Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier
Encyclopedia
The 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
.
was founded in 1997 as the Southern Conference, a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and English Midlands
. It expanded into Wales for the first time in 2001 when Cardiff Demons
joined the South West division
.
After two years of just one club in South Wales, the RFL saw that it was time to expand, letting in six more open-aged sides to form the new Welsh Conference and Wales gained its own division for the first time.
The Premier Division were set up in 2005 for teams who had achieved a certain playing standard and where 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 Welsh Premier division was split into two divisions East Wales and West Wales in 2006, though this decision was reversed for the following season.
The Welsh Conference Junior League
began in 2009.
Due to the growth of the sport in Wales, in 2010 a separate Championship division was formed which would function at one tier lower than the present Premier division. This Championship division featured teams from South Wales, but another Championship division featuring teams from North Wales was meant to be contested, but it didn't materialise and a rugby league nines
tournament was played instead.
The South Wales Rugby League Championship was given a re-structure following four West Wales clubs not fulfilling fixtures. Amman Valley Rhinos, Dinefwr Sharks, Swansea/Llanelli Dragons and West Wales Wild Boars were omitted and replaced with newly formed Dyffryn Devils.
The Welsh Premier is the highest level of amateur rugby league in Wales. Above the Welsh Premier is the National Division
which sides from around the UK are able to join and below the Welsh Premier is the Welsh regional division.
Other Premier divisions are the Midlands
, South
, Yorkshire
and North West
.
Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis. Each Premier division then has its own play-off series to determine the champion with the five divisional winners entering the national play-offs.
The winner of the national play-offs is awarded the Harry Jepson Trophy.
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...
. It forms a Premier division of 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...
competition which covers all of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
History
The Rugby League ConferenceRugby 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...
was founded in 1997 as the Southern Conference, a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. It expanded into Wales for the first time in 2001 when Cardiff Demons
Cardiff Demons
Cardiff Demons RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of St. Albans RFC in the east of Cardiff, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
joined the South West division
Rugby League Conference South West Division
The Rugby League Conference South West Division is a division in the Rugby League Conference, an amateur rugby league competition with sides from across Britain...
.
After two years of just one club in South Wales, the RFL saw that it was time to expand, letting in six more open-aged sides to form the new Welsh Conference and Wales gained its own division for the first time.
The Premier Division were set up in 2005 for teams who had achieved a certain playing standard and where 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 Welsh Premier division was split into two divisions East Wales and West Wales in 2006, though this decision was reversed for the following season.
The Welsh Conference Junior League
Welsh Conference Junior League
The Welsh Conference Junior League is a Welsh rugby league competition competed for at the under-17; under-15 and under-13 age groups. Its adult counter-part is the Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier.-Participating teams:...
began in 2009.
Due to the growth of the sport in Wales, in 2010 a separate Championship division was formed which would function at one tier lower than the present Premier division. This Championship division featured teams from South Wales, but another Championship division featuring teams from North Wales was meant to be contested, but it didn't materialise and a rugby league nines
Rugby league nines
Rugby league nines is a version of rugby league football played with nine players on each side. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some differences in rules and shorter games. Nines is usually played in festivals, as its shorter game play allows for a tournament to be...
tournament was played instead.
The South Wales Rugby League Championship was given a re-structure following four West Wales clubs not fulfilling fixtures. Amman Valley Rhinos, Dinefwr Sharks, Swansea/Llanelli Dragons and West Wales Wild Boars were omitted and replaced with newly formed Dyffryn Devils.
Rugby League Conference Pyramid
- 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 Welsh Premier
- RLC Welsh ChampionshipRugby League Conference Welsh ChampionshipThe Rugby League Conference Welsh Championship is the lower of two Welsh domestic leagues for the sport of rugby league. It is a division of the Rugby League Conference competition which covers all of Great Britain.-History:...
The Welsh Premier is the highest level of amateur rugby league in Wales. Above the Welsh Premier is the National Division
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:...
which sides from around the UK are able to join and below the Welsh Premier is the Welsh regional division.
Other Premier divisions are the Midlands
Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier
The 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
Rugby League Conference South Premier
The 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...
, Yorkshire
Rugby League Conference Yorkshire Premier
The 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....
and North West
Rugby League Conference North West Premier
The 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....
.
