Rugby League Conference
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from the Co-operative Group, is a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales. There will be 13 divisions in 2007 (1 National, 4 Premier (Northern, Midlands, Southern and Welsh) and 8 Regional (Scotland, North West, Cheshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, West and West Midlands, South West, South and East).
The aim of the RLC was initially to provide regular fixtures for new clubs based outside the 'heartland' of rugby league, although as the standards have raised it now also accepts teams from the 'heartlands'. The hope is that at least some of these clubs will eventually progress to become semi-professional clubs that could one day join the 'traditional' clubs in the national leagues to date only London Skolars have done so.
Confusingly, the top (winter) league administered by BARLA is also titled conference: the National Conference League. Although many of the clubs are affiliated to BARLA, the RLC is run, not by them, but by the Rugby Football League.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Predecessors to the RLC
The Southern Conference League was a 10-team pilot league founded in 1997. It had grown out of the defunct Midlands and South West Amateur Rugby League (MASWARLA).
The teams in that foundation season were North London Skolars, West London, Ipswich Rhinos, Cambridge Eagles, Kingston (who failed to complete the season), Birmingham, Worcester Royals, Oxford Cavaliers, Leicester Phoenix and Bedford Swifts. Reading were originally lined up to play in the 1997 Southern Conference League, but withdrew beforehand, being replaced by Cambridge. Some of the teams had come from the East Midland League (EMARLA), and others from the London Amateur Rugby League (LARL). West London was a joint venture between two LARL clubs and Bedford Swifts were the first ever cross code club. North London Skolars were the winners of the first and only Southern Conference.
[edit] The formation of the RLC and early expansion 1998 to 2002
The Rugby League Conference was founded in 1998 with 14 teams (initially planned to be 15), this expanded to 20 in 1999 and 24 in 2000. The East Midland League (EMARLA) was absorbed by 1999 with the admission of Derby City and Nottingham Outlaws (based on the now defunct Nottingham Crusaders). The North East League (NEARLA) provided teams for the 2000 Northern Rugby League Summer Conference, won by Teeside Steelers before being incorporated into the Rugby League Conference in 2001.
The best of the London League was gradually included, with the rest reforming as a summer merit league for new clubs, police/prison sides and second and third teams.
The Conference expanded into Wales for the first time in 2001 when Cardiff Demons joined the Central South Division. Along with the new North East Division this left the Rugby League Conference with 30 teams in the 2001 (and 2002) season. Teesside beat Coventry Bears by a narrow margin in the grand final at Webb Ellis Road, Rugby. Plans to expand to Scotland with a Glasgow team in 2002 on the Cardiff model failed to materialise, and the Conference had to wait until 2007 to have Scottish full members for the first time.
In 2002 London Skolars were accepted into National League two, the first club in eighty years to make the transition from the amateur ranks to the professional leagues. In September, last year's losing finalist Coventry Bears beat Hemel in the grand final held at Cheltenham.
[edit] Further expansion 2003-4
Hemel Stags, St Albans Centurions, Coventry Bears, Manchester Knights, South London Storm and Teesside Steelers joined the newly formed National League three in 2003. A Welsh Conference was formed in 2003 as the conference continued to expand. The conference made the leap from 30 to 52 and there has been criticism that standards were being eroded to allow rapid expansion. It is true that far more teams have resigned from the league since 2003 than beforehand. It is unlikely that teams such as the Haringey 'A' side of 2006 who forfeited 7 out of 10 games would have been allowed to remain in the early seasons.
Another move criticised by some people was the allowing of heartland teams to enter. This was tested with the entry of Leeds Akademiks (now Akkies) in 2003 and many more heartland teams were included from the 2004 season. While this is controversial it has allowed standards to improve in the North and setting up the Premier Divisions would have been near impossible without them. It also allowed all NL3 sides to enter reserve teams if they chose.
The following season saw Birmingham Bulldogs, Carlisle Centurions, Gateshead Storm and Essex Eels leave the Conference to join National League three.
[edit] Further developments 2005-onwards
The RLC Premier North, Midlands (initially Central), South and Wales divisions were set up in 2005 to include the stronger teams in those areas who were able to travel further to play away games. South London Storm and Manchester Knights resigned from National League three to join the RLC Premier (the latter only lasting two games before having their fixtures taken over by Dewsbury Celtic). Coventry Bears, Essex Eels and Birmingham Bulldogs also quit National League three to join the RLC Premier for the 2006 season with Carlisle joining the RLC Regional.
In 2006 a new league was founded as a feeder league to the RLC in the Midlands and South Yorkshire. The Midlands RL Merit League (now known as RL Merit League) was based on the principles of the successful London League and consists of new clubs who are not ready for the full commitment of the Conference season together with RLC clubs' 'A' teams. It is hoped that other regions can set up merit leagues on a similar basis to the existing two.
From 2006 the Rugby League Conference provided administrative and promotional support to the Scottish domestic league as a pilot scheme which has provided a Scottish division of six teams as a full part of the Conference for the 2007 season. Gloucestershire Warriors became the first Conference side to beat a 'traditional' amateur side when they beat Pennine League team Illingworth 25-24 away from home in the 2006 Challenge Cup. South London Storm were crowned RLC National Champions after beating East Lancashire Lions 30-0 in the final at Broadstreet RUFC.
