Sport | Rugby league |
---|---|
Inaugural season | 1997 |
Country | England Scotland Wales |
Champions | Telford Raiders (2024) |
Most titles | South West London Chargers (3) |
Related competition | Rugby League Conference, RFL Community Shield |
The Harry Jepson Trophy is a rugby league competition contested by teams from successor leagues to the Rugby League Conference. It is named after Harry Jepson.
The Harry Jepson trophy was first contested in 1997 by members of the then Southern Conference. The conference was renamed the Rugby League Conference in 1998 and it began to expand from its initial base in the South of England and the Midlands. The winners of the various regional divisions would enter a play-off system culminating in a Grand Final for the trophy.
In 2005, the Conference changed structure with the formation of Premier Divisions for the stronger teams, the Harry Jepson trophy was then competed for by the winners of the Premier divisions with the regional division winners playing-off for the RLC Regional trophy.
In 2012, the national Conference was replaced by locally administered regional leagues but the Harry Jepson trophy continued to be contested by teams in some of these new regional leagues.
In 2023, the trophy was given a new lease of life by becoming an end of season competition between the winners of the London and South East Rugby League, East Rugby League, Midlands Rugby League with a final on the same day as the Southern Conference League final.
The winners of the Scottish Conference League Premier Division, the North East Rugby League Premier Division, the Midlands Rugby League Premier Division, the London & South East Men's League, the West of England, the South Premier and the East Rugby League played-off in a knock-out tournament that ended in a Grand Final.
The London Skolars are a rugby league club based at the New River Stadium in Wood Green, Haringey, North London. Founded in 1995, the club operated as a semi-professional team for 2003 and competed in the Betfred League 1 until it withdrew from the professional leagues at the end of 2023. The London Skolars have recently been accepted into the Southern Conference League (SCL) for the 2024 season.
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.
South London Storm was a rugby league club who played and trained at Archbishop Lanfranc School in the London Borough of Croydon. They competed in the London and South East Merit League.
Nottingham Outlaws are a rugby league club from the city of Nottingham, England. They were founded in 1999 and their first team plays in the Premier Division of the Yorkshire Men's League. They have a junior section and in 2006 launched an academy team. They play their home matches at their own ground at Lenton Lane Nottingham NG7. They are also known as the 'hooded men'.
Bedford Tigers RLFC is a rugby league club based in Bedford, England. The first team plays in the Southern Conference, with a second team in the East Premier League. The Tigers are a fore running club in the amateur game in the south of England and continue to push boundaries of what can be achieved in the sport both on and off the field. As a club, Bedford Tigers have moved to their own ground in 2018 and boast two senior sides as well as two junior sides, a satellite programme and proposed schools program too.
The Midlands Hurricanes are a semi-professional rugby league club based in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. They were founded in 2021 and took over the professional franchise owned by Coventry Bears previously entering the third tier of the British rugby league system, currently known as League 1 in 2015.
The St Albans Centurions are a rugby league club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The club plays their home games at Toulmin Drive, St Albans and their clubhouse is in High Oaks, St Albans.
Gateshead Storm are an amateur rugby league club in the North East of England. They play in the NCL Division Three.
West London Sharks RLFC was a rugby league team based in Chiswick, London. West London Sharks are now playing at Chiswick RFU, Dukes Meadow, in Chiswick under the name of South West London Chargers. They compete in the South Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference. The club runs an additional social side in the London League competition and a women's team playing in the Women's South competition.
East Cumbria Crusaders is a rugby league club based in Carlisle, Cumbria. They play in the North East Division of the Rugby League Conference. Their home ground is Creighton RUFC.
The Rugby League Conference (RLC), 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.
The London and South East Rugby League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in London and the surrounding area. The competition was formed in 2005 as the RLC Southern Premier. Its name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
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.
Birmingham RLFC are a rugby league team based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. They play in the Midlands Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.
The Hammersmith Hills Hoists are an amateur rugby league club based in Hammersmith, London. Founded at the end of 2008 by local Australian expats to provide players of all nationalities, backgrounds and abilities the chance to play competitive rugby league in and around London, while also expanding their social networks in the process. The club usually play in the Southern Conference League – part of the fourth tier of Rugby League nationally.
The East Rugby League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams from the East of England. The competition was formed in 1997 as one of the two founding divisions of the Rugby League Conference. It ended its time in the conference as the RLC East Regional before being know by its current name from 2012 with restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
Parkside Hawks was a rugby league team based in Hunslet, Leeds. They played in the Yorkshire division of the Rugby League Conference.
Medway Dragons are a Rugby League club based in Gillingham, Kent. They compete in the London & The South Competitions
The Southern Conference League is the fourth tier of the British rugby league system. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league outside of the heartlands in Northern England, operating in The Midlands, Southern England, and Wales. It was one of the many leagues that replaced the Rugby League Conference. The competition was first played between 2012 and 2016, and was relaunched in 2019 after a two-year hiatus.
London Chargers R.L.F.C. are a rugby league side based in South West London who currently (2022) compete in the Southern Conference League, a tier 4 competition. They were known as the South West London Chargers up until November 2015. They were formed in 2013 as a merger between West London Sharks and South London Storm and formerly competed in the London Premier