| APR | |
| Color1: | white |
| Color2: | black |
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| Nickname: | Lions |
| Leagues: | Rwanda Basketball League BAL |
| Division: | Division 1 |
| Founded: | 1993 |
| Folded: | --> |
| History: | APR BBC (1993–present) |
| Arena: | BK Arena[1] |
| Capacity: | 10,000 |
| Location: | Kigali, Rwanda |
| Colours: | --> |
| Current: | 2024 APR BBC season |
| Chairman: | Richard Murefu |
| Coach: | James Maye Jr. |
| Ownership: | Ministry of Defence |
| Championships: | 14 Rwandan Leagues |
| Season: | 2023 |
| Position: | RBL, 1st of 14 |
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Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club, commonly known simply as APR, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. Owned and funded by the Ministry of Defence of Rwanda, the team plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) and in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the 2024 season. Nicknamed the "Lions", the team is the most decorated team in the country, as APR has won a record 15 national championships.[2]
Originating during the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)'s liberation struggle during the Rwandan Civil War in 1993, the club was established to serve as a means to engage and occupy soldiers during a ceasefire amid the peace talks that eventually led to the signing of the Arusha Accords. Alongside the basketball team, the RPF introduced teams in volleyball and football, which continue to operate successfully.[3]
From 1995 to 2003, APR won nine consecutive national championships.
The Lions were taken over by Kenya-born head coach Cliff Uwuor in 2005. They won the FIBA Africa Zone 5 Club Championship in 2008, and won league titles in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010.[4]
In 2008, APR became the first team in league history to finish the regular season unbeaten.[5] Its succeses were partly due to APR's high-quality foreign players, mainly from the DR Congo. After its thirteenth championship in 2009, the team went a decade without notable performances. The club opted to play with homegrown players in these years, a decision that coach Uwuor named as a reason for less titles in these years.
In the 2023 offseason, the Lions acquired national team player Axel Mpoyo, Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza and Ntore Habimana, among others. APR eventually ended its 13-year long title drought before by winning another title in the 2023 RBL season, under head coach Maz Trakh.[6]
APR made its BAL debut in the 2024 season, receiving direct qualification to the main tournament as Rwandan champion. The Lions were allocated in the Sahara Conference, but disappointingly finished in the fourth place in the group,[7] becoming the first Rwandan team in league history to miss out on the playoffs.[8] In August, they won the inaugural Rwanda Cup title.[9] APR also won the 2024 league title.[10]
Genocide Memorial Tournament
FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup
FIBA Africa Zone 5 Club Championship
Legacy Basketball Tournament
FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup (3 appearances)
2007 – 6th Place
2008 – 8th Place
2009 – Third placeBasketball Africa League (BAL) (1 appearance)
2024 – To be determined
| Season | Regular season | Playoffs | Cup competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Pct. | |||||
| APR | ||||||||
| 2017–18 | Season was not held | |||||||
| 2018–19 | 4th | 7 | 6 | Lost semifinals (Patriots) 2–3 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 3rd | 2 | 1 | Lost semifinals (Patriots) 68–75 | Runners-up (HC) | |||
| 2020–21 | 4th | 10 | 1 | Won quarterfinals (UGB) 93–51 Lost semifinals (Patriots) 0–2 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 3rd | 21 | 3 | Lost semifinals (REG) 1–2 | ||||
| 2023 | 3rd | 19 | 3 | Won semifinals (Patriots, 3–0) Won finals (REG, 4–0) | ||||
| 2024 | 2nd | 16 | 2 | Won semifinals (REG, 3–0)Won finals (Patriots, 4–2) | Winners (RC) | |||
| Regular season record | 75 | 16 | ||||||
| Play-down record | 18 | 10 | ||||||
The following people have been head coaches of APR:
APR WBBC is the club's women's team plays in the Rwanda Women's Basketball League and have represented the country in the 2022 FIBA Africa Women's Champions Cup.[15]