British rugby league system
Encyclopedia
The British rugby league system is based on four separate structures: the professional leagues administered by the Rugby Football League
, the reserve leagues, the amateur leagues administered by British Amateur Rugby League Association
and the Rugby League Conference
.
There is no system of automatic promotion and relegation between the three systems although teams have moved between them in the past.
The league pyramid of rugby league
in the United Kingdom is topped and very much dominated by Super League
, with the 13 top teams from England, plus one team from France, competing (as of the next season in 2012). The top eight teams enter the play-offs
and the winner is determined by a Grand Final.
Automatic promotion and relegation from Super League ended in 2007. Fourteen teams were awarded 2009–11 Super League licences which gave them the right to play in Super League for the next three years. The next round of franchising took place in 2011 for the 2012–14 time frame
. Only teams currently in Super League, or those who appeared in at least one Championship grand final or won the Championship Cup, were eligible to apply. Crusaders Rugby League, which had recently exited administration
, withdrew their application for a licence, resulting in the end of Welsh presence in Super League for the immediate future. Their place in Super League was taken up by Widnes Vikings
. Crusaders folded.after the 2011 season.
Below Super League, there are two competitions collectively known as the Championships—the Co-operative Championship and Co-operative Championship 1
. The French club Toulouse Olympique
joined the Championship in 2009, but withdrew from the British league system after the 2011 season. The South Wales Scorpions
joined Championship 1 in 2010, and North Wales Crusaders
(successors to the defunct Crusaders RL) will join Championship 1 in 2012. A play-off structure is used to determine the winners of both Championships. Normally, two teams are relegated from the Championship, being replaced by the team finishing top of Championship 1 and the winner of a play-off structure involving the six teams finishing behind the league leaders in Championship 1. The play-offs in each Championship division are a top-six format
. For the 2012 season only, there will be no relegation from the Championship, as the RFL will expand the Championship to 14 clubs. The top four clubs from Championship 1 will be promoted, with their places being filled for 2013 by four new clubs.
The reserve teams of the Super League clubs play in the reserve team championship (except Catalans Dragons, whose reserves play in the French Elite League) and the reserve teams of some Championship clubs play in the reserve team first division
(1895-96) saw all the clubs play in a single league competition. The addition of new teams and the problems of travelling led to the league being split in two for the following season; into the Yorkshire League
and the Lancashire League
. In the 1897/98 season Lancashire added professional second and third competitions, but the third competition only lasted one season. Yorkshire added a professional second competition (split west and east to reduce travelling) for the 1898/99 season. The bottom teams from the senior competition played a promotion/relegation test match against the winner of their county's second competition. This arrangement lasted until the 1901-02, when the top clubs from each league formed a single new competition. This saw the Lancashire and Yorkshire Senior Leagues elect numerous clubs from the second competitions (5 from Lancashire and 7 from Yorkshire) with the second competitions subsequently scrapped and teams excluded from the senior competitions joining either the Lancashire Combination (reserve grade) and a new Yorkshire Senior League or reverting to amateur status, either within the Northern Union or in the case of many Yorkshire clubs back to rugby union
. However, many clubs folded and some even switched to association football. The following season most of the remaining clubs in the Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues were re-organised to form a Second Division, although four teams from the Yorkshire League and two from the Lancashire league were not elected to the new second division (but South Shields who had played in no league in 1901-02 were).
In 1905-06, the two divisions were re-combined into a single competition. Initially clubs arranged all their own fixtures with the condition that they had to play teams thye do play both home and away. After this a new structure was introduced where clubs played all the teams in their own county on a home-and-away basis, results counting towards the re-formed Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues, although due to imbalance in number of teams it was common for a Yorkshire club to have to play in the Lancashire League. They also had home-and-away fixtures scheduled against a small number of teams in the other competition (usually three); all results were collated into a single table for the Championship. In order to even up the competition a top-four play-off series was used to determine the Championship.
Apart from the interventions of the world wars, this system was retained until 1962-63, when the league briefly returned to a two divisional system. This lasted only two years, and in 1964-65 they went back to one large division subdivided into county leagues, but the play-off were expanded to the top 16 teams.
In 1973-74 they again went back to two divisions. The play-off and the Yorkshire and Lancashire League were abandoned, though a new play-off type competition, the Club Championship was introduced to replace the championship play-offs.
