 | This article needs to be updated.(September 2021) |
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Wales |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Conwy Celts |
| TV partners | none |
The North Wales Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in North Wales and Mid Wales. The competition was formed in 2012 as the North Wales Conference following the restructuring of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
The North Wales Conference was founded in 2012.
Prior to this, the only North Welsh rugby league team was Super League side Celtic Crusaders, who in 2010 moved from Bridgend to Wrexham.
The inaugural 2012 competition consisted of Conwy Celts, Dee Valley Dragons, Montgomeryshire Marauders, Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers and Wrexham Bradley Raiders. Montgomeryshire Marauders folded mid-season and were replaced by Flintshire Falcons. The grand final was fought out between the top two sides: Conwy Celts and Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers with the Celts running out 48–26 winners to be crowned the first North Wales Champions. [1]
From 2023 North Wales Conference teams are able to qualify for the Challenge Cup through a playoff with the winners of the South Wales Premiership. [2] [3]
The North Wales Conference is part of tier five of the British rugby league system. Above the North Wales Conference is the National Conference League and Conference League South, the highest level of amateur rugby league in the UK.
As of 2023: Bangor Buffaloes, Clwyd Cobras, Conwy Celts, Flintshire Falcons, Wrexham Crusaders. [4]
As of 2021: Conwy Celts, Flintshire Falcons, Môn Knights, Wrexham Crusaders. [5]
Denbighshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name.
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to the east and Shropshire to the south-east. Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd also shares a maritime boundary with Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, a slightly different area had a county council, with local government functions shared with six district councils. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and the new principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.
North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.
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 is a sport played in Wales. The governing body of the game in Wales is the Wales Rugby League.
Wales Rugby League is the national governing body for rugby league football in Wales.
The Diocese of Wrexham is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff.
Holywell Town Football Club is a Welsh football club from Holywell, Flintshire. They are nicknamed 'The Wellmen', and play their home games at the Achieve More Training Stadium, Holywell. They currently play in the Cymru North.
The Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Football League was a football league formed in 2011 following the split of the Clwyd Football League, which itself was formed in 1974 as an amalgamation of the Dyserth and the Halkyn Mountain League. The Premier Division was in the fifth level of the Welsh football league system in North Wales. The league folded in 2020 due to a reorganisation of the Welsh football league pyramid, with many teams joining the North Wales Coast East Football League.
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 South Wales Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in South Wales. The competition was formed in 2003 as the RLC Welsh Premier. Following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain, it was renamed the South Wales Premiership.
Christiaan Roets is a former semi-professional rugby league footballer who represented the Welsh national team, most notably at the 2011 Four Nations, 2013 World Cup, and 2017 World Cup. He primarily played as a centre for the South Wales Scorpions and the North Wales Crusaders.
Conwy Celts are a rugby league team based in Colwyn Bay. They play in the North Wales Conference.
Flintshire Falcons Rugby League Club is a rugby league team from the county of Flintshire, North Wales. They presently play in the Wales Rugby League North Wales Championship.
Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers are an amateur rugby league team based in Rhyl, North Wales. They play in the North Wales Conference.
North East Wales is an area or region of Wales, commonly defined as a grouping of the principal areas of Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Wrexham County Borough in the north-east of the country. These principal areas comprise most of the former administrative county of Clwyd. It is bordered by Conwy, and Gwynedd, in North West Wales to the west, Powys, in Mid Wales to the south, the English counties of Cheshire, and Shropshire to the east, and the Irish Sea, and Dee estuary to the north. It is the more urban, densely populated, and industrial part of the north Wales geographic region, centred on the city of Wrexham and the towns of Rhyl and Prestatyn, and the conurbation of Deeside. The region's close links with North West England in general and Merseyside in particular are crucial to the region's economy. The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is located in the region. Other attractions include historical buildings such as Chirk Castle, and Erddig in Wrexham, valley towns such as Corwen and Llangollen, and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.
The North Wales Coast East Football League is a football league in Wales, at tiers 4 and 5 of the Welsh football league system in north Wales, founded in 2020. The league is under the control of the North Wales Coast Football Association. The league replaced the former Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Football League, and covers the north east of Wales. A corresponding North Wales Coast West Football League was also established at the same time.
The Clwyd Football League was a football league formed in 1974 as an amalgamation of the Dyserth League and the Halkyn Mountain League. The top division was at different periods at the second, third and fourth levels of the Welsh football league system in North Wales. The league ran until 2011 when a split led to the formation of the Clwyd East Football League comprising Flintshire teams under the North East Wales Football Association and the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Football League, made up of Denbighshire, Conwy county and Vale of Conwy sides, under the North Wales Coast Football Association.
The North Wales Coast FA Intermediate Cup is a football knockout tournament involving teams from in North Wales who play in leagues administered and associated with the North Wales Coast Football Association.
The 2022–23 FAW Welsh Cup was the 135th season of the annual knockout tournament for competitive football teams in Wales. The winners qualified for the 2023–24 Europa Conference League first qualifying round.