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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 2008 (1 National, 4 Premier (Northern, Midlands, Southern and Welsh) and 8 Regional (Scotland, North West, Cheshire, Yorkshire, South Yorkshire & Lincolnshire, West and West Midlands, South West and East).
The RLC was founded as the 10 team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the south east, but has subsequently, rebranded and expanded both geographically and numberswise to include around 90 teams stretched across almost the whole of Great Britain from Lossiemouth in northern Scotland down to Plymouth.
The aim of the RLC was initially to provide regular fixtures for new clubs based outside the 'heartland' of rugby league, although as the playing 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.
HistoryThe Southern Conference League was founded as a 10-team competition in 1997. The following season it was rebranded as the Rugby League Conference due to its intentions to include teams from all non-heartland parts of the country and its even then inclusion of several teams outside the South. The league steadily expanded over the first few seasons right up to the fringes of the heartlands, before expanding into Wales for the first time in 2001 with the addition of Cardiff Demons. The league expanded into the North East that same season.
In 2003 National League Three was founded including some of the stronger Rugby League Conference clubs and some BARLA clubs. This same season massive expansion of the Rugby League Conference including an entire Welsh division. The league also pushed its borders further including more teams from the less rugby league playing areas of the counties considered the heartlands and went as far south west as Somerset. The league expanded further in 2004 by allowing entry to heartland clubs. For the 2005 season the competition was split into two tiers, with Premier divisions being created for above the existing regional divisions. The next major changes were in 2007 when National League Three (as the National Division) and the Scottish League became integral parts of the Rugby League Conference structure.
Season and play-off formatThere 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.
National DivisionThe 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
Premier divisionsThere 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.
Regional divisionsThere 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.
Representative fixturesAfter 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 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).
2008 StructureNational
Northern Premier
Midlands Premier
Southern Premier
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| Northern Premier |
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| Carlisle Centurions |
| Durham Tigers |
| Jarrow Vikings |
| Leeds Akkies |
| Newcastle Knights |
| Peterlee Pumas |
| Sunderland Nissan |
| Whitley Bay Barbarians |
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