The following season saw the title change to Premiership
and the format was altered so that only the top eight teams in the First Division would compete. A similar competition was later instituted for clubs in the lower league(s). In the 1991/92 and 1992/93 seasons, a Third Division was played. However, the league reverted to two divisions for the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons, controversially demoting three clubs to the National Conference League
in the process.
In 1996 the Premiership was replaced by the Super League
. The clubs outside of Super League played in the First Division which now came under Super League, and the clubs that previously played in Division Three now played in a retitled the Second Division.
Between 1999 and 2002, rugby league below Super League was re-organised into one large competition, the Northern Ford Premiership. In 2003, the NFP was divided into National Leagues 1 and 2 with a National League 3
made up from sides drawn from the Rugby League Conference
and British Amateur Rugby League Association
winter leagues. It was intended that at some future point promotion and relegation would be allowed between National League 3 and National League 2, however, in 2006 National League 3 was rebranded Rugby League Conference National Division and plans for promotion and relegation were scrapped.
In 2009, the National Leagues were renamed the Co-operative Championship and Championship 1. Automatic promotion and relegation between Super League and the Championship was replaced by a franchise system.
The Rugby League Reserve Team Championship is a competition for the reserve teams of the British based Super League clubs. Having a reserve team is a compulsory part of the minimum criteria to hold a Super League license, but Catalans Dragons have dispensation to run their reserve team in the French Elite League for logistical reasons.
The Rugby League Reserve Team First Division is a competition for the reserve teams of Co-Operative Championship clubs, although there is no longer an obligation for clubs in the Championship to enter a reserve team.
Some of other teams in the professional ranks have run reserve teams in the Rugby League Conference
or Gillette National Youth League.
The Rugby League Conference
is an 'open' rather than amateur though most teams do not pay their players. There is no promotion or relegation between divisions, teams may apply to join higher divisions and may or may not be accepted based on different criteria.
There is no automatic promotion between the Conference and the Championships but one of the aims of the Conference is provide teams that will join the Championships. To date only London Skolars
have done so.
The London League
, Midlands Rugby League
, North West Merit League
, Yorkshire & Humber Merit League
and Eastern Merit League act as feeders for the Conference but there is no automatic promotion system and no relegation.
British Amateur Rugby League Association
administer different amateur competitions which run throughout the winter in the heartlands. The leading competition is the National Conference League
which consists of three divisions (Premier Division, Division One and Division Two) of up to 14 teams each. There is promotion and relegation between each division:- three up and three down. The bottom two teams from Division Two face re-election, but usually they are both re-elected as enough teams resign from the league to allow any new teams to enter.
Teams from regional leagues can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum criteria. There is not normally promotion or relegation from BARLA leagues into the National League structure.
BARLA teams have also crossed over to the Rugby League Conference
either instead of playing in the winter leagues or in addition to it. Examples of such teams include: Dewsbury Celtic
, Bradford Dudley Hill
, Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
, Woolston Rovers and Thorne Moor Marauders.
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
, the reserve leagues, the amateur leagues administered by British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
and the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
.
There is no system of automatic promotion and relegation between the three systems although teams have moved between them in the past.
Professional structure
- Super LeagueSuper LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
- Co-operative Championship
- Co-operative Championship 1Championship 1Championship 1, known as The Co-operative Championship 1 due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It acts as the country's third-tier competition behind the Championship, with which it has a system of promotion and relegation. It is...
The league pyramid of rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
in the United Kingdom is topped and very much dominated by Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
, with the 13 top teams from England, plus one team from France, competing (as of the next season in 2012). The top eight teams enter the play-offs
Super League play-offs
Since 1998 a play-off system has been used to determine the Super League champions. The format has changed over the years, starting with a play-off involving first five, then six teams and currently eight. The play-offs culminate in the Super League Grand Final....
and the winner is determined by a Grand Final.
Automatic promotion and relegation from Super League ended in 2007. Fourteen teams were awarded 2009–11 Super League licences which gave them the right to play in Super League for the next three years. The next round of franchising took place in 2011 for the 2012–14 time frame
2012–14 Super League licences
The 2012–14 Super League licences were awarded following the second round of licensing for the Super League rugby league competition. Successful applicants were given a three-year licence to compete in Super League, the premier rugby league competition in Europe.-Application...
. Only teams currently in Super League, or those who appeared in at least one Championship grand final or won the Championship Cup, were eligible to apply. Crusaders Rugby League, which had recently exited administration
Administration (British football)
Sports clubs in the United Kingdom, most often in football, sometimes choose to enter administration when they are unable to pay off outstanding debts. Under the Insolvency Act 1986 a business will face a winding up order bringing them to court and if it is shown that a business cannot pay debts as...
