 | This article needs to be updated.(September 2021) |
 Pennine League logo | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1974 |
| Number of teams | 94 |
| Country |  England |
| Website | pennineleague.co.uk |
The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April for clubs around the Pennines area. The competition is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA).
The Pennines League was one of the first league formed under the British Amateur Rugby League Association, who formed the year prior in 1973 following a dispute with the Rugby Football League (RFL) regarding resources given to the amateur game. [1] [2] Local district leagues in the heartlands of Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Oldham, and Rochdale were merged to create the competition. [3]
In 2004, BARLA realigned itself with the RFL, [1] but the Pennine League continued to operate outside of the RFL's amateur structure, the Rugby League Conference, founded in 1997.
In 2012, the RFL reformed the amateur structure of rugby league in Great Britain. BARLA's premire amateur competition, the National Conference League, switched to a summer season in line with this change, and became jointly administered by BARLA and the RFL. The Pennine League, again, was unaffected decided to remain a winter competition. [4] Since then, the number of teams have declined. [5] [6]
To date, it is one of the few competitions still to be played in the winter and remains outside the RFL purview, not being listed as one of their community leagues. [7]
The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Football League.
The British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) is an association for social and recreational rugby league. It works jointly with the Rugby Football League through the RFL Community Board.
The Rugby League Conference (RLC), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.
The National Conference League is an amateur rugby league competition in Great Britain. The competition is one of two fourth tier competitions in British rugby league and operates for amateur clubs based based in the sport's heartlands of Northern England.
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The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues. It was formerly run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) in winter but now forms tier 3 of the RFL's pyramid in summer.
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The Women's Rugby League Conference was a rugby league for female teams in Britain that ran from 2008 to 2011.
Rugby league is played across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but its heartland in parts of Northern England is where the sport is most popular, and is where the majority of professional clubs are based. The sport was first established in the George Hotel, Huddersfield, where 22 clubs split from the Rugby Football Union to form the Northern Rugby Football Union.
The North West Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in North West England. The competition was formed in 2009 as the RLC North West Premier by splitting the RLC North Premier into two competitions - this and the RLC Yorkshire Premier. The league was renamed to its current name following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
The Yorkshire Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in Yorkshire. The competition was formed in 2009 as the RLC Yorkshire Premier by splitting the RLC North Premier into two competitions - this and the RLC North West Premier. The league was renamed to its current name following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
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