In 2007, Bradford Dudley Hill withdrew from National League three to return to the National Conference League and St Albans Centurions decided to join the RLC Premier South. Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks had previously re-entered the Rugby League Conference for the 2006 season after resigning from National league three a few weeks into the season. Hemel Stags were left as the only southern team and National League three was absorbed into the Rugby League Conference as the Rugby League Conference National Division with the addition of three teams from the Premier North Division: Leeds Akkies, Cottingham Phoenix and East Lancashire Lions. Cottingham Phoenix were subsequently expelled about half way through the season for forfeiting three fixtures. The 2007 season will include many new teams in the deep South West allowing a division completely comprising of clubs in Devon and Somerset, this has the advantage of vastly reducing travel for both the existing clubs in the region and the West Midlands/West Country clubs having to travel down there.
The 2007 season also saw a new sponsor for the league with Totalrlc being replaced by United Co-operatives in a six figure deal. [1] Following United's merger with the larger Co-operative Group, the league was named the Co-operative Rugby League Conference for sponsorship purposes.
[edit] Season and play-off format
There is no promotion or relegation between divisions, teams may apply to join higher divisions and may or may not be accepted based on different criteria.
In the event of a default, the game is awarded 24-0 to the non-defaulting side.
[edit] National Division
The ten teams play each other on a home and away basis providing eighteen games. The top six teams then enter the end of season play-offs in the same format as the play-offs for the Super League and National leagues
[edit] Premier divisions
There are three English divisions and one Welsh division with seven to ten teams per division. Teams play fourteen games each in the English divisions and just seven games in the Welsh division. Each division then has its own play-off series to determine the champion with the four divisional winners entering the semi-finals of the play-offs for the Harry Jepson Trophy.
The premier divisions were added in the 2005 season to provide for clubs wanting to play a longer season and the development of those clubs within the Conference.
There is a minimum criteria attached to membership including the organization of at least one junior team. There will also be a requirement over time to add additional teams at junior level and to register for clubmark. It is also recommended to have a second open age team.
[edit] Regional divisions
There are eight regional divisions (seven English and one Scottish) in 2007 with four to eight teams and six to twelve fixtures per team with varying fixture formats. Each division has play-offs with varying formats with the winners entering the quarter-finals of the play-offs for the national title.
[edit] Representative fixtures
After the end of the RLC season a series of games between the different English regions (as defined by Sport England) are held. These regional teams draw upon players from the clubs in their region. After this a selection is made for the North versus South origin game as well as England Lionhearts who represent England in a competition against national amateur sides from Wales, Scotland (players drawn from RLC teams) and Ireland (players from their own national amateur championship).
[edit] 2008 structure
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
NB:Kent Ravens (South Premier Division), Glasgow Bulls (Scottish Division), Manchester Jets (North West Division) and Macclesfield Titans (Cheshire Division) have all either resigned or been struck from the fixture lists
[edit] Past winners
[edit] Rugby League Conference National
- 2003 Warrington Woolston Rovers (as National League three)
- 2004 Coventry Bears (as National League three)
- 2005 Bradford Dudley Hill (as National League three)
- 2006 Bramley Buffaloes (as National League three)
- 2007 Featherstone Lions
[edit] Harry Jepson Trophy
The Harry Jepson trophy was competed for by all the Conference sides up to 2004. From 2005, it has been competed for only by the RLC Premier divisions.
- 1997 North London Skolars (as Southern Conference)
- 1998 Crawley Jets
- 1999 Chester Wolves
- 2000 Crawley Jets
- 2001 Teesside Steelers
- 2002 Coventry Bears
- 2003 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2004 Widnes Saints
- 2005 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2006 South London Storm
- 2007 St Albans Centurions
[edit] RLC Regional
The RLC Regional is open to English sides that are in the regional divisions rather than the Premier divisions. It was introduced in 2005.
- 2005 Wetherby Bulldogs
- 2006 Liverpool Buccaneers
- 2007 Widnes Saints
[edit] RLC Shield
The RLC Shield is an optional secondary competition for regional sides that do not make their divisions' play-offs. Prior to 2005, it was for teams not making the play-offs of the Harry Jepson trophy.
- 2002 South London Storm
- 2003 Bolton Le Moors (now East Lancashire Lions)
- 2004 Cardiff Demons
- 2005 Blackpool Sea Eagles
- 2006 Not contested
[edit] Welsh Premier
Competed for by the RLC Wales division since 2004.
- 2004 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2005 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2006 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2007 Bridgend Blue Bulls
[edit] Welsh Shield
Secondary Welsh competition for teams who do not make the play-offs for the Welsh Premier.
- 2004 Cardiff Demons
- 2005 Newport Titans
- 2006 Not contested
[edit] Scotland
Scottish regional tier, introduced 2006.
- 2006 Fife Lions (not as full members of the RLC)
- 2007 Edinburgh Eagles
(For previous Scottish champions see: Scotland Rugby League)
[edit] References
Beyond the Heartlands - The History of the Rugby League Conference Julian Harrison
[edit] See also
- British rugby league system
- Rugby League National Leagues
- National Conference League
- London League
- RL Merit League
- Scotland Rugby League
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Unofficial RLC website
- Club directory on official site
- Official tables
- Fixture lists
- Fixtures and results on leaguenews.co.uk
|
||||||||||||||
