British Amateur Rugby League Association
Encyclopedia
The British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league
in the United Kingdom
. It works jointly with the Rugby Football League
(the overall governing body of rugby league in the UK) by means of the RFL Community Board.
by a group of enthusiasts concerned about the dramatic disappearance of many amateur leagues and clubs. Fewer than 150 amateur teams remained with a mere thirty youth rugby league teams. The 'breakaway' from the RFL
was acrimonious and was strongly contested with a vote 29-1 against recognising BARLA. Thanks to Tom Mitchell, this changed to a unanimous vote of approval for BARLA within twelve months.
One of BARLA's first acts was to merge the vast majority of the district leagues into three regional leagues: the Yorkshire League
, the Pennine League
and the North Western Counties League. For geographical reasons the Hull League
, the Cumberland League
, the Barrow League
and the London League
were left as they were. This allowed clubs to play at more appropriate standards as there were more divisions, and this factor along with the improved governance of BARLA saw the standard and numbers of clubs rise quickly.
The Yorkshire County Cup
and Lancashire County Cup
knock-out competitions were started in 1973 as well as the BARLA National Cup
.
In 1977 BARLA toured Australia and New Zealand for the first time. In that year the BARLA Young Lions made their first inaugural tour setting a lasting trend by giving future stars of the game such as David Hobbs their first taste of international rugby league.
A Cumbria County Cup
was started in 1982.
The best amateur clubs were still divided between six leagues and thus the desire for an amateur National League arose. The BARLA National League
first took place in the 1986/1987 season with 10 teams.
The association has always been a champion of the amateur ethos and in 1987 BARLA played a major role in the establishment of the 'free gangway' between the two codes at amateur level. The agreement allowed players to inter-change between rugby league
and rugby union
without fear of discrimination.
The BARLA National League soon proved popular and the 1989/90 season also saw the addition of a second division.
On the 30th November 1990, BARLA's new headquarters at West Yorkshire House, Huddersfield was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1993, BARLA provided the first Great Britain team to tour South Africa. The BARLA National League was rebranded the National Conference League
and expanded to three divisions (now named premier, first and second) in 1993.
By 1999, there were more than 1,400 teams and 900 youth and junior teams. On an average weekend in the season, almost 23,000 players will be in action.
BARLA's work in the international expansion of the game was recognised by their inclusion as affiliate members of the International Federation (equivalent to the International Board at the time) in 1999 and by BARLA's inclusion in the Emerging Nations World Championship in 2000.
BARLA won the Emerging Nations World Championship beating Italy 20-14 in the final.
, Lancashire
and Cumbria
). The top division under their control is the National Conference League
, with regional leagues including the North West Counties
, Yorkshire
, Cumberland
, Pennine
Hull & District
and Barrow & District
leagues.
Its top knock-out competition is the BARLA National Cup
and there are county cups for Yorkshire
, Lancashire
and Cumbria
.
There is a InterTown Series
played over the summer between sides representing different districts.
It also runs youth leagues such as the Gilette National Youth League
as well as the Yorkshire Combination Youth League and Hull Youth and Junior. There are county cups at age group level, known as the Yorkshire Youth Cup
, Lancashire Youth Cup and the Cumbria Youth Cup.
. The association has made 31 tours to and from the Southern Hemisphere
. These include pioneer visits with matches against Fiji
, Samoa
, Tonga
, the Cook Islands
and South Africa
. In the Northern Hemisphere
games have been played against Moldova
, Russia
, Morocco
Pakistan
and the USA
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It works jointly with the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
(the overall governing body of rugby league in the UK) by means of the RFL Community Board.
History
BARLA was created in 1973 in Huddersfield at the George HotelGeorge Hotel, Huddersfield
The George Hotel, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, situated in the centre of the city, is a Grade II listed building famous as the birthplace of rugby league football....
by a group of enthusiasts concerned about the dramatic disappearance of many amateur leagues and clubs. Fewer than 150 amateur teams remained with a mere thirty youth rugby league teams. The 'breakaway' from the RFL
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
was acrimonious and was strongly contested with a vote 29-1 against recognising BARLA. Thanks to Tom Mitchell, this changed to a unanimous vote of approval for BARLA within twelve months.
One of BARLA's first acts was to merge the vast majority of the district leagues into three regional leagues: the Yorkshire League
CMS Yorkshire league
The CMS Yorkshire League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
, the Pennine League
Pennine League
The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the east of Lancashire....
and the North Western Counties League. For geographical reasons the Hull League
Hull & District League
The Hull & District Youth League is a series of rugby league divisions in and around Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire.The league is run by a volunteer League Management Committee who are elected annually by the youth leagues member clubs...
