SOUTH West Warriors, from Taunton, are gearing up for a big weekend of wheelchair basketball, as the Lord’s Taverners Junior League returns for the 2018/19 season.

Tipping off this weekend (November 17-18) in Livingston, Colwyn Bay and Newark, the junior league is a vital part of British Wheelchair Basketball’s player pathway.

Every member of the current men and women’s Great Britain Junior squads have previously competed in the Lord’s Taverners Junior League.

The GB Junior women’s team are two-time U24 European champions and the current U25 world champions, while the GB Junior men’s team are the current U23 world champions.

The Lord’s Taverners Junior League is also critical in the selection of junior players to regional teams for School Games and Junior Championships.

The league allows players to enjoy extended periods of play on the court, providing players of all skill levels the opportunity to experience team play.

The league features 16 teams from across the UK, placed into five groups, with teams playing each other over four weekends between November 2018 and March 2019.

On April 27, the top eight teams will compete in the ‘Elite 8’ competition, with 11 back-to-back matches to determine the two teams who will compete in the Lord’s Taverners Junior League Final Game at EIS Sheffield on Saturday, May 25.