RK Maribor Branik | |
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Nickname(s) |
Vijoličasti (The Purples) Vijolice (The Violets) |
Founded | 2003 | (as MRD Maribor Branik)
Arena | Tabor Hall |
Capacity | 3,261 |
President | Andrej Bauman |
Head coach | Marko Šibila |
League | Slovenian First League |
2016–17 | 7th |
Colours | |
Club colours | |
Website Official site |
Sports departments of Branik | ||
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Football (Active) |
Football (Defunct) |
Basketball |
Handball |
Volleyball (Women's) |
Water polo |
Rokometni Klub Maribor Branik (English: Maribor Branik Handball Club), commonly referred to as RK Maribor Branik or simply Branik, is a handball club from Maribor, Slovenia. Currently, it competes in the Slovenian First League. The team plays its home matches at the Tabor Hall, a 3,261 capacity multi-purpose sports venue in Maribor. Between 2004 and 2010, the team was known as RK Klima Petek Maribor due to sponsorship reasons. Their biggest success is reaching the final of the Slovenian Handball Cup twice and reaching the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup in the 2012–13 season.
The first handball team in Maribor was formed in 1925, when the women's selection of the 1. SSK MB played their first Czech handball match at the Ljudski vrt area. In 1928, the 1. SSK Maribor have won the national league. The first men's handball team was formed in 1949, named Polet. They were renamed to Branik in 1951, when they participated in the Yugoslav First League qualifiers. In 1954, Branik have won their first Slovenian Republic League title, and were promoted to the Yugoslav First League. The women's team won the league one year later, in 1955. Between 1955 and 1968, Branik did not achieve any major success and were even relegated to the local Styrian League in 1966, but returned to the top Slovenian division two years later. They were relegated again in 1972, but once again returned in 1979 after spending a few years in the local regional leagues. In 1977, the team was merged with Kovinar Tezno to form Maribor. The team was struggling in the next decade and did not achieve any major results. After the independence of Slovenia, the team was reformed with a help from some former handball players, including Marko Šibila. They reached the 3. DRL (Third National Handball League).