, the Cumberland League
Cumberland League
The Cumberland League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Cumberland.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
, the Barrow League
Barrow & District League
The Barrow & District League is a series of rugby league divisions in and around Barrow-in-Furness.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Officially, teams from the Barrow & District League can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
and the London League
London League (rugby league)
The London, South and East Merit League is a rugby league competition founded in 1965. It is also known as the London League , London & South East Merit League, London Amateur Rugby League and London Merit League ....
were left as they were. This allowed clubs to play at more appropriate standards as there were more divisions, and this factor along with the improved governance of BARLA saw the standard and numbers of clubs rise quickly.
The Yorkshire County Cup
Yorkshire County Cup
The Yorkshire County Cup is a knock-out rugby league competition for teams in the traditional county of Yorkshire. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association ....
and Lancashire County Cup
Lancashire County Cup
The Lancashire County Cup is a knock-out rugby league competition for teams in the traditional county of Lancashire. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association ....
knock-out competitions were started in 1973 as well as the BARLA National Cup
BARLA National Cup
The BARLA National Cup is a knock-out competition for amateur rugby league clubs in Great Britain. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association .-Past Winners:* 1973-74 Leigh MW 12 - 7 Latchford Albion...
.
In 1977 BARLA toured Australia and New Zealand for the first time. In that year the BARLA Young Lions made their first inaugural tour setting a lasting trend by giving future stars of the game such as David Hobbs their first taste of international rugby league.
A Cumbria County Cup
Cumbria County Cup (Rugby League)
The Cumbria County Cup is an amateur rugby league knock-out competition for clubs in the county of Cumbria. The cup is administered by the Cumberland Amateur Rugby League Association, a branch of the British Amateur Rugby League Association, and has been played for since 1982.The final is...
was started in 1982.
The best amateur clubs were still divided between six leagues and thus the desire for an amateur National League arose. The BARLA National League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
first took place in the 1986/1987 season with 10 teams.
The association has always been a champion of the amateur ethos and in 1987 BARLA played a major role in the establishment of the 'free gangway' between the two codes at amateur level. The agreement allowed players to inter-change between rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
without fear of discrimination.
The BARLA National League soon proved popular and the 1989/90 season also saw the addition of a second division.
On the 30th November 1990, BARLA's new headquarters at West Yorkshire House, Huddersfield was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1993, BARLA provided the first Great Britain team to tour South Africa. The BARLA National League was rebranded the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
and expanded to three divisions (now named premier, first and second) in 1993.
By 1999, there were more than 1,400 teams and 900 youth and junior teams. On an average weekend in the season, almost 23,000 players will be in action.
BARLA's work in the international expansion of the game was recognised by their inclusion as affiliate members of the International Federation (equivalent to the International Board at the time) in 1999 and by BARLA's inclusion in the Emerging Nations World Championship in 2000.
BARLA won the Emerging Nations World Championship beating Italy 20-14 in the final.
Competitions
BARLA runs many leagues, mainly based in the 'heartland' areas of the sport (YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
). The top division under their control is the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
, with regional leagues including the North West Counties
North West Counties
The North West Counties A.R.L. are a series of rugby league regional leagues covering the following age groups in the North West of England:-* Age 8 to 12* Age 13 to 15* Age 16 to 18* Open Age...
, Yorkshire
CMS Yorkshire league
The CMS Yorkshire League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
, Cumberland
Cumberland League
The Cumberland League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Cumberland.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
, Pennine
Pennine League
The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the east of Lancashire....
Hull & District
Hull & District League
The Hull & District Youth League is a series of rugby league divisions in and around Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire.The league is run by a volunteer League Management Committee who are elected annually by the youth leagues member clubs...
and Barrow & District
Barrow & District League
The Barrow & District League is a series of rugby league divisions in and around Barrow-in-Furness.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Officially, teams from the Barrow & District League can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
leagues.
Its top knock-out competition is the BARLA National Cup
BARLA National Cup
The BARLA National Cup is a knock-out competition for amateur rugby league clubs in Great Britain. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association .-Past Winners:* 1973-74 Leigh MW 12 - 7 Latchford Albion...
and there are county cups for Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cup
The Yorkshire County Cup is a knock-out rugby league competition for teams in the traditional county of Yorkshire. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association ....
, Lancashire
Lancashire County Cup
The Lancashire County Cup is a knock-out rugby league competition for teams in the traditional county of Lancashire. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association ....
and Cumbria
Cumbria County Cup (Rugby League)
The Cumbria County Cup is an amateur rugby league knock-out competition for clubs in the county of Cumbria. The cup is administered by the Cumberland Amateur Rugby League Association, a branch of the British Amateur Rugby League Association, and has been played for since 1982.The final is...
