The Irish Elite League or the Carnegie League as it is known by its sponsorship name is a 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...

 competition for teams in the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. the current champions are the Treaty City Titans

Treaty City Titans

Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...

 who defeated the Carlow Crusaders

Carlow Crusaders

The Carlow Crusaders are a rugby league team based in Carlow, Ireland. They play in the Irish Elite League. They play home games at Oak Park, Carlow. The Crusaders are forced to play most of their games in Cill Dara RFC, Kildare as Oak Park is owned & used by Carlow RFC.-Famous players:* Ross...

 in the 2009 grand-final.

History

Before the current league system, there were two conferences (Leinster and Munster).In 2006 the Leinster and Munster conferences were abandoned in favour of an all-Ireland league. This had great difficulties while it attempted to compete with the rugby union season and unfortunately the end of the season was scrapped in order to get to the play off finals. Hard lessons were learnt as a result of this. At the AGM in 2006 the league structure was again reviewed and this time the shorter season was agreed on but with a tiered system. The tiers would allow newer teams and less experienced teams to play against one another and continue their development while the more established teams would compete against each other and enhance the players skills for games against other representative teams. 2007 saw the new-format come into place, with the Treaty City Titans

Treaty City Titans

Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...

 wining the league. The 2008 league saw the Carlow Crusaders

Carlow Crusaders

The Carlow Crusaders are a rugby league team based in Carlow, Ireland. They play in the Irish Elite League. They play home games at Oak Park, Carlow. The Crusaders are forced to play most of their games in Cill Dara RFC, Kildare as Oak Park is owned & used by Carlow RFC.-Famous players:* Ross...

 win a replayed grand final after bad-weather in the original game.

Past winners

• 1997 - Dublin Blues
• 1998 - Northside Saints
• 1999 - Dublin Blues
• 2000 - Churchtown Warriors
• 2001 - Cork Bulls
• 2002 - Dublin City Exiles
  Dublin City Exiles
  The Dublin City Exiles are an Irish rugby league team from Dublin, Ireland. The Exiles play in the Leinster Conference of the Irish Elite League. They play their home games at Lakelands Park in Terenure.- History :...
  
  
• 2003 - Dublin City Exiles
  Dublin City Exiles
  The Dublin City Exiles are an Irish rugby league team from Dublin, Ireland. The Exiles play in the Leinster Conference of the Irish Elite League. They play their home games at Lakelands Park in Terenure.- History :...
  
  
• 2004 - Clontarf Bulls
• 2005 - Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...
  
  
• 2006 - Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...
  
  
• 2007 - Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...
  
  
• 2008 - Carlow Crusaders
  Carlow Crusaders
  The Carlow Crusaders are a rugby league team based in Carlow, Ireland. They play in the Irish Elite League. They play home games at Oak Park, Carlow. The Crusaders are forced to play most of their games in Cill Dara RFC, Kildare as Oak Park is owned & used by Carlow RFC.-Famous players:* Ross...
  
  
• 2009 - Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...
  
  
• 2010 - Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...
  
  

Teams

2010 structure
Leinster Conference

• Athboy RLFC
• Carlow Crusaders
  Carlow Crusaders
  The Carlow Crusaders are a rugby league team based in Carlow, Ireland. They play in the Irish Elite League. They play home games at Oak Park, Carlow. The Crusaders are forced to play most of their games in Cill Dara RFC, Kildare as Oak Park is owned & used by Carlow RFC.-Famous players:* Ross...
  
  
• Dublin City Exiles
  Dublin City Exiles
  The Dublin City Exiles are an Irish rugby league team from Dublin, Ireland. The Exiles play in the Leinster Conference of the Irish Elite League. They play their home games at Lakelands Park in Terenure.- History :...
  
  
• North Dublin Eagles
  North Dublin Eagles
  North Dublin Eagles are an Irish rugby league team from Dublin, Ireland. The team is based in Raheny on Northside Dublin. The Eagles play their home games at ALSAA and train on Tuesdays and Thursdays at St. Paul's College, Raheny....
  
  
• Portlaoise Panthers
• Tullamore Knights
  Tullamore Knights
  The Tullamore Knights are a Rugby league team from Tullamore, Offaly, Republic of Ireland. The Knights play in the Irish Elite League. The Knights play their home games at Spollanstown Park, Tullamore....
  
  
• Wicklow Vikings

Munster Conference

• Bruff RLFC
• Cork Bulls
  Cork Bulls
  The Cork Bulls are an Irish rugby league team based in Cork, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League.The Cork Bulls were formed in 2010....
  
  
• Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans
  Treaty City Titans are an Irish semi-professional rugby league team based in Limerick City, Ireland. They play in the Munster Conference of the Irish Elite League...
  
  
• Limerick RLFC

Ulster Conference

• Ballynahinch Rabbitohs
• East Belfast Bulldogs
• Fermanagh Redskins
• Portadown Pumas
• Strangford Sharks