Teams
| Club | Founded | Location | RLC Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgend Blue Bulls Bridgend Blue Bulls Bridgend Blue Bulls RLFC are a rugby league side based in Porthcawl, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wales, having won the Welsh Premier a record five times, as well as winning the Harry Jepson Trophy... |
2003 | Porthcawl Porthcawl Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea... |
Welsh Premier: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Harry Jepson Trophy: 2003, 2005 |
| Cardiff Demons Cardiff Demons Cardiff Demons RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of St. Albans RFC in the east of Cardiff, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
1997 | Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
RLC South West: 2003 Welsh Shield: 2004 East Wales Division: 2006 |
| CPC Bears CPC Bears CPC Bears are a rugby league club based in Carmarthen and are the regional side for Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They play in the Welsh Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
2010 | Johnstown Johnstown - Places :Canada* Johnstown, Nova Scotia* Johnstown, Ontario, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville* Johnstown, Hastings County, OntarioRepublic of Ireland*Johnstown, County Dublin*Johnstown, County Kildare*Johnstown, County Kilkenny... |
|
| Titans RLFC | 2004 | Machen Machen Machen is a large village 3 miles east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly borough within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It neighbours Bedwas and Trethomas, and forms a council ward in conjunction with those communities. It lies on the Rhymney River.-Mynydd... |
Welsh Shield: 2005 Welsh Plate: 2009 |
| Torfaen Tigers Torfaen Tigers Torfaen Tigers are a rugby league team based in Pontypool, Monmouthshire. They play in the Welsh Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
2003 | Pontypool Pontypool Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales.... |
|
| Valley Cougars Valley Cougars Valley Cougars are a rugby league team based in Caerphilly. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference-History:They were founded in 1975 and joined the Welsh Division of the Rugby League Conference in 2003. They led a nomadic existence for their first few years in the valleys... A |
2001 | Nelson | Welsh Premier: 2008, 2010 |
Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis. Each Premier division then has its own play-off series to determine the champion with the five divisional winners entering the national play-offs.
The winner of the national play-offs is awarded the Harry Jepson Trophy.
League standings
| Current Teams | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwood Bulldogs Blackwood Bulldogs Blackwood Bulldogs are a rugby league team based in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Wales. They play in the Welsh Championship of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
x | x | x | 1st | ||||
| Bridgend Blue Bulls Bridgend Blue Bulls Bridgend Blue Bulls RLFC are a rugby league side based in Porthcawl, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wales, having won the Welsh Premier a record five times, as well as winning the Harry Jepson Trophy... |
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||
| Cardiff Demons Cardiff Demons Cardiff Demons RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of St. Albans RFC in the east of Cardiff, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
x | |||||||
| CPC Bears CPC Bears CPC Bears are a rugby league club based in Carmarthen and are the regional side for Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They play in the Welsh Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Dinefwr Sharks 1 | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Neath Port Talbot Steelers Neath Port Talbot Steelers Neath Port Talbot Steelers are a rugby league team based in Port Talbot, West Glamorgan. They play in the Welsh Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... 2 |
x | |||||||
| Newport Titans Newport Titans Titans RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of Machen RFC in Machen, South Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
x | |||||||
| Rumney Rhinos | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Swansea Valley Miners 3 | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Torfaen Tigers Torfaen Tigers Torfaen Tigers are a rugby league team based in Pontypool, Monmouthshire. They play in the Welsh Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
3rd | x | ||||||
| Valley Cougars Valley Cougars Valley Cougars are a rugby league team based in Caerphilly. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference-History:They were founded in 1975 and joined the Welsh Division of the Rugby League Conference in 2003. They led a nomadic existence for their first few years in the valleys... 4 |
1st | |||||||
| West Wales Wild Boars West Wales Wild Boars West Wales Wild Boars were a rugby league team based in St Clears, Carmarthenshire. They played in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:... |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
- 1 competed as West Wales Sharks between 2006 and 2008
- 2 competed as Aberavon Fighting Irish between 2003 and 2006
- 3 competed as Swansea Bulls in 2003
- 4 competed as Cynon Valley Cougars in 2003
Key
| DNF | Did not complete the season |
| x | Did not participate |
| Divisional winner | |
| Qualified for divisional play-off | |
| Finished bottom | |
Winners
Competed for by the RLC Wales division since 2003- 2003 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2004 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2005 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2006 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2007 Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2008 Valley Cougars
- 2009 Blackwood Bulldogs
- 2010 Valley Cougars
- 2011 Bridgend Blue Bulls
Welsh Shield
Secondary Welsh competition for teams who do not make the play-offs for the Welsh Premier. It has not been contested since 2005.- 2004 Cardiff Demons
- 2005 Newport Titans (now Titans RLFC)