Midlands Rugby League
Founded | 2006 |
---|---|
Country | ![]() |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 5 |
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] It's name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain
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
- 1: Super League
- 2: Championship
- 3: League 1
- 4: National Conference League/Conference League South
- 5: Midlands Rugby League Premier Division
- 6: Midlands Rugby League Championship
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 Teams | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bedford Tigers | x | x | 3rd | x | x |
Birmingham Bulldogs | 6th | 6th | 6th | 4th | |
Bristol Sonics | x | x | x | 3rd | |
Coventry Bears | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |
Derby City | 4th | 5th | 5th | 2nd | |
Gloucestershire Warriors | x | 3rd | 4th | 6th | |
Leicester Phoenix | 3rd | 8th | 7th | 5th | |
Nottingham Outlaws | 1st | 2nd | 1st | x | x |
Redditch Ravens | x | x | x | DNF | x |
Somerset Vikings | x | 4th | x | x | x |
Telford Raiders | 5th | 7th | x | 7th | x |
Wolverhampton Wizards | 7th | x | x | x | x |
Key
DNF | Did not complete the season |
x | Did not participate |
Divisional winner | |
Qualified for divisional play-off | |
Finished bottom |
Titles
Premier Division
RLC Midlands Premier era
- 2006 Nottingham Outlaws
- 2007 Coventry Bears
- 2008 Nottingham Outlaws
- 2009 Coventry Bears 48 Derby City 16
- 2010 Coventry Bears
- 2011 Bristol Sonics
Midlands Rugby League Premier Division era
- 2012 Northampton Demons
- 2013 Telford Raiders
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017 Northampton Demons[2]
- 2018
- 2019 Sherwood Wolf Hunt[2]
- 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2022 Birmingham Bulldogs[2]
- 2023 Telford Raiders[2]
Championship
RLC Midlands Division era
- 2001 RLC Midlands Division: Coventry Bears
- 2002 RLC Midlands Division: Coventry Bears
- 2003 RLC Midlands Division: Birmingham Bulldogs
- 2004 RLC North Midlands Division: Nottingham Outlaws, RLC South Midlands Division: Leicester Phoenix
- 2005 RLC North Midlands Division: Thorne Moor Marauders (now Moorends-Thorne Marauders RLFC), RLC West Midlands Division: Wolverhampton Wizards (now Wolverhampton RLFC)
RLC Midlands Regional era
- 2006 RLC North Midlands & South Yorkshire Division: Moorends-Thorne Marauders RLFC, RLC West Midlands and South West Division: Gloucestershire Warriors
- 2007 RLC West Midlands Division: Bristol Sonics
- 2008 RLC West Midlands Division: Bristol Sonics
- 2009 RLC North Midlands Division: Parkside Hawks
- 2010 RLC Midlands Division: Leamington Royals
- 2011 RLC Midlands Division: Telford Raiders
Midlands Rugby League Division One era
- 2012 Telford Raiders
- 2013 Coventry Bears A
- 2014 Unknown
- 2015 Unknown
- 2016 Unknown
Midlands Rugby League Championship era
- 2017 Unknown
- 2018 Unknown
- 2019 Lemington Royals[2]
- 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2022 Unknown
- 2023 Unknown
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
References
- ^ "RL Conference breaks 100 team barrier". Love Rugby League. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f https://www.rugby-league.com/competitions/community-leagues/midlands
- ^ "Conference set for further expansion". Warrington Guardian. 31 January 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ https://www.rugby-league.com/match-centre
External links
- Official website Archived 11 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Unofficial RLC website
- Midlands rugby league site
- Gloucestershire Rugby League
- v
- t
- e
- Great Britain
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Super League
- Championship
- League 1
- National Conference League
- Cumbria Men's League
- Cumberland League
- East Rugby League
- London & South East Men's League
- Midlands Rugby League
- North East Rugby League
- North West Men's League
- South West Rugby League
- Yorkshire Men's League
- Pennine League
- London Mens League
- Southern Conference League
- Scottish National League
- North Wales Conference
- South Wales Premiership
- Women's Super League
- Women's Championship
- Wheelchair Super League
- Wheelchair Championship
competitions
- RFL Championship
- Premiership
- Divisional Premiership
- Rugby League Conference
- Lancashire Cup
- Lancs/Yorks League
- Regal Trophy
- Charity Shield
- BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
- Independent Television Floodlit Trophy
- Trans-Pennine Cup
- Championship Cup
- Conference League South
- BARLA Lancashire Cup
- Captain Morgan Trophy
- County Championship
- League 1 Cup
- Women's Rugby League Conference
- Women's Rugby League
- Women's Super League South