National Conference League
Encyclopedia
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur 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...

s run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...

 (BARLA). Unlike the professional game, the majority of amateur rugby league in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 is played in the winter months, and the National Conference is a 'winter' league.

Relationship between NCL and other leagues

The five regional leagues beneath the NCL are 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....

, 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 North West Counties League
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...

, 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...

 and the Hull & District 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...

. There is also a Barrow & District 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...

, however this is nearly all reserve sides with the odd team that can not afford the travelling costs involved in competing in the North West Counties League. Teams from these regional leagues can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet stringent minimum criteria.

Somewhat confusingly, the main amateur competition for clubs that wish to play a summer season is also titled conference: the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...

 (RLC). The NCL is seen as being the top division for 'traditional' clubs from the 'heartland' areas of rugby league, whilst the RLC consists mostly of clubs from other areas of the country, although there are a number of traditional teams now playing in the RLC.

There is no formal link from the NCL to any semi-professional league, as all professional rugby league in the UK
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...

 is now played in the summer. Some NCL clubs have however chosen to "move across" to the summer structure in order to progress towards the professional ranks, one example of this being Warrington Wizards
Warrington Wizards
Warrington Wizards are a British rugby league team. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:Warrington Woolston Rovers, a National Conference League team were invited to be founder members of the new National League Three, the 4th tier of British rugby league in...

 (who formerly competed in the NCL as Woolston Rovers) and Featherstone Lions
Featherstone Lions
Featherstone Lions are an amateur rugby league club from Featherstone, West Yorkshire who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division and the CMS Yorkshire league Division 3. The under-18 team play in the Gilette National Youth League....

 (accepted by National League three). Bradford Dudley Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill Rugby League Club is an English rugby league team based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, now playing in the National Conference League.-History:...

 have applied to switch from National League Three back to the NCL, with their application accepted in summer 2006.

Many of the players from the amateur BARLA teams go on to play for teams in Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...

, the Championship or Championship 1, though this is not as common as in the past as professional sides now run their own academy sides rather than relying on recruitment from local BARLA clubs.

History

The league was founded as the BARLA National League for the 1986/1987 season with 10 teams: Dudley Hill, Egremont Rangers, Heworth, Leigh Miners Welfare (now Leigh Miners Rangers), Milford Marlins, Millom, Pilkington Recs, West Hull, Wigan St Patrick's and Woolston Rovers. The original NCL concept was one team per town.

The league added a second division in 1989, and expanded to three divisions (now named premier, first and second as opposed to first and second) along with a rebrand to the current name of National Conference League in 1993.

The National Conference League launched a series of Summer Divisions in 2009 but failed to repeat its summer experiment in 2010 leading three clubs: East Leeds, Milford Marlins and Shaw Cross Sharks to join the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...

.

Structure

The National Conference League consists of three divisions of up to fourteen teams each, titled the Premier Division, Division One and Division Two. There is promotion and relegation between each division of three up and three down. The bottom two teams from Division Two face re-election, but usually they are both re-elected as enough teams resign from the league to allow new teams entry.




























Premier Division
East Hull
East Hull
East Hull RLFC is an amateur rugby league team from Kingston upon Hull. They play their home matches at Rosmead Sports Centre, Hull and currently compete in the National Conference League Premier Division. The team's strip colours are blue and white and the away colours are red and white. The...

Hull Dockers
Hull Dockers
Hull Dockers ARLFC is an amateur rugby league team from Kingston upon Hull, playing in the National Conference League. They currently play their home matches at The Willow Club, Holderness Road and their playing colours are green and white.-External links:*...

Leigh East
Leigh East
Leigh East ARLFC is an amateur rugby league team from Leigh, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. They play in the National Conference League. They currently play their home matches at Leigh Sports Village, Ledgard Avenue and their playing colours are...

Leigh Miners Rangers
Oulton Raiders
Rochdale Mayfield
Siddal RLFC
Skirlaugh RLFC
Thatto Heath Crusaders
Thatto Heath Crusaders
Thatto Heath Crusaders is an amateur rugby league club situated in Thatto Heath, St Helens, Merseyside. The club currently competes in the National Conference League Premier division.-History:...

Thornhill Trojans
Thornhill Trojans
Thornhill Trojans are an amateur rugby league club situated in Thornhill, West Yorkshire they currently compete in the Pennine Division.The current coach of the team is James Ratcliffe former York City Knights coach.Formation...

West Hull
West Hull
West Hull RLFC is an amateur rugby league club from Kingston upon Hull, currently playing in the National Conference League Premier Division. The team plays their home matches at Walter Simpson Park in Hull and their strip colours are green and gold....

Wigan St Judes
Wigan St Patricks
Wigan St Patricks
Wigan St. Patricks is an Amateur Rugby League football club. It is situated in the Scholes area of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The first team plays in the National Conference League Premier Division. There is a Reserve side which plays in the North West Counties League First Division. The club also...

York Acorn

















Division One
Bradford Dudley Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill Rugby League Club is an English rugby league team based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, now playing in the National Conference League.-History:...

Castleford Panthers
Eastmoor Dragons
Ince Rose Bridge
Milford Marlins
Millom
Millom RLFC
Millom RLFC is an amateur rugby league club based in the town of Millom in Cumbria. It is one of the oldest amateur rugby league club in the world, having been founded in 1873....

