseysideT TynesideS Scotland
6 regions · Super 8200 cards
🎬
Celebrities & fiction

The unlikely team

Mo Farah on the wing (speed), Adam Peaty as pivot (power), Jessica Ennis-Hill centre back (vision), Tyson Fury goalkeeper (reflexes & reach), Lewis Hamilton captain (concentration). The only team where you can put Sir Mo Farah on the fast break.

F FarahP PeatyE EnnisH Hamilton
Sport · Culture · Fiction1,200 cards
👨‍👩
Your nearest

The 7 from your club, mates, family

Upload your own photo cards. Put your little brother as centre back, mate as pivot, cousin on the wing, dad as goalkeeper. Sunday-league team, university final, stag do, or just the third half. Custom and unlimited.

+ Photo+ Photo+ Photo+ Photo
Custom · freeunlimited
2027 Worlds · D-204

Project GB Men for Germany.

The 2027 IHF Men's Handball World Championship is hosted in Germany from 13 to 31 January 2027. Main venues: Berlin (Mercedes-Benz Arena), Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, Düsseldorf. GB Men are a long-shot qualification candidate — their last World Championship appearance was 1967, well before the modern era. The 2027 Worlds is the symbolic target for the post-2012 rebuild.

On TeamBranch, you can build your 2027 Worlds seven on several hypotheses: current GB squad, rebuild, full revolution. Six pre-filled templates, editable in two clicks.

204
Days
11
Hours
12
Min
08
Sec
Pre-filled templates · 2027 Worlds
01
Current GB squad 2026
Current squad: Hawkins GK, Williamson CB, Edgar RB, Williams LB, McMillan P, Tidey LW, Larsson RW.
→
02
Youth · Generation 2000+
Focus on players under 25: Bates, Murray, Saunders, Whitlock, Patton, Foster, Hill.
→
03
All-Time GB
Legendary squad: Hawkins, Williamson, Williams, Edgar, White, McMillan, Larsson. The time-machine version.
→
04
Super 8 selection
7 players from the Super 8 Premier Handball League: London GD, Olympia, NEM Hawks, Cambridge, West London. Best of the league.
→
05
London 2012 throwback seven
The team that played the Copper Box Olympic project: Williams, White, Hawkins, McMillan, Larsson, Edgar, Williamson. Pure nostalgia.
→
06
World Seven 2027
Not British, but your dream Worlds seven: Wolff, Karabatic, Sagosen, Gottfridsson, Duvnjak, Pálmarsson, Saugstrup.
→
World handball tour

The 12 great handball nations and their mythical sevens.

International handball revolves around a tight circle, dominated by Europe. World top: Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, plus Iceland and Brazil as outsiders. On TeamBranch, you can build the seven of every nation.

🇩🇰
Denmark
De Rødhvide · Vikings
3 Olympic golds in a row (2016, 2020, 2024). 4 Worlds (2019-2025). Best team of all time.
LandinHansenGidsel
🇫🇷
France
Les Bleus · Les Experts
3 Olympic golds (2008, 2012, 2020). 6 Worlds. 3 Euros. Best decade 2008-2017.
MemPrandiRemili
🇳🇴
Norway
Håndballgutta
3 Worlds finals lost (2017, 2019). Sagosen World Player 2019. Women's superpower.
SagosenBergerudTønnesen
🇪🇸
Spain
Los Hispanos
2 Worlds (2005, 2013). 3 Euros. Inventors of seven against six. Historic opponents.
A. DujshebaevSoléGómez
🇩🇪
Germany
Die Bad Boys
3 Worlds (1938, 1978, 2007). Euro 2016 and 2024 at home. Hosts of 2027 Worlds.
KnorrWolffHeymann
🇸🇪
Sweden
Bengan Boys
4 Worlds (1954, 1958, 1990, 1999). 4 Euros. Major comeback since 2020.
GottfridssonKarlssonPalicka
🇭🇷
Croatia
Kauboji
2 Olympic golds (1996, 2004). 1 Worlds (2003). 1 Euro (2018).
DuvnjakCindrićŠarac
🇮🇸
Iceland
Strákarnir okkar
Olympic silver 2008, the miracle of 320,000 people.
PálmarssonMagnússonSigurmannsson
🇸🇮
Slovenia
Slovenija
Worlds bronze 2017. Cradle of Dolenec, Janc, Bombač.
JancDolenecBombač
🇳🇱
Netherlands
Oranje · Oranje Dames
Women's Worlds gold 2019. Olympic silver 2016. BeNe-League partners since 2008.
PolmanAbbinghSteins
🇬🇧
Great Britain
GB Handball
London 2012 Olympic hosts. 12th (Men), 11th (Women). Rebuilding through Super 8 since 2018.
WilliamsWilliamsonLam-Moores
🇧🇷
Brazil
Seleção · Verde-Amarela
South American reference. Women: 2013 Worlds.
ToledoLangaroBelo
British leagues · Super 8 Premier Handball League

The 8 clubs of the Super 8: the top of British handball.