, withdrew their application for a licence, resulting in the end of Welsh presence in Super League for the immediate future. Their place in Super League was taken up by Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
. Crusaders folded.after the 2011 season.
Below Super League, there are two competitions collectively known as the Championships—the Co-operative Championship and Co-operative Championship 1
Championship 1
Championship 1, known as The Co-operative Championship 1 due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It acts as the country's third-tier competition behind the Championship, with which it has a system of promotion and relegation. It is...
. The French club Toulouse Olympique
Toulouse Olympique
Toulouse Olympique are a French professional rugby league team from Toulouse, in the southwest of France. They were founded on 22 October, in 1937 two years after the founding of the French Rugby League Federation. Between 1995 and 2002 the club were known as Spacers de Toulouse, due to links with...
joined the Championship in 2009, but withdrew from the British league system after the 2011 season. The South Wales Scorpions
South Wales Scorpions
South Wales Scorpions Rugby League Football Club is a professional rugby league club formed in 2009, based in Neath, Wales. They are owned by a consortium of South Wales businessmen, led by Phil Davies...
joined Championship 1 in 2010, and North Wales Crusaders
North Wales Crusaders
-Coaches:...
(successors to the defunct Crusaders RL) will join Championship 1 in 2012. A play-off structure is used to determine the winners of both Championships. Normally, two teams are relegated from the Championship, being replaced by the team finishing top of Championship 1 and the winner of a play-off structure involving the six teams finishing behind the league leaders in Championship 1. The play-offs in each Championship division are a top-six format
Top six play-offs
After a top five play-off system was used, a play-off structure involving the top six teams was used to determine the winners of the Super League competition in British rugby league from 2002 through 2008....
. For the 2012 season only, there will be no relegation from the Championship, as the RFL will expand the Championship to 14 clubs. The top four clubs from Championship 1 will be promoted, with their places being filled for 2013 by four new clubs.
The reserve teams of the Super League clubs play in the reserve team championship (except Catalans Dragons, whose reserves play in the French Elite League) and the reserve teams of some Championship clubs play in the reserve team first division
Evolution of the professional structure
The first season of rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
(1895-96) saw all the clubs play in a single league competition. The addition of new teams and the problems of travelling led to the league being split in two for the following season; into the Yorkshire League
Yorkshire League
Yorkshire League may refer to*One of the rugby league county leagues which ran between 1895 and 1970 as the premier rugby league competitions in the United Kingdom.*The CMS Yorkshire league, an amateur rugby league competition in the United Kingdom....
and the Lancashire League
Lancashire League
The Lancashire League is a competitive league of local cricket clubs drawn from the small to middle-sized mill towns, mainly but not exclusively, of East Lancashire...
. In the 1897/98 season Lancashire added professional second and third competitions, but the third competition only lasted one season. Yorkshire added a professional second competition (split west and east to reduce travelling) for the 1898/99 season. The bottom teams from the senior competition played a promotion/relegation test match against the winner of their county's second competition. This arrangement lasted until the 1901-02, when the top clubs from each league formed a single new competition. This saw the Lancashire and Yorkshire Senior Leagues elect numerous clubs from the second competitions (5 from Lancashire and 7 from Yorkshire) with the second competitions subsequently scrapped and teams excluded from the senior competitions joining either the Lancashire Combination (reserve grade) and a new Yorkshire Senior League or reverting to amateur status, either within the Northern Union or in the case of many Yorkshire clubs back to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. However, many clubs folded and some even switched to association football. The following season most of the remaining clubs in the Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues were re-organised to form a Second Division, although four teams from the Yorkshire League and two from the Lancashire league were not elected to the new second division (but South Shields who had played in no league in 1901-02 were).
In 1905-06, the two divisions were re-combined into a single competition. Initially clubs arranged all their own fixtures with the condition that they had to play teams thye do play both home and away. After this a new structure was introduced where clubs played all the teams in their own county on a home-and-away basis, results counting towards the re-formed Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues, although due to imbalance in number of teams it was common for a Yorkshire club to have to play in the Lancashire League. They also had home-and-away fixtures scheduled against a small number of teams in the other competition (usually three); all results were collated into a single table for the Championship. In order to even up the competition a top-four play-off series was used to determine the Championship.
