London and South East Rugby League

Last updated

London and South East Rugby League
Sport Rugby league
Formerly known asRLC Southern Premier
Instituted2005
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
ChampionsLondon Chargers A (2023)

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. [1] It's name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.

Contents

History

The Rugby League Conference was born in 1997 as the Southern Conference.

The Premier Division was set up in 2005 for teams who had achieved a certain playing standard and were able to travel further afield to find stronger opposition. The new Premier Divisions included the North Premier, the South Premier, the Central Premier and the Welsh Premier. [2]

Prior to the 2005 season National League Three side South London Storm announced that they were joining the South Premier; the other founder members came from the Conference regional divisions.

After the 2006 season with other teams withdrawing from National League Three, St Albans Centurions also decided to join the Premier South.

In 2012 it became a standalone league run by the RFL with the introduction of Summer Rugby in the amateur ranks. St Albans Centurions returned to playing nationally in National Conference League division three

It has a merit league attached to it enabling smaller clubs to develop before entering the league to see if they are able to meet the demands of player numbers and competing fixtures throughout a regular season. Some larger clubs have fielded an A team in this league to bolster numbers and create opportunities for less experienced players to play.

Position in Pyramid

Clubs

As of 2024: Brighton & Hove RL, Brixton Bulls, Elmbridge Eagles, London Chargers, Medway Dragons, Wests Warriors A. [3]

League Standings

Teams200520062007200820092010201120122013
Hullcolours.svg Bedford Tigers xxxx6thxxxx
Canterbury colours.svg Eastern Rhinos 3rd2nd5th3rd4th4th3rd3rd4th
Canberra colours.svg Elmbridge Eagles 2x5th6th7th9thxx5th6th
Balmain colours.svg Essex EelsxDNFxxxxxxx
Parramatta colours.svg Greenwich Admirals 6thxxxxxxxx
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Hainault Bulldogs xxxx8th6thDNFxx
Hammersmith Hills Hoists xxxxx2nd1st2nd1st
Hemel Stags A xxxxxxxx5th
Canberra colours.svg Kent Ravens xx7thDNFxxxxx
Western Suburbs colours.svg London Skolars A 34th4th3rd6th7th8th5th51st3rd
Brisbane colours.svg Luton Vipers5thDNFxxxxxxx
Canterbury colours.svg Portsmouth Navy Seahawks xxx5th5th7thxxx
Parramatta colours.svg St Albans Centurions xx1st4th3rd1st2ndxx
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg South London Storm 1st1st2nd2nd1st5th6th4thx
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg South West London Chargers 4xxxxxxxx2nd
Brisbane colours.svg West London Sharks 2nd3rd4th1st2nd3rd4thDNFx

Key

DNFDid not complete the season
xDid not participate
Divisional winner
Qualified for divisional play-off
Finished bottom

Grand Finals

Source from 2017 [4]
YearWinnersScoreRunners-upVenue
2005South London Storm24–8West London SharksStorm Park
2006South London Storm52–10Ipswich RhinosStorm Park
2007St Albans Centurions18–10South London StormTwickenham Stoop
2008West London Sharks24–20South London StormGrasshoppers RFC
2009West London Sharks26–16South London StormStorm Park
2010St Albans Centurions54–4West London SharksCotlandswick
2011Hammersmith Hills Hoists18–16St Albans CenturionsHemel Hempstead
2012Hammersmith Hills Hoists46–8Eastern Rhinos
2013South West London Chargers20–10Hammersmith Hills HoistsChiswick RFC
2014South West London Chargers46–6Eastern RhinosWasps RFC
2015South West London Chargers32–12London Skolars AOld Blues RFC
2016Brixton BullsRichmond Warriors
2017Hammersmith Hills Hoists25–18London ChargersNew River Stadium
2018Hammersmith Hills Hoists20–8London Chargers
2019West Warriors A38–22London Skolars ANew River Stadium
2020No competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021Medway Dragons38–18Brixton BullsRosslyn Park RFC
2022Brixton Bulls34–30Elmbridge EaglesNew River Stadium
2023London Chargers A38–16Medway DragonsLondon Skolars

Titles

London Mens League Champions
PositionTeamNumber of WinsYears
1 =Hammersmith Hills Hoists42011, 2012, 2017, 2018
1 =London Chargers42013, 2014, 2015, 2023
3 =Brixton Bulls22016, 2022
3 =St Albans Centurions22007, 2010
3 =West London Sharks22008, 2009
3 =South London Storm22005, 2006
7 =Medway Dragons12021
7 =West Warriors12019

London Cup

Harry Jepson Trophy games

Ceased 2011
YearGameRLC Southern Premier TeamResultOpponentVenue
2005Semi-finalSouth London Storm18–34Bridgend Blue BullsCheltenham
2006Semi-finalSouth London Storm32–12Bridgend Blue BullsHemel
Grand FinalSouth London Storm30–0East Lancs LionsCoventry
2007Semi-finalSt Albans Centurions42–16Bridgend Blue Bulls
Grand FinalSt Albans Centurions28–20Coventry Bears
2008Semi-finalWest London Sharks32–30Valley Cougars
Grand FinalWest London Sharks8–28Nottingham OutlawsDerby

See also

Related Research Articles

The Rugby League Conference (RLC), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South London Storm</span> English amateur rugby league club, based in Croydon, South London

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford Tigers</span> English amateur rugby league club

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Albans Centurions</span> English amateur rugby league club

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.

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northampton Demons</span> English amateur rugby league club

Northampton Demons was a rugby league club based in Duston, Northampton. They played in the RFL Midlands Rugby League Men's South Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmbridge Eagles</span> English amateur rugby league club

Elmbridge Eagles RL are a rugby league club from Elmbridge in Surrey. They were one of the founding members of the Rugby League Conference as Kingston.

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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish National League (rugby league)</span> Football league

The Scottish National League is an amateur men's rugby league competition and the first tier of domestic rugby league in Scotland. The league formed in 1997 under the name The Scottish Conference three years after the formalisation of the sport in Scotland with the founding of Scotland Rugby League.

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Bulldogs</span> English amateur rugby league club, based in Birmingham, West Midlands

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The South West Rugby League (SWRL) also known as the South West Men's League, is a rugby league competition for teams in the South West of England. The competition is one of many fifth tier leagues of the British rugby league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammersmith Hills Hoists</span> English amateur rugby league club, based in London

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.

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 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, thus operates 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Chargers</span> English amateur rugby league club, based in Clapham, South London

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

References

  1. "RL Conference breaks 100 team barrier". Love Rugby League. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. "Conference set for further expansion". Warrington Guardian. 31 January 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  3. https://www.rugby-league.com/match-centre
  4. https://www.rugby-league.com/competitions/community-leagues/london-and-south-east