BC Wolves Set for Five-Game Pre-Season Tournament in Catalonia, Spain

BC Wolves are preparing for an exciting international pre-season experience as our senior men’s team travels to Catalonia, Spain, to participate in the 40th Sant Julià de Vilatorta Basketball Tournament.

The tournament will take place from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September 2026, bringing together male and female teams from different age groups and competitive levels for three busy days of basketball.

BC Wolves are listed as Belfast Wolves in the official tournament schedule and will compete in the Senior Men’s B category. Our 12-player squad is scheduled to play five games against five different Catalan opponents, with one game on Friday, two on Saturday and two on Sunday.

This trip represents an important part of our preparation for the 2026–27 season and the club’s upcoming Basketball Ireland Development League campaign. It will provide our players with competitive minutes, unfamiliar opposition and the experience of representing BC Wolves, Mid Ulster and Northern Ireland in an established European basketball environment.

The 40th Sant Julià de Vilatorta Basketball Tournament

The tournament is organised by the Associació Bàsquet Sant Julià de Vilatorta with the support and collaboration of the Catalan Basketball Federation, the Catalan Referees’ Association, the Catalan Coaches’ Association and the Catalan Basketball Foundation.

According to the official tournament presentation, many participating clubs use the event as a complete pre-season stage. Teams are divided according to age, gender and competitive level, with most playing between four and six games during the three-day event.

The scale of the tournament is particularly impressive. Approximately 25 courts will operate across Sant Julià de Vilatorta and several surrounding towns, allowing numerous games and categories to run simultaneously.

The tournament also has an established connection to professional Spanish basketball. Its official ACB information states that the event has hosted ACB pre-season games continuously since 1999, involving 13 ACB clubs and more than 50 games.

BC Wolves will therefore enter an event with a long history, a significant basketball reputation and a strong community identity. Participating in its 40th edition is an excellent opportunity for our club and players.

BC Wolves travelling squad

The following 12 players have been named in the BC Wolves squad for the tournament:

• Vidmantas Kazlauskas

• Richard Berzins

• Ernestas Genevicius

• Harry Wang

• Ruaidhri Brendan

• Rolandas Bartkus

• Pijus Januskevicius

• Ignas Pudenas

• Adam Czuprak

• Sergi Villalva

• Xavi Garcés

• Paulius Nausėda

• Arturas Rubankovas

The tournament regulations allow a maximum of 12 players to be entered on the scoresheet for each game, meaning the full travelling squad can be involved.

With five games scheduled across three consecutive days, every player will have an important role in maintaining the team’s energy, intensity and competitiveness throughout the tournament.

BC Wolves’ confirmed schedule

All five BC Wolves games will be played at the Pavelló Municipal d’Hostalets in Balenyà. The official tournament venue guide lists the arena at Carrer de Sant Miquel in Els Hostalets de Balenyà.

All tip-off times below are local times in Catalonia.

Friday, 4 September 2026

6:00 PM – La Parròquia–Bàsquet Samà vs Belfast WolvesSenior Men’s BPavelló Municipal d’Hostalets, Balenyà

Our tournament begins on Friday evening against La Parròquia–Bàsquet Samà.

This opening game will give the players their first experience of the tournament venue, playing format and officiating. It will also allow the team to establish a competitive rhythm before a demanding weekend of four further fixtures.

Starting on Friday means BC Wolves will participate on all three official tournament days, turning the trip into a complete pre-season basketball stage.

Saturday, 5 September 2026

1:00 PM – Belfast Wolves vs CB Vilanova del VallèsSenior Men’s BPavelló Municipal d’Hostalets, Balenyà

Following Friday evening’s opening game, BC Wolves will return to the court on Saturday afternoon to face CB Vilanova del Vallès.

The overnight recovery period will provide the first physical test of the trip. The squad will need to prepare correctly and begin the second day with the necessary energy, communication and concentration.

5:00 PM – Belfast Wolves vs Lima-Horta BàsquetSenior Men’s BPavelló Municipal d’Hostalets, Balenyà

Four hours after the opening game of Saturday’s double-header, the Wolves will face Lima-Horta Bàsquet.

This will be our third game in less than 24 hours. Squad depth and intelligent rotation will become increasingly important as the players adjust to a second opponent on the same day.