Apart from the interventions of the world wars, this system was retained until 1962-63, when the league briefly returned to a two divisional system. This lasted only two years, and in 1964-65 they went back to one large division subdivided into county leagues, but the play-off were expanded to the top 16 teams.
In 1973-74 they again went back to two divisions. The play-off and the Yorkshire and Lancashire League were abandoned, though a new play-off type competition, the Club Championship was introduced to replace the championship play-offs.
The following season saw the title change to Premiership
Rugby League Premiership
The Rugby League Premiership was a competition for British rugby league clubs that operated between 1973 and 1995. As the Super League Premiership the competition continued to operate until 1997....
and the format was altered so that only the top eight teams in the First Division would compete. A similar competition was later instituted for clubs in the lower league(s). In the 1991/92 and 1992/93 seasons, a Third Division was played. However, the league reverted to two divisions for the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons, controversially demoting three clubs to the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
in the process.
In 1996 the Premiership was replaced by the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. The clubs outside of Super League played in the First Division which now came under Super League, and the clubs that previously played in Division Three now played in a retitled the Second Division.
Between 1999 and 2002, rugby league below Super League was re-organised into one large competition, the Northern Ford Premiership. In 2003, the NFP was divided into National Leagues 1 and 2 with a National League 3
Rugby League Conference National Division
The Rugby League Conference National Division is the highest division in the Rugby League Conference. Between 2003 and 2006, it was known as National League Three.-National League Three:...
made up from sides drawn from the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
and British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
winter leagues. It was intended that at some future point promotion and relegation would be allowed between National League 3 and National League 2, however, in 2006 National League 3 was rebranded Rugby League Conference National Division and plans for promotion and relegation were scrapped.
In 2009, the National Leagues were renamed the Co-operative Championship and Championship 1. Automatic promotion and relegation between Super League and the Championship was replaced by a franchise system.
Reserve Leagues
- Rugby League Reserve Team ChampionshipRugby League Reserve Team ChampionshipThe Rugby League Reserve Team Championship is a rugby league competition for the reserve teams of the British based Super League clubs. Having a reserve team is a compulsory part of the minimum criteria to hold a Super League license, but Catalans Dragons have dispensation to run their reserve team...
- Rugby League Reserve Team First DivisionRugby League Reserve Team ChampionshipThe Rugby League Reserve Team Championship is a rugby league competition for the reserve teams of the British based Super League clubs. Having a reserve team is a compulsory part of the minimum criteria to hold a Super League license, but Catalans Dragons have dispensation to run their reserve team...
The Rugby League Reserve Team Championship is a competition for the reserve teams of the British based Super League clubs. Having a reserve team is a compulsory part of the minimum criteria to hold a Super League license, but Catalans Dragons have dispensation to run their reserve team in the French Elite League for logistical reasons.
The Rugby League Reserve Team First Division is a competition for the reserve teams of Co-Operative Championship clubs, although there is no longer an obligation for clubs in the Championship to enter a reserve team.
Some of other teams in the professional ranks have run reserve teams in the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
or Gillette National Youth League.
Rugby League Conference
- RLC NationalRugby League Conference National DivisionThe Rugby League Conference National Division is the highest division in the Rugby League Conference. Between 2003 and 2006, it was known as National League Three.-National League Three:...
- RLC Yorkshire PremierRugby League Conference Yorkshire PremierThe Rugby League Conference Yorkshire Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference for teams in the Yorkshire area.It was first contested in 2008 following the break-up of the previous North Premier into the North West and Yorkshire Premiers....
/ North West PremierRugby League Conference North West PremierThe Rugby League Conference North West Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference for teams in the North West of England.It was first contested in 2008 following the break-up of the previous North Premier into the North West and Yorkshire Premiers....
/ Midlands PremierRugby League Conference Midlands PremierThe Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands.It was first contested in 2006. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League....
/ South PremierRugby League Conference South PremierThe Rugby League Conference South Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the South of England...
/ Welsh PremierRugby League Conference Welsh PremierThe Rugby League Conference Wales is the higher of two Welsh domestic leagues for the sport of rugby league. It forms a Premier division of the Rugby League Conference competition which covers all of Great Britain.-History:... - RLC Regional divisions
- London LeagueLondon League (rugby league)The London, South and East Merit League is a rugby league competition founded in 1965. It is also known as the London League , London & South East Merit League, London Amateur Rugby League and London Merit League ....