.
There is a InterTown Series
InterTown Series
The InterTown Series is a summer rugby league competition organised by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . It is contested by teams representing districts made up of players from clubs in that area....
played over the summer between sides representing different districts.
It also runs youth leagues such as the Gilette National Youth League
Gilette National Youth League
The Gilette National Youth League is a British rugby league tournament at under-18 level. It was previous known as the Halifax Home Insurance National Youth League.It is the second tier competition at under-18s...
as well as the Yorkshire Combination Youth League and Hull Youth and Junior. There are county cups at age group level, known as the Yorkshire Youth Cup
Yorkshire Youth Cup
The Yorkshire Youth Cup is a knock-out rugby league competition at different age group levels for teams in the traditional county of Yorkshire. It is administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association....
, Lancashire Youth Cup and the Cumbria Youth Cup.
Representative rugby league
BARLA selects an international team consisting of amateur players, the BARLA Lions. This team tours many parts of the rugby league world, and have competed in the Rugby League Emerging Nations TournamentRugby League Emerging Nations Tournament
In 1995 and 2000, the Rugby League International Federation held an Emerging Nations Tournament alongside the Rugby League World Cup. The competition was designed to allow teams who have failed to qualify for the World Cup proper a chance to play on the international stage....
. The association has made 31 tours to and from the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. These include pioneer visits with matches against Fiji
Fiji national rugby league team
-Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
, Samoa
Samoa national rugby league team
-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
, Tonga
Tonga national rugby league team
The Tonga national rugby league team is a national sporting side, representing Tonga in rugby league football. Rugby league is a popular sport in Tonga, and the national team has become one of the best performed nations in the world...
, the Cook Islands
Cook Islands national rugby league team
-2008 World Cup Qualifying:See 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifyingThe Cook Islands played Fiji, Tonga and Samoa in the Pacific pool of Qualifying for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Fiji and Tonga qualified, and Samoa earned a second chance in the repecharge round...
and South Africa
South Africa national rugby league team
The South Africa national rugby league team are a growing force in rugby league football, South Africa competes sporadically against other international nations because of their location and their absence from any major international competitions. They are ranked twenty-third in the world...
. In the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
games have been played against Moldova
Moldova national rugby league team
The Moldova national rugby league team first competed into international competition in 1993. Moldova has not competed internationally since the 1995 Emerging Nations World Cup...
, Russia
Russia national rugby league team
-2008 World Cup Qualifying:In 2006 Russia were involved in Europe Round One, defeating Netherlands national rugby league team and Serbia national rugby league team to finish second and keep their World Cup dream alive. They then went through to Europe Round Two in Europe Pool Two with Ireland and...
, Morocco
Morocco national rugby league team
-Results:* Lebanon def. Morocco 72-4 * Morocco def. Belgium 46-12 * Morocco def. Catalonia 29-6 * Morocco def. Italy 32-10 * Morocco def. Catalonia 62-12...
Pakistan
Pakistan national rugby league team
The Pakistan national rugby league team was founded in 2008 to represent Pakistan in rugby league football after receiving support from the British Asian Rugby Association. In 2009 the team was granted official observer status by the Rugby League International Federation....
and the USA
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
.
Service areas
BARLA divides itself into service areas which are defined by local authority or county sports partnership boundaries depending on their geographical location. Each service area is managed by a steering group at which all rugby league agencies in the area and other appropriate partners are represented.North West
Halton, Lancashire, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford, St Helens, Warrington & Cheshire, Wigan & Leigh, fyldeYorkshire
Bradford, Calderdale, Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, WakefieldSee also
- Rugby Football LeagueRugby Football LeagueThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
- Rugby League Emerging Nations TournamentRugby League Emerging Nations TournamentIn 1995 and 2000, the Rugby League International Federation held an Emerging Nations Tournament alongside the Rugby League World Cup. The competition was designed to allow teams who have failed to qualify for the World Cup proper a chance to play on the international stage....
- Victory CupRugby League Victory CupThe Rugby League Victory Cup is a rugby league tournament held in Russia. Officially it is organised and funded by the Russian Rugby Football League ; unofficially, the 2003 and 2004 tournaments were largely run by the RRFL's then president, Akhmet Kamaldinov, who had more to do with the...
- Rugby league in EnglandRugby league in EnglandRugby league football is a team sport in England. The sport receives funding from Sport England as an "English priority" sport. The top-level competition in England—called Super League—is not an entirely all-English affair, as it includes a team from France, and also featured a team from Wales from...