Normanton Knights
Saddleworth Rangers
Shaw Cross Sharks
Stanningley
Stanningley
Stanningley is a district of Pudsey, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Leeds city centre on the original main road from Leeds to Bradford...

Wath Brow Hornets
West Bowling
West Bowling
West Bowling are an amateur rugby league club situated in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in the National Conference League.West Bowling play their home games at Bankfoot Cricket Club, next to Odsal stadium...

Widnes St Maries

















Division Two
Askam ARLFC (*)
Castleford Lock Lane
Crosfields RLFC
East Leeds
Eccles & Salford Juniors
Egremont Rangers
Heworth
Heworth, York
Heworth is part of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England, about north-east of the centre. It is sometimes referred to as Heworth Village...

Hull Isberg
Myton Warriors
Oldham St Anne's
Ovenden
Ovenden
Ovenden is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England, located next to Boothtown and Illingworth and about 1 mile from Halifax town centre.Ovenden had a railway station, originally on the Halifax and Ovenden Junction Railway line...

Stanley Rangers
Stanley Rangers
Stanley Rangers is an amateur rugby league club situated in the village of Stanley near Wakefield.Players range from 8-years old and receive training in all aspects of the sport...

Waterhead
Waterhead, Greater Manchester
Waterhead , is an area of Oldham, and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England...




(*) Askam withdrew before the start of the season

Summer Divisions 2009


















Summer Division West Yorks
Eastmoor Dragons
Milford Marlins
Oulton Raiders
Thornhill Trojans








Summer Division Pennine
Bradford Dudley Hill
Ovenden
Rochdale Mayfield
Saddleworth Rangers








Summer Division North West
Eccles & Salford Juniors
Leigh East
Thatto Heath Crusaders
Widnes St Maries



A proposed Eastern division featuring Normanton Knights, Castleford Lock Lane, West Hull and East Hull failed to materialise after Castleford Lock Lane and then East Hull pulled out and the other two teams declined the chance to join another division. Shaw Cross Sharks were initially scheduled to take part in the West Yorkshire Division but they withdrew to be replaced by Thornhill Trojans.

National League First Division Champions

  • 1986-87 Heworth
  • 1987-88 Milford
  • 1988-89 West Hull
  • 1989-90 Dudley Hill
  • 1990-91 Leigh East
  • 1991-92 Wigan St Patricks
  • 1992-93 Saddleworth Rangers

National Conference League Premier Division Champions

  • 1993-94 Woolston Rovers
  • 1994-95 Woolston Rovers
  • 1995-96 Woolston Rovers
  • 1996-97 West Hull
  • 1997-98 Egremont Rangers
  • 1998-99 West Hull
  • 1999-00 West Hull
  • 2000-01 West Hull

National Conference League Grand Final Champions

  • 2001-02 West Hull
  • 2002-03 Siddal
  • 2003-04 Siddal
  • 2004-05 Leigh Miners Rangers
  • 2005-06 Oulton Raiders
  • 2006-07 Skirlaugh
  • 2007-08 East Hull
  • 2008-09 Siddal
  • 2009-10 Leigh East
  • 2010-11 Thatto Heath Crusaders

National Conference League First Division Champions

  • 1993-94 Heworth
  • 1994-95 Millom
  • 1995-96 Beverley
  • 1996-97 Askam
  • 1997-98 Skirlaugh
  • 1998-99 Redhill
  • 1999-00 Oulton Raiders
  • 2000-01 Leigh East
  • 2001-02 West Bowling
  • 2002-03 Thatto Heath Crusaders
  • 2003-04 Wath Brow Hornets
  • 2004-05 Shaw Cross Sharks
  • 2005-06 West Hull
  • 2006-07 Rochdale Mayfield
  • 2007-08 Wigan St. Judes
  • 2008-09 Wath Brow Hornets
  • 2009-10 Thatto Heath Crusaders

National Conference League Second Division Champions

  • 1989-90 Saddleworth Rangers
  • 1990-91 Barrow Island
  • 1991-92 West Hull
  • 1992-93 Mayfield
  • 1993-94 Oldham St Annes
  • 1994-95 Eastmoor Dragons
  • 1995-96 Wigan St Judes
  • 1996-97 Redhill
  • 1997-98 Featherstone Lions
  • 1998-99 Ideal Isberg
  • 1999-00 Eastmoor Dragons
  • 2000-01 Thatto Heath Crusaders
  • 2001-02 Crosfields
  • 2002-03 Wath Brow Hornets
  • 2003-04 East Hull
  • 2004-05 Ince Rose Bridge
  • 2005-06 Castleford Panthers
  • 2006-07 Waterhead
  • 2007-08 Millom
  • 2008-09 Myton Warriors

National Conference League Challenge Cup









1987-88Leigh Miners Rangers15-0Milford
1988-89Egremont Rangers2-0Wigan St Patricks
1989-90Wigan St Patricks11-6Askam
1990-91Millom14-13Dudley Hill
1991-92Wigan St Patricks14-12Saddleworth Rangers
1992-93Saddleworth Rangers25-10Askam
1993-94Heworth22-4Blackbrook

See also

  • British Amateur Rugby League Association
    British Amateur Rugby League Association
    The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...

  • British rugby league system‎
  • CMS 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...

  • 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....

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Hull & District 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...

  • Barrow & District 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...

  • Championship and Championship 1 (formerly the National Leagues)
  • Rugby League Conference
    Rugby League Conference
    The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...


External links

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