/ Midlands Rugby LeagueMidlands Rugby LeagueThe 3vSport.com Midlands Rugby League is a summer rugby league tournament in the Midlands region of England. It is a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference and a successor league to the Midlands Merit League...
/ Yorkshire & Humber Merit League / North West Merit LeagueNorth West Merit LeagueThe North West Merit League is a rugby league competition for clubs in the North West of England. It is a feeder league for the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
/ Eastern Merit League
The Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
is an 'open' rather than amateur though most teams do not pay their players. There is no promotion or relegation between divisions, teams may apply to join higher divisions and may or may not be accepted based on different criteria.
There is no automatic promotion between the Conference and the Championships but one of the aims of the Conference is provide teams that will join the Championships. To date only London Skolars
London Skolars
London Skolars are a rugby league club based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in North London. They were founded in 1995 and have been semi-professional since 2003, operating in Championship One...
have done so.
The London League
London League (rugby league)
The London, South and East Merit League is a rugby league competition founded in 1965. It is also known as the London League , London & South East Merit League, London Amateur Rugby League and London Merit League ....
, Midlands Rugby League
Midlands Rugby League
The 3vSport.com Midlands Rugby League is a summer rugby league tournament in the Midlands region of England. It is a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference and a successor league to the Midlands Merit League...
, North West Merit League
North West Merit League
The North West Merit League is a rugby league competition for clubs in the North West of England. It is a feeder league for the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
, Yorkshire & Humber Merit League
Yorkshire & Humber Merit League
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.-History:...
and Eastern Merit League act as feeders for the Conference but there is no automatic promotion system and no relegation.
Amateur leagues
- National Conference LeagueNational Conference LeagueThe National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
Premier division - National Conference League Division one
- National Conference League Division two
- The five Elite regional leagues (North West Counties LeagueNorth West CountiesThe North West Counties A.R.L. are a series of rugby league regional leagues covering the following age groups in the North West of England:-* Age 8 to 12* Age 13 to 15* Age 16 to 18* Open Age...
, CMS Yorkshire LeagueCMS Yorkshire leagueThe CMS Yorkshire League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
, Pennine LeaguePennine LeagueThe Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the east of Lancashire....
, Cumberland LeagueCumberland LeagueThe Cumberland League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Cumberland.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
, and the Hull & District LeagueHull & District LeagueThe Hull & District Youth League is a series of rugby league divisions in and around Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire.The league is run by a volunteer League Management Committee who are elected annually by the youth leagues member clubs...
) - Barrow & District LeagueBarrow & District LeagueThe Barrow & District League is a series of rugby league divisions in and around Barrow-in-Furness.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Officially, teams from the Barrow & District League can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
administer different amateur competitions which run throughout the winter in the heartlands. The leading competition is the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
which consists of three divisions (Premier Division, Division One and Division Two) of up to 14 teams each. There is promotion and relegation between each division:- three up and three down. The bottom two teams from Division Two face re-election, but usually they are both re-elected as enough teams resign from the league to allow any new teams to enter.
Teams from regional leagues can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum criteria. There is not normally promotion or relegation from BARLA leagues into the National League structure.
BARLA teams have also crossed over to the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
either instead of playing in the winter leagues or in addition to it. Examples of such teams include: Dewsbury Celtic
Dewsbury Celtic
Dewsbury Celtic is a rugby league club in the town of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference and have a thriving junior section...
, Bradford Dudley Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill Rugby League Club is an English rugby league team based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, now playing in the National Conference League.-History:...
, Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers are a rugby league team based in Holmfirth near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference. The club also competes as Underbank Rangers in division 4 of the Pennine League. They also have an Underbank Rangers A...
, Woolston Rovers and Thorne Moor Marauders.
Planned reforms for 2012
Proposed changes for the 2012 season would see a unified pyramid structure that link the professional and community games. http://www.therfl.co.uk/uploads/7473.jpg
| Super League (14 clubs) | |||
| Championships (22 clubs) | |||
| National South Premier (7-14 clubs) | National North Premier (7-14 clubs) | ||
| National South 1 (7-14 clubs) | National North 1 (7-14 clubs) | ||
| National South 2 (7-14 clubs) | National North 2 (7-14 clubs) | ||
| National North West (7-14 clubs) | National North East (7-14 clubs) | ||
| London Regional Premier South East Regional Premier South West Regional Premier West Midlands Regional Premier East Midlands Regional Premier East Regional Premier | North West Regional Premier | Yorkshire Regional Premier North East Regional Premier | |