| Founded | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Country |  England |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | Midlands Rugby League Premier Division |
| Relegation to | Midlands Rugby League Division Two |
| Domestic cup(s) | Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Coventery Bears |
| Website | midlandsrugbyleague.co.uk |
The Midlands Men's Division 1 is a rugby league competition for clubs in the English Midlands. It was formerly known as the Rugby League Conference Midlands Division. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League.
The Rugby League Conference was born in 1997, as the Southern Conference. It featured teams from the South of England and the English Midlands. The Midlands Division was first created in 2001 and lasted until 2003; by 2004, there were enough Midlands teams playing in the conference for them to be split into smaller divisions.
The Premier Division 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.
The Midlands Merit League was founded in late 2005 as a feeder league for the Rugby League Conference, in order to support the growth of rugby league in the Midlands. Clubs were able to play competitive games without committing to a full fixture list. It later evolved into the Midlands Rugby League Division Two.
The Midlands Premier was created one season later in 2006. With the new Midlands Premier division, there was only one Midlands regional division from 2006 but it would not be until 2010 that it would be known as the Midlands regional. In 2011, the Midlands teams were split into East and West divisions with group winners playing off for the Midlands Premier title and the losers competing for the Midlands regional.
In 2012 the Rugby League Conference was disbanded with the RLC Midlands Division becoming the Division One of the Midlands Rugby League. In 2013 there was no standalone division 1 but the title will nevertheless be played for by the teams finishing between fifth and eighth in the premier division.
Division One will be split into East and West regions with teams playing sides in their own region twice and the other one once giving a league season of 11 or 12 games followed by semi-finals for the top two in each region. The overall winner will be determined by a grand final.
Wolverhampton failed to complete the season but their results stood.
The Rugby League Conference (RLC), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.
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'.
Bristol Sonics are a rugby league club based in Bristol in the South West of England.
Moorends-Thorne Marauders RLFC is a rugby league club based in Thorne, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Telford Raiders ARLFC are a rugby league club based in the town of Telford in Shropshire, England. Their first team plays in the Midlands Regional division of the Rugby League Conference and they have a development team in the Midlands Rugby League as well as an active junior development program.
The Midlands Hurricanes are a semi-professional rugby league club jointly based in Birmingham and Coventry, West Midlands, England. They were founded as the Coventry Bears in 1998 and entered the third tier of the British rugby league system, currently known as League 1, in 2015. The club rebranded itself as the Midlands Hurricanes in 2022.
Gloucestershire Warriors RLFC are a rugby league team from the county of Gloucestershire in England. They play in the Conference League South and in 2006 made their debut in the Challenge Cup.
Northampton Demons is a rugby league club based in Duston, Northampton. They play in the RFL Midlands Rugby League Men's South Division.
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 Midlands Merit League, was a summer rugby league tournament in England held between 2006 and 2009. It was a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference and had a season that ran from April to August. In its last season of 2009, it was also known as the RL Merit League.
The Midlands Rugby League Division Two is a summer rugby league tournament in the Midlands region of England. It was previously known as the Midlands Rugby League and the Midlands Merit League. Its season runs from April to August.
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 Midlands Rugby League Premier Division is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands. It was previously the Midlands Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League.
The Midlands Merit League was a summer rugby league tournament in England. In its final two years, it was known as the RL Merit League.
Scunthorpe Barbarians are a rugby league team based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. They play in the Yorkshire Regional Division of the Rugby League Conference.
The Women's Rugby League Conference was a rugby league for female teams in Britain that ran from 2008 to 2013.
The Rugby League Conference Yorkshire Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference for teams in the Yorkshire area.
The Yorkshire & Humber Merit League is a rugby league competition for clubs in Yorkshire and the Humber. It is a feeder league for the Rugby League Conference.
The Southern Conference League is a British rugby league division in the Rugby Football League's tier 4. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the South of England and South Wales. It was one of the leagues that replaced Rugby League Conference. The competition was first played between 2012 and 2016, and was relaunched in 2019 after a two-year hiatus.