The annual ranking of European teams has just been published and, for the first time in its history, the Herts Falcons have been ranked among the top 50 clubs in Europe.
They have taken 38th place in the ranking. The Harlow Nationals, who beat the Falcons in the National Final, are the other British team to make the top 50. They are ahead of the Falcons in 28th place.
Today’s announcement of the rankings is a deserved recognition of the tremendous strides made by the club from Hertfordshire, which in 2004 had only one team playing in the third tier of the British leagues and today has 8 teams in the senior and youth leagues of Great Britain.
12 months ago the club managed to secure some of the best players in the country and this turned the Falcons into a serious contender for the NBL tile. At the end they just missed out on winning the championship, losing to the Nationals in game 6 of the National Final.
For a second consecutive year the top team in Europe is the Italian league champion, T&A San Marino. In second place is Unipol Bologna from Italy. In third place is the Dutch league champion, Corendon Kinheim.
The ranking is compiled by baseball broadcaster, Josh Chetwynd. Click to view full announcement.
| Pos. | Club | Country | Points |
| 1 | T&A San Marino | San Marino | 33.25 |
| 2 | Unipol Bologna | Italy | 32.50 |
| 3 | Corendon Kinheim | Netherlands | 31.58 |
| 4 | Danesi Caffe’ Nettuno | Italy | 31.00 |
| 5 | DOOR Neptunus | Netherlands | 30.33 |
| 5 | L&D Amsterdam | Netherlands | 30.33 |
| 7 | Rouen Baseball 76 | France | 29.67 |
| 8 | Buchbinder Legionäre | Germany | 29.33 |
| 9 | Telemarket Rimini | Italy | 28.00 |
| 10 | Paderborn Untouchables | Germany | 26.33 |
| 11 | Vaessen Pioniers | Netherlands | 24.33 |
| 12 | CB Barcelona | Spain | 24.00 |
| 13 | Draci Brno | Czech Republic | 22.50 |
| 14 | Solingen Alligators | Germany | 22.33 |
| 15 | Astros | Spain | 22.00 |
| 16 | Heidenheim Heideköpfe | Germany | 21.33 |
| 16 | UVV | Netherlands | 21.33 |
| 18 | Cariparma Parma | Italy | 21.00 |
| 19 | Les Templiers de Senart | France | 20.17 |
| 20 | Eagles Praha | Czech Republic | 18.00 |
| 21 | Karlskoga Bats BBK | Sweden | 17.08 |
| 22 | Tenerife Marlins P.C. | Spain | 17.00 |
| 23 | Hoboken Pioneers | Belgium | 16.17 |
| 23 | Paris Université Club | France | 16.17 |
| 25 | C.B. Viladecans | Spain | 16.00 |
| 26 | Savigny sur Orge Lions | France | 15.67 |
| 27 | Technika Brno | Czech Republic | 15.50 |
| 28 | KNTU-OSVSM Kirovograd | Ukraine | 15.00 |
| 28 | Southern Nationals | United Kingdom | 15.00 |
| 30 | Kotlářka Praha | Czech Republic | 14.50 |
| 31 | Bern Cardinals | Switzerland | 13.75 |
| 31 | TJ STU Angels Trnava | Slovakia | 13.75 |
| 33 | Baseball Klub Nada SSM Split | Croatia | 13.58 |
| 33 | Tornado Balashikha | Russia | 13.58 |
| 35 | K. Borgerhout Squirrels | Belgium | 13.57 |
| 36 | MGPU S.Y.O.S. Moscow | Russia | 13.08 |
| 37 | Stockholms BSK | Sweden | 12.08 |
| 38 | Herts Falcons | United Kingdom | 12.00 |
| 39 | Olimpija Karlovac | Croatia | 10.83 |
| 40 | Vienna Wanderers | Austria | 9.92 |
| 41 | Brest Zubrs | Belarus | 9.50 |
| 42 | Atletico Alexandria | Romania | 8.75 |
| 42 | Espoo Expos | Finland | 8.75 |
| 42 | Lituanica Kaunas | Lithuania | 8.75 |
| 42 | Scythians | Ukraine | 8.75 |
| 46 | Gepardy Zory | Poland | 8.25 |
| 47 | Beograd 96 | Serbia | 6.75 |
| 47 | Dublin Spartans | Ireland | 6.75 |
| 47 | Zajčki Rabbits | Slovenia | 6.75 |
| 50 | Riga Lions | Latvia | 6.50 |