Wikipedia

Rugby League Conference

(Redirected from North West Merit League)
For the heartlands competition, see National Conference League.

The Rugby League Conference, also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.

Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference competition logo
SportRugby league
Formerly known asSouthern Conference League
Instituted1997; 27 years ago (1997)
Ceased2012; 12 years ago (2012)
Number of teams115
Countries England
 Scotland
 Wales
ChampionsSee list
Websiterugbyleagueconference.co.uk

The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the south east, but subsequently, rebranded and expanded both geographically and numerically to include around 90 teams stretched across almost the whole of Great Britain from Aberdeen in northern Scotland down to Plymouth on the south coast of England.

The aim of the RLC was initially to provide regular fixtures for new clubs based outside the traditional 'heartland' of rugby league in the UK, although as the playing standards increased, it also accepted teams from the 'heartlands'. The hope was that some clubs would eventually progress to become semi-professional.

To date, London Skolars and Coventry Bears both play in the professional structure as have Hemel Stags and Oxford although Hemel reverted to being a solely amateur club after selling its professional license to Cornwall and Oxford folded.

With the top heartlands amateur league, the National Conference League voting to move to a summer season, the 2012 season saw a re-alignment of the amateur game and the Rugby League Conference was replaced with a series of regional leagues.

History

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Main article: History of the Rugby League Conference

The 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 outside the traditional heartlands of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.

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 saw 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.

The Rugby League Conference celebrated passing the 100 club barrier in 2010.[1]

2011 was the last season before the league was restructured.

Representative fixtures

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The Rugby League Amateur Four Nations was competition for national amateur sides from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

Former divisions within the RLC

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As of 2010[2]

Past winners

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Main article: Rugby League Conference trophy winners

RLC National

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RLC Premier

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Main article: Harry Jepson Trophy

Competed for by winners of each premier division.

RLC Regional

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Competed for by winners of each regional division.

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ RLC set to expand
  2. ^ "RL Conference breaks 100 team barrier". Love Rugby League. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
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