 | This article needs to be updated.(September 2021) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2024) |
| Founded | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Country |  England |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Challenge Cup |
The South West Rugby League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in South West England. The competition was formed in 2003 as the RLC South West Regional. [1] Its name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
The Rugby League Conference was founded in 1997 as the Southern Conference, a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and the English Midlands.
The conference made the leap from 30 to 52 teams in 2003 and a South West Division appeared for the first time. It disappeared in 2004 as South West teams took part in the Western Division and Cardiff Demons joined the newly created Welsh Division.
The Premier divisions saw a change in boundaries leaving the North Premier division covering a larger area to give the English Midlands clubs their own premier division without having to face heartland teams, this left the West Midlands division with too few teams to run, resulting in a merged West Midlands and South West Division.
After a campaign by the RFL to form new clubs in the South West, a new South West division was created in 2007 for teams from the West Country. By 2010, there were enough teams to have a South West conference split into two pools.
For the 2011 season, there was a new RLC West of England alongside the RLC South West. The initial idea was that the two leagues would compete side by side with play-offs at the end of the season to decide an overall South West champion. In 2011, Gloucestershire Warriors defeated Somerset Vikings in the Championship play-off. In 2012, the intended play-off match was cancelled as the majority of the Devon Sharks team, the South West Champions, were unable to break off from the start of the rugby union season to fulfil the fixture.
The South Western Rugby League was formed in February 2013 to organise and administer the South West Men's League following the switch of the majority of community clubs in England to a summer season and the ending of the Rugby League Conference in 2011.
| This section needs to be updated.(June 2024) |
| This section needs to be updated.(June 2024) |
The South West cup is a knock-out competition played for by members of the South West Division. It was originally known as the Devon Cup.
The South West Nines is a rugby league nines competition. It is competed for by RLC South West and RLC West of England teams and local student rugby league sides.
In 2010, an intended one–off County of Origin style match was played between Devon and Cornwall with Devon winning 44–20. [2] The match was featured on the BBC national news and was widely covered by the rugby league press. It has since been competed for on several occasions as the Martin Roddy MBE Trophy. Winners are:
Devon Devon
Cornwall Cornwall DevonThe first South West County Championship took place on the May Bank Holiday weekend in 2011 at Aretians RFC in Bristol. The 2012 Event took place at Bridgwater RFC in Somerset. Winners are:
Hampshire Hampshire
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of the nine official regions of England in the United Kingdom. It consists of the counties of Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and large towns in the region include Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth and Swindon. It is geographically the largest of the nine regions of England with a land area of 9,203 square miles (23,836 km2), but the third-least populous, with approximately 5.7 million residents.
Oxford Cavaliers Rugby League Football Club is the first amateur rugby league club formed in Oxford in the summer era.
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.
Bristol Sonics are a rugby league club based in Bristol in the South West of England.
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.
Somerset Vikings RLFC are a rugby league team from the county of Somerset in England. They play in the West of England Rugby 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 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.
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. Its name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain
Exeter Centurions are a rugby league team based in Exeter, Devon. They play in the South West Rugby League.
East Devon Eagles are a rugby league team based in Exmouth, Devon. They play in the South West Division of the Rugby League Conference.
Devon Sharks are a rugby league team based in Bovey Tracey, Devon. The club were officially founded on Wednesday 3 May 2006 by Steve Hart, Darren West, Lee Kirkman and Christine Fairchild.
Plymouth Rugby League Football Club is a rugby league club based in Plymouth.
Competitive Rugby League was established in Cornwall in 2010 by Joe Catcheside, who working on behalf of the Rugby Football League, organised and established an annual fixture between Devon and Cornwall. Until this time all rugby league played in Cornwall had been exhibition matches and featured teams from outside Cornwall. The first match between Devon and Cornwall was played in August 2010. The match is now played annually and is regularly billed as the "County Clash" or the "County of Origin" game and the teams play for the Martin Roddy MBE Trophy.
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, operating 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.
Cornish Rebels are an amateur rugby league team based in Redruth, Cornwall. They were founded in January 2013 by John Beach and Rob Butland. Cornish Rebels RLFC are affiliated with the Rugby Football League, rugby league's governing body in the UK.
Matthew Shepherd is an English and Cornish rugby union player who currently plays at scrum-half or full back for Redruth in National League 2 South, having previously played for Plymouth Albion in National League 1. An extremely reliable points scorer with a knack for scoring important tries, he was instrumental in Cornwall's County Championship victories in 2015 and 2016 and has also been capped by England Counties XV. As well as playing union, Shepherd has played summer rugby league for the Cornish Rebels.
Alex Ducker is an English professional rugby union and rugby league player who plays as a winger or full back. He is currently playing back at at Camborne. He previously played for Plymouth Albion from 2019 until 2022. An extremely gifted try scorer who can also kick points, he is most comfortable on the wing but can also play at full back. During his career he has led a nomadic existence which has seen him play for all of the top club sides in Cornwall including a stint with the Cornish Pirates. Ducker has been capped by the Cornwall senior rugby union side and has played summer rugby league with the Cornish Rebels, as well as experiencing Premiership Rugby Sevens with the Exeter Chiefs.
Regional 2 Severn is a level six league in the English rugby union system, one of twelve leagues, at this level. The twelve teams are based in counties near the River Severn, i.e. Gloucestershire and Somerset, with two from Wiltshire. The clubs finishing in first place is promoted to Regional 1 South West.