Sunday, 6 September 2026

11:00 AM – Belfast Wolves vs CB Sant Josep ObrerSenior Men’s BPavelló Municipal d’Hostalets, Balenyà

Sunday begins with an 11:00 AM contest against CB Sant Josep Obrer.

This will be the Wolves’ fourth game since Friday evening and comes after Saturday’s double-header. Maintaining defensive communication, concentration and good decision-making while managing fatigue will be an important challenge for the squad.

5:00 PM – AE Sant Andreu Natzaret vs Belfast WolvesSenior Men’s BPavelló Municipal d’Hostalets, Balenyà

BC Wolves will conclude the tournament on Sunday afternoon against AE Sant Andreu Natzaret.

The fifth game of the trip will provide a final test of the squad’s fitness, togetherness and ability to maintain its standards at the end of an intensive three-day schedule.

Tournament playing format

The tournament will use a slightly different playing format from a regular senior league game.

Under the official tournament regulations, Senior Men’s B games will follow current FIBA basketball rules, except for the duration of the contest.

Each game will be played over:

• Four periods of 7.5 minutes

• A three-minute break between the first and second periods

• A five-minute half-time interval

• A three-minute break between the third and fourth periods

• Two time-outs per team in each half

• One time-out per team during any overtime period

Referees and table officials will be appointed by the Catalan Basketball Federation.

The shorter periods will increase the importance of beginning each game with intensity. There will be less time to recover from a slow start, making every possession, turnover, defensive rotation and scoring opportunity more significant.

The competition will also move quickly between games. Teams are expected to complete their warm-ups away from the main court, with only a short turnaround before the next scheduled contest begins.

Five games in three days

The schedule will place considerable physical and mental demands on the players.

BC Wolves will play once on Friday evening, twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday. The shortest turnaround between games will come during the Saturday and Sunday double-headers, when the team will have approximately four and six hours respectively between tip-offs.

Recovery, hydration, nutrition and rest will be important throughout the trip. The players must also remain mentally engaged between fixtures, using each game as an opportunity to learn before applying those lessons against the next opponent.

The schedule provides a genuine test of squad depth. With 12 players available, contributions will be required throughout the roster. Maintaining team standards should not depend on one particular combination being on the court.

This is exactly the type of demanding experience that can help a squad develop trust. Players will prepare, compete, recover and spend the full three days together, strengthening relationships that can carry into the domestic season.

More than a basketball competition

The event has been designed as a wider celebration of basketball rather than simply a collection of games.

The tournament programme includes coaching development, a basketball and medicine round-table discussion, three-point and slam-dunk competitions and additional community activities.

The wider weekend programme also includes a wheelchair basketball Super Cup in a 3x3 format, children’s entertainment, music and activities around the tournament Village. Participants will have free access to the Sant Julià municipal swimming pools during the three official tournament days.

This atmosphere reflects many of the values BC Wolves promote at home: competitive basketball, inclusion, community involvement and development opportunities for people at different levels of the sport.

Representing our club and community

Travelling to Catalonia, Spain, gives our players the opportunity and responsibility to represent more than themselves.

The squad will represent BC Wolves, our supporters and the wider basketball community that has contributed to the club’s continued growth. The players will also carry the names of Mid Ulster and Northern Ireland into a significant European basketball environment.

For BC Wolves, development is not measured only by trophies or individual results. It is also measured by the standards we establish, the opportunities we create and the experiences we can provide for our players.

International competition allows players to experience different coaching approaches, styles of play, methods of officiating and basketball cultures. Those lessons can be brought home and shared throughout the club.

The trip can also show younger BC Wolves players what may become possible as they progress through our development pathway. Experiences like this can inspire the next generation to train consistently, support their teammates and set ambitious goals for their own basketball journeys.

Ready for the challenge

The 40th Sant Julià de Vilatorta Basketball Tournament promises to be a demanding and memorable part of our preparation for the new season.

Five games against five different Catalan opponents will test the team physically, mentally and tactically. The wider tournament environment will also give our players the opportunity to experience one of Catalonia’s longest-running basketball celebrations.

BC Wolves are travelling ready to compete, learn and represent our club with pride.

Whatever the results, the aim is to return home as a better-connected, better-prepared and more experienced team ahead of our Basketball Ireland Development League campaign.

From Mid Ulster to Catalonia, Spain, this is another significant step in the BC Wolves journey.

Catalonia awaits. The Wolves are ready.

Please see some of the Photos from our previous Journeys