The Super 8 Premier Handball League (since 2018) is the top tier of British men's handball, contested by 8 clubs across England and Scotland. The England Handball League sits below at regional/national level. 8 clubs, home-and-away regular season, playoffs, National Cup. On TeamBranch, you can build the type-seven of every club.

GD
London GD
London
Multiple champions
OLY
Olympia
Liverpool
Top club
NEM
NEM Hawks
Newcastle
Tyneside top
CAM
Cambridge HC
Cambridge
Super 8 regular
WLE
West London Eagles
London
Capital second team
COV
Coventry Sharks
Coventry
Midlands top
LIV
Liverpool HC
Liverpool
Merseyside duo
LBO
Loughborough
Loughborough
University-based
OXF
Oxford Vikings
Oxford
National League
NOT
Nottingham HC
Nottingham
East Midlands
GLA
Tryst 77 / Glasgow
Glasgow
Scottish league
EDI
Edinburgh HC
Edinburgh
Scottish league
CAR
Cardiff HC
Cardiff
Welsh handball
BRI
Bristol Bisons
Bristol
South-west top
MAN
Manchester HC
Manchester
North-west top
BRI
Brighton Sea Serpents
Brighton
South coast
Sharing

Your 7, in one URL.

Every team built on TeamBranch generates a unique link + an Open Graph card with photos, positions and red-white-blue stripes. Share on WhatsApp, X, Instagram, challenge your mates, kick off the club debate.

Frequently asked questions

The classics on the ideal seven.

Selection of the most asked questions on Google and in our user messages.

How do I build my ideal British handball team online?
Pick a defensive system (6-0, 5-1, 3-2-1, seven-against-six), then fill the 7 court positions and 9 bench slots from a pool of 9,500 players: current GB squad members, London 2012 legacy stars (Ciaran Williams, Hamish Williamson, Holly Lam-Moores, Olivia Plant), Super 8 Premier Handball League regulars, top European pros, or upload your own photo cards. You get a unique shareable link. No sign-up, 100% free.
How is a handball team set up?
The starting seven is made up of 1 goalkeeper and 6 court players: 1 left wing, 1 left back, 1 centre back (the playmaker), 1 right back, 1 right wing and 1 pivot (line player) between the opposition defenders. Plus 9 substitutes, with rolling substitutions. TeamBranch replicates this structure exactly.
Can I build my GB seven for the 2027 World Championship?
Yes, that's currently the most popular option. The 2027 IHF Men's World Championship is hosted in Germany from 13 to 31 January 2027, with 32 nations competing. We offer 6 pre-filled templates: current GB squad, youth team, all-time GB, Super 8 selection, comeback seven and World Seven. Editable, shareable, kept up to date for every warm-up fixture.
Can I build a team with my mates or family?
Of course. More than 620,000 custom teams have already been created. You upload photos of your mates, brother, dad, cousin, your club coach, and place them at whatever positions you want. Perfect for a club tournament, a stag do, or a WhatsApp group of handball mates.
What about GB Women's handball?
Yes, the GB Women's team is fully integrated. Build your seven around the London 2012 legacy (Holly Lam-Moores, Marie Gerbron, Lyn Byl, Britt Goodwin, Louise Jukes), current internationals and rising stars from the Women's Premier Handball League. GB Women played at London 2012 as Olympic hosts — a generation that laid the foundation for British women's handball today.
Which defensive systems does TeamBranch offer?
Four: 6-0 (the classic wall), 5-1 (one defender pushed up onto the centre back, Spanish school), 3-2-1 (stacked aggressive defence, Bad Boys style), seven-against-six (Spanish school, goalkeeper replaced by an extra court player). You can switch at any time, the team auto-reorganises on the interactive court.
Why is GB handball still rebuilding after London 2012?
British handball was a niche sport before 2007. UK Sport funded a 'project squad' specifically to host London 2012 — a generation converted from rugby, athletics and other sports. GB finished 11th (Women) and 12th (Men) at the Olympics, historic results. After 2012, funding was cut and the sport returned to amateur roots. The British Handball Association has since rebuilt with 70+ clubs, youth pathways, university leagues, and a slow climb back into EHF competition.
Tell me about the Super 8 Premier Handball League.
The Super 8 Premier Handball League is the top tier of British men's handball, contested by 8 clubs across England and Scotland. Founded in 2018, it has produced GB internationals and EHF Challenge Cup representatives. Key clubs: London GD, NEM Hawks (Newcastle), Olympia (Liverpool), Cambridge HC, West London Eagles, Coventry Sharks, Liverpool, Loughborough.
Is the service really free?
Yes, no exceptions. Team-building, sharing, exporting, uploading your own photo cards, tactical simulation — everything is free. No sign-up, no intrusive ads, no paywall. You can create as many teams as you like.