St. Louis, MO, WPH Press –
The World Players of Handball and the St. Louis Handball Community, headed by the Streibig family, are thrilled to present the 2026 St. Louis R48 and WR48. The 2026 St. Louis R48 and WR48 will be the first pro event played at the newly constructed National Handball Center.
The R48 Men’s Pro will be headlined by R48 #1 and two-time 2025/26 Race finalist Martin Mulkerrins, who recently returned from a handball promotional mission to Africa (HERE) and his wedding in Ireland. The newly married Mulkerrins will face a very strong field in the first Race event of 2026, to include the Race’s most recent champion, Ray Ure. Ure dominated the 2025 Memorial (HERE)and will aim to continue his momentum in the “Gateway of the West.” In addition to Mulkerrins and Ure, The Flying Cordovas, Leo Canales, and the rest of the Race’s Elite 8 will be hungry for a title in “Mound City.”
WR48 #1 Niamh Heffernan headlines the WR48 St. Louis field, having won the last two WR48 stops in Salt Lake City and Tucson. Heffernan’s quest for a three-peat in “The Lou” will be difficult, as fellow WR48 Fab 4 stars Aoife Holden and Clodagh Munroe will be aiming for STL glory.
2026 St. Louis R48 and WR48 Info
- Date: January 30-February 1, 2026
- Site: National Handball Center, 8701 Dunn Rd., Hazelwood, MO, St Louis, Missouri 63044
- Tournament directors: Jeff and Janaki Streibig, WPH
- Tournament sponsor: JR WPH
- Pro Events: R48 Men’s pro singles, WR48 singles
- Number of ranked R48 pros entered:
- Number of ranked WR48 pros entered:
- Number of 2025/26 Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifiers entered:
- Current or former R48 #1’s entered:
- Current or former WR48 #1’s entered:
- 2026 St. Louis Broadcast Schedule on ESPN: Saturday, January 31, 10 am-7 pm CST, Sunday, February 1, 10 am-1:30 pm CST
2026 St. Louis Race 4 Eight Important Links
R2 page for the 2026 Race 4 Eight St. Louis HERE
2026 St. Louis Race 4 Eight press release HERE
2025 JR WPH Portfolio HERE
Updated Race 4 Eight Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Updated Race 4 Eight Rankings Post 2025 Memorial HERE
Race 4 Eight pro player bios HERE
WPH Coaching Centers HERE
WPH Workout Central HERE
2025/26 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer