GetWiki

{{short description|Rugby league in the UK}}{{Multiple issues|{{Notability|Sports|date=April 2023}}{{One source|date=April 2023}}}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}

factoids

| other countries = | sport = Rugby league!colspan="1" width="4%"|Level!colspan="6" width="96%"|League(s)/Division(s)

Rugby Football League>RFLBARLA	BARLA National League)	NCL Premier>Premier DivisionNCL Division One	NCL Division Two>Division TwoDivision Three| teams = 49| promotion = | relegation = Cumbria League North West League North East League Yorkshire League Scottish National League| levels = 4 to 7| domestic_cup = Challenge CupConference Challenge TrophyBARLA National Cup| champions = Premier Division: West Hull Division One: Kells Division Two: Heworth Division Three: East Leeds | most successful club =	RFL>ouRLeague	weblink}}| current_season = 2023 National Conference League}}The National Conference League (known as the Impact Performance National Conference League for sponsorship reasons and often abbreviated to simply NCL) is the fourth tier of the male British rugby league structure, currently consisting of top-level amateur clubs based wholly within Northern England. Since 2012, the National Conference League operates over a summer season in line with the professional game.WEB,weblink Rugby-League.com, www.rugby-league.com, 2019-12-11, History The league was founded as the BARLA National League for the 1986–87 season with 10 teams: Dudley Hill, Egremont Rangers, Heworth, Leigh Miners Welfare (now Leigh Miners Rangers), Milford Marlins, Millom, Pilkington Recs, West Hull, Wigan St Patrick's and Woolston Rovers. The original NCL concept was one team per town.The league added a second division in 1989, and expanded to three divisions (now named premier, first and second as opposed to first and second) along with a rebrand to the current name of National Conference League in 1993.Somewhat confusingly, in the late 1990s and 2000s another major amateur competition was also titled conference: the Rugby League Conference (RLC), which operated a summer season as opposed to the traditional winter season retained by the NCL. The move to a summer season by the NCL in 2012 and a reorganisation by the RFL resulted in a merger of the leagues and the creation of a new NCL 3rd division out of the old RLC National Division, which was replaced by the Conference League South in 2013. Structure The National Conference League consists of four divisions. Teams can be promoted and relegated through all four divisions, and teams can also be relegated from Division Three into the regional leagues. For the 2018 season, there are three divisions of 12 teams, whilst the bottom tier consists of 13 teams.Although it is considered the tier below League 1, teams are not promoted and relegated between the amateur NCL and the professional game, although NCL teams the Challenge Cup.{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
1	Premier Division12 clubs – 3 relegations
2	Division One12 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations
3	Division Two12 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations
4	Division Three13 clubs – 3 promotions, bottom 2 clubs seek re-election

Play-offs

The Premier Division play-offs follows a similar structure to that in the professional game. The Champions are decided in a top six play-off competition. In week 1 of the play-offs, the teams placed 3rd and 6th play each other as do the teams paced 4th and 5th, the winners qualify for the Elimination Semi-Final. In week 2 of the pay-offs, the teams that finished the regular season 1st and second play each other in the Qualifying Semi-Final and takes place on the same weekend. The winner of the Qualifying Semi-Final progresses to the Grand Final while the loser has another opportunity to get to the Grand Final by playing the winners of the Elimination Semi-Final in Week 3 of the play-offs.The Division One, Division Two and Division Three play-offs are contested by the teams that finished 3rd to 6th during the regular season. The top two teams are promoted automatically. These Play-offs are straightforward knock-out competitions composed of two Semi-Finals, between the teams finishing 3rd and 6th in one and those that finished 4th and 5th on the other, before the winners contest the Final a week later. The winner of the Final is promoted.">

Clubs in 2024{| class"wikitable"

! Premier Division! Division One! Division Two! Division ThreeEgremont Rangers|Clock Face Miners|Barrow Island|BentleyHeworth A.R.L.F.C.>Heworth|Crosfields|Dewsbury Celtic|Beverley|Hunslet|Dewsbury Moor Maroons|Ellenborough|DistingtonKells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells|Hull DockersMillom R.L.F.C.>Millom|DrighlingtonCastleford Lock Lane>Lock Lane|Ince Rose Bridge|Myton WarriorsEast Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds|Rochdale Mayfield|Leigh Miners Rangers |Normanton Knights|Eastmoor DragonsSiddal A.R.L.F.C.>Siddal|Oulton Raiders|Oldham St Annes|Featherstone Lions|Thatto Heath CrusadersSkirlaugh A.R.L.F.C.>Skirlaugh|Pilkington Recs Hensingham ARLFC>Hensingham |Wath Brow Hornets|Stanningley|Saddleworth RangersLeigh East A.R.L.F.C.>Leigh EastWest Bowling A.R.L.F.C.>West Bowling|Waterhead Warriors|Shaw Cross Sharks|MilfordWest Hull A.R.L.F.C.>West Hull|Wigan St Patricks|Thornhill Trojans|Seaton RangersYork Acorn A.R.L.F.C.>York Acorn|Woolston Rovers|Wigan St Judes|

Results

{| class="wikitable"! Season! Premier Division! Division One! Division Two! Division Three| 1986–87Heworth A.R.L.F.C.>HeworthN/A}}N/A}}N/A}} | 1987–88|Milford Marlins| 1988–89West Hull ARLFC>West Hull| 1989–90|Bradford Dudley Hill|Saddleworth Rangers| 1990–91 |Leigh East|Barrow| 1991–92 |Wigan St PatricksWest Hull ARLFC>West Hull| 1992–93|Saddleworth Rangers|Rochdale Mayfield | 1993–94 |Woolston RoversHeworth A.R.L.F.C.>Heworth|Oldham St Annes | 1994–95|Woolston Rovers (2)Millom R.L.F.C.>Millom|Eastmoor Dragons | 1995–96|Woolston Rovers (3)|Beverley|Wigan St Judes | 1996–97 West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (2)|Askam|Redhill | 1997–98 |Egremont RangersSkirlaugh A.R.L.F.C.>Skirlaugh|Featherstone Lions | 1998–99West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (3)|Redhill|Ideal Isberg | 1999–00West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (4)|Oulton Raiders|Eastmoor Dragons (2) | 2000–01West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (5)|Leigh East|Thatto Heath Crusaders|2001–02West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (6)West Bowling A.R.L.F.C.>West Bowling|Crosfield | 2002–03Siddal A.R.L.F.C.>Siddal|Thatto Heath Crusaders|Wath Brow Hornets | 2003–04Siddal A.R.L.F.C.>Siddal (2)|Wath Brow HornetsEast Hull A.R.L.F.C.>East Hull | 2004–05|Leigh Miners Rangers|Shaw Cross Sharks|Ince Rose Bridge | 2005–06|Oulton RaidersWest Hull ARLFC>West Hull (2)|Castleford Panthers| 2006–07Skirlaugh A.R.L.F.C.>Skirlaugh|Rochdale Mayfield (2)|Waterhead | 2007–08East Hull A.R.L.F.C.>East Hull|Wigan St JudesMillom R.L.F.C.>Millom 2008–09 National Conference League>2008–09Siddal A.R.L.F.C.>Siddal (3)|Wath Brow Hornets (2)|Myton Warriors | 2009–10|Leigh East (2)|Thatto Heath CrusadersSalford City Roosters>Eccles 2010–11 National Conference League>2010–11|Thatto Heath Crusaders|Oulton Raiders (2)|Hunslet Warriors2012 National Conference League>2012|Wath Brow Hornets|Egremont RangersEast Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds|Hemel Stags 2013 National Conference League>2013West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (7)East Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds|Normanton KnightsKells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells 2014 National Conference League>2014West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (8)|Oulton Raiders (3)Kells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells|Featherstone Lions 2015 National Conference League>2015|Leigh Miners Rangers (2)Kells A.R.L.F.C.>KellsMillom R.L.F.C.>Millom (2)|Hunslet Club Parkside2016 National Conference League>2016Siddal A.R.L.F.C.>Siddal (4)|Thatto Heath Crusaders (2)|Hunslet Club Parkside|Crossfields2017 National Conference League>2017|Thatto Heath Crusaders (2)|Hunslet Club Parkside|Oulton Raiders|West Bowling 2018 National Conference League>2018|Hunslet Club Parkside|Thornhill Trojans|Stanningley|Beverley 2019 National Conference League>2019West Hull ARLFC>West Hull (9)|Pilkington Recs|West Bowling|Woolston Rovers 2020 National Conference League>2020Tournament curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic}} 2021 National Conference League>2021Tournament restructured due to the COVID-19 pandemic}}2022 National Conference League>2022|Hunslet Club Parkside (2)Kells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells (2)Heworth A.R.L.F.C.>HeworthEast Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds2023 National Conference League>2023|Hunslet ARLFC|West Bowling (2)|Waterhead Warriors|Oldham St Annes

Winners

{{col-begin}}{{col-break|width=25%}}{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" PREMIER DIVISION!!Club!Wins!Winning years|1West Hull ARLFC>West Hull9 1988–89, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2013, 2014, 2019|2Siddal ARLFC>Siddal5 2002–03, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2016, 2017|3Woolston Rovers>| 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–964Leigh East>2 1990–91, 2009–10Leigh Miners Rangers>| 2004–05, 2015Hunslet Club Parkside>| 2018, 20225Thatto Heath Crusaders>1 2010–11Wath Brow Hornets>| 2012Heworth A.R.L.F.C.>Heworth 1986–87| 1987–88Bradford Dudley Hill>| 1989–90Wigan St Patricks>| 1991–92Saddleworth Rangers>| 1992–93Egremont Rangers>| 1997–98Oulton Raiders>| 2005–06Skirlaugh A.R.L.F.C.>Skirlaugh 2006–07East Hull ARLFC>East Hull 2007–08|2023{{col-break|width=25%}}{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"DIVISION ONE!!Club!Wins!Winning years|1Oulton Raiders>| 2005–06, 2010–11, 20142West Hull ARLFC>West Hullrowspan=5| 1991–92, 2005–06Rochdale Mayfield>| 1992–93, 2006–07Thatto Heath Crusaders>| 2002–03, 2016Wath Brow Hornets>| 2003–04, 2008–09Kells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells 2015, 20223Saddleworth Rangers>1 1989–90| 1990–91Heworth A.R.L.F.C.>Heworth 1993–94Millom>| 1994–95Beverley>| 1995–96| 1996–97Skirlaugh A.R.L.F.C.>Skirlaugh 1997–98| 1998–99Leigh East>| 2000–01West Bowling>| 2001–02| 2004–05West Hull ARLFC>West Hull 2005–06Wigan St Judes>| 2007–08Egremont Rangers>| 2012East Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds 2013Hunslet Club Parkside>| 2017Thornhill Trojans 2018Pilkington Recs>|2019{{col-break|width=25%}}{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"DIVISION TWO!Club!Wins!Winning years| 1994–95, 1999–00Millom>| 2007–08, 2015| 1993–94Wigan St Judes>| 1995–96| 1996–97Featherstone Lions>| 1997–98| 1998–99Thatto Heath Crusaders>| 2000–01| 2001–02Wath Brow Hornets>| 2002–03East Hull A.R.L.F.C.>East Hull1 2003–04Ince Rose Bridge>| 2004–05| 2005–06| 2006–07Myton Warriors>| 2008–09| 2009–10| 2010–11East Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds1 2012| 2013Kells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells1 2014Hunslet Club Parkside>| 2016Oulton Raiders>| 2017Stanningley>| 2018West Bowling>|2019Heworth A.R.L.F.C.>Heworth12022{{col-break|width=25%}}{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"DIVISION THREE!Club!Wins!Winning yearsHemel Stags>| 2012Kells A.R.L.F.C.>Kells1 2013Featherstone Lions>| 2014Hunslet Club Parkside>| 2015| 2016West Bowling>| 2017Beverley>| 2018Woolston Rovers>| 2019East Leeds A.R.L.F.C.>East Leeds1 2022{{col-end}}

See also

• Conference League South
• Conference Challenge Trophy

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070303021954weblink">Official website
• BARLA official website
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071015160203weblink">NCL Founder Member Millom RLFC
• NCL Member Brighouse Rangers RLFC

{{National Conference League}}{{British and Irish Rugby League links}}