Midlands Rugby League

Last updated

Midlands Rugby League
Founded2006
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid9
Domestic cup(s) Challenge Cup

The Midlands Rugby League is a series of summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in the Midlands. The competition was formed in 2006 as the RLC Midlands Premier. [1] Its name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain

Contents

At current the league operates the Midlands Rugby League Premier Division and Midlands Rugby League Championship, in addition to a Midlands Cup and Plate. [2]

History

The Rugby League Conference (RLC) was born in 1997, then known as the Southern Conference.

The RLC Midlands Division (now Midlands Rugby League Championship) was first created in 2001 and lasted until 2003 as the league was split in two parallel divisions due to it being oversubscribed.

The RLC Premier Divisions were 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. The Central Premier had two Midlands clubs Telford Raiders and Nottingham Outlaws and the rest of the clubs were from Yorkshire or Lancashire. [3]

The Midlands Premier was created one season later in 2006, and placed between the existing RLC Midlands Division and the RLC National Division. The founder members were Coventry Bears, Telford Raiders, Nottingham Outlaws, Derby City, Birmingham Bulldogs, Leicester Phoenix and Wolverhampton Wizards.

A Midlands Merit League (now defunct) was founded in late 2005 as a feeder league for the RLC Midlands Division, this later Midlands Rugby League Division Two before folding.

In 2012 the Rugby League Conference was disbanded and all divisions adopting the name Midlands Rugby League.

Position in Pyramid

Clubs

As of 2024: Birmingham Bulldogs, Coventry Bears, Leamington Royals, Oxford Cavaliers, Nottingham Outlaws, Sherwood Wolf Hunt, Swindon St George, Telford Raiders. [4]

League standings

Premier Division

Current Teams20062007200820092010
Bedford Tigers xx3rdxx
Birmingham Bulldogs 6th6th6th4th
Bristol Sonics xxx3rd
Coventry Bears 2nd1st2nd1st
Derby City 4th5th5th2nd
Gloucestershire Warriors x3rd4th6th
Leicester Phoenix 3rd8th7th5th
Nottingham Outlaws 1st2nd1stxx
Redditch Ravens xxxDNFx
Somerset Vikings x4thxxx
Telford Raiders 5th7thx7thx
Wolverhampton Wizards 7thxxxx

Key

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

Titles

Premier Division

RLC Midlands Premier era

Midlands Rugby League Premier Division era

Championship

RLC Midlands Division era

RLC Midlands Regional era

Midlands Rugby League Division One era

Midlands Rugby League Championship era

Merit League

RLC Midlands Merit League era

  • 2006 South Humber Rabbitohs
  • 2007 St Helens Wild Boars
  • 2008 Moorends-Thorne Marauders ML
  • 2009 Birmingham Bulldogs A
  • 2010 Leicester Storm A
  • 2011 Hope Valley Hawks

Midlands Rugby League Division Two era

  • 2012 Hope Valley Hawks
  • 2013 Leamington Royals
  • 2014 Unknown
  • 2015 Unknown
  • 2016 Unknown

Junior League

The 2007 season saw the introduction of an informal under-15 league Midlands Junior League based on Merit League principles. In 2008 the junior competition featured under-14 and under-16 divisions.

Midlands clubs voted against clubs outside the Midlands being included for the 2010 season. In 2010 the Under-12s took a tournament based format and Under-11s and Girls Under-12s started on a similar basis.

2011 saw the addition of an Under-18s league and saw the Under-14s take on a tournament based format, with the Under-12s replaced by an Under-13s.

From 2018, the league system was replaced by friendly matches and festivals, returning the region to the Midlands Junior Development League. Clubs were encouraged to arrange their own fixtures and to also attend centralised festivals throughout the summer months. Bassetlaw Bulldogs and Immmingham Wasps played the first game in the RFL's new flagship Player Development League on 12th May 2018.

Following a number of years of steady growth, in 2023, the Midlands Junior League continued its development, following the formation of a new Midlands Junior League Steering group. 4 regional festivals at U7-U16 age groups were played during the summer of 2023, with a host of friendly fixtures arranged between clubs also.

Festivals were held at Bassetlaw Bulldogs, Shrewsbury Lions, Sherwood Wolfhunt and NEW Ravens RLFC.

Current clubs

The following teams participated in 2023, across a range of age groups from U7s to U15s:

2023 Clubs
ClubFurther information
1 Bassetlaw Bulldogs Website Facebook Twitter
2Bolsover Bulls Website Facebook Twitter
3 Coventry Bears Website Facebook Twitter
4Immingham Wasps Facebook Twitter
5Isle of Axholm Facebook Twitter
6 Leamington Royals Website Facebook Twitter
7Moorends MaraudersWebsite Facebook Twitter
8 NEW Ravens Website Facebook Twitter
9Sherwood WolfhuntWebsite Facebook Twitter
10Shrewsbury KnightsWebsite Facebook Twitter
11Swindon St GeorgeWebsite Facebook Twitter
12 Telford Raiders Website Facebook Twitter

Past winners

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References

  1. ↑ "RL Conference breaks 100 team barrier". Love Rugby League. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Midlands Rugby League".
  3. ↑ "Conference set for further expansion". Warrington Guardian. 31 January 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Match Centre".
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