The Rugby League Conference (RLC), also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from the Co-operative Group, is a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
It was founded in 1997 as the Southern Conference League .
History
Background
Main article: History of rugby leagueIn 1895, several clubs in the North of England broke away from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body of rugby football in England, over the issue of player expenses.
This led to the great schism which resulted in rugby becoming two separate sports: rugby union administered by the RFU and rugby league administered by the Rugby Football League.
Although rugby league spread overseas, sanctions by the RFU made it more difficult for the sport to expand beyond its "heartlands" in the traditional counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumberland.
Earlier non-heartland competitions
Prior to the Rugby League Conference, there were several non-heartland leagues throughout England run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA); the most recent ones being the London Amateur Rugby League, the Midlands and South West Amateur Rugby League Association (MASWARLA), the East Midlands Amateur Rugby League Association (EMARLA), the Eastern Counties Amateur Rugby League and the North Eastern Amateur Rugby League Association (NEARLA).
The Eastern Counties and the MASWARLA competitions folded and the few remaining teams were absorbed by the London ARL and the EMARLA respectively and teams in the North East of England and more northerly East Midlands were looking at playing in Yorkshire-based heartland leagues. However teams in the South of England had no such option, North London Skolars were even rejected from BARLA's National Conference League for the 1996-97 season.
A further major factor leading to the creation of the Southern Conference League was the fact that the professional clubs had switched to a summer season the previous year and thus interest in the sport in the winter was decreased. The abandonment of amateurism by the rival sport of rugby union in 1995 meant that it was now possible for rugby union players to play rugby league during their off-season without risking a ban from rugby union. This gave non-heartland clubs a larger player pool.
1997
The Southern Conference League began as a 10-team pilot league in 1997. The teams selected were not necessarily those with the highest playing standard, as off-field factors were initially considered very important. Furthermore teams were selected to represent medium to large-sized towns and thus some clubs were considered undesirable, either due to being pub teams or due to being in small towns based too near a large town with a club (the latter being one of the reasons St Ives Roosters were outside the league until 2003).
The initial line-up was as follows:
- Central Division : Birmingham, Leicester Phoenix, Worcester Royals, Oxford Cavaliers, Reading Raiders
- Eastern Division : North London Skolars, West London, Kingston, Ipswich Rhinos, Bedford Swifts
Birmingham and Leicester Phoenix had been playing in the EMARLA since the demise of the MASWARLA.
Among the newly formed clubs were Bedford Swifts, the first ever cross-code club (i.e. playing both rugby union and rugby league), West London (formed from a merger of two of the more successful London ARL teams Brent-Ealing and London Colonials), and North London Skolars who were based on the student old boys network.
However, before the season started Reading Raiders announced that they would remain in the London ARL, the tenth place being offered to fellow London ARL club Cambridge Eagles, a club that missed out at the first stage of applications. As a result of Cambridge Eagles being more geographically suited to the Eastern Division, Bedford Swifts were switched to the Central Division.
Kingston were to resign from the league after only playing one game, but besides this and a forfeited semi-final this pilot season was generally successful, resulting in an increase of RFL funding to allow further expansion. North London Skolars were the winners of the first and only Southern Conference defeating Leicester Phoenix in the final.
The Scottish Conference was founded with five teams and had its first season. However, it would remain outside the Rugby League Conference structure until 2006.
1998
The newly renamed Rugby League Conference was founded in 1998 with 14 teams (initially planned to be 15, but the proposed Northampton club failed to materialise) with several new clubs resulting in a reorganisation of the divisional line-ups to three divisions (West, East and South). Another new twist was the addition of the monikers of Super League clubs by many clubs, with Worcester becoming the Saints, Birmingham the Bulls and West London the Sharks; some Super League clubs also gave support to the new clubs.
North London Skolars joined the National Conference League after the first season, while retaining a team in the Rugby League Conference.
Initial line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics):
- Western Division : Birmingham Bulls, Leicester Phoenix, Worcester Saints, Cheltenham Warriors, Chester Wolves
- Eastern Division : Ipswich Rhinos, Bedford Swifts, Cambridge Eagles, South Norfolk Saints, Northampton (failed to start season)
- Southern Division : North London Skolars, West London Sharks, Oxford Cavaliers, St Albans Centurions, Crawley Jets
In an all new team final Crawley Jets beat South Norfolk Saints at the Prince of Wales Stadium in Cheltenham.
1999
The 1999 season saw further expansion to 20 teams, resulting in another change in the divisional system. Initially only 15 clubs were to be funded by the RFL and Hemel Stags were admitted to the East division to fill the gap originally intended for Northampton the previous season after their Northern Ford Premiership application was rejected and the Alliance (reserve grade) was scrapped. However, a change of decision and the collapse of the saw this changed. Worcester Saints became Worcestershire Saints after moving to Redditch in the first relocation. For the first time all starting teams finished the season.
Team line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics):
- Northern Division : Chester Wolves, Crewe Wolves, Manchester Knights, Derby City, Nottingham Outlaws
- Western Division : Birmingham Bulls, Leicester Phoenix, Worcestershire Saints, Cheltenham Warriors, Wolverhampton Wizards
- Eastern Division : Ipswich Rhinos, Bedford Swifts, Cambridge Eagles, South Norfolk Saints, Hemel Stags
- Southern Division : North London Skolars, West London Sharks, Oxford Cavaliers, St Albans Centurions, Crawley Jets
The title was won by Chester Wolves who defeated Crawley Jets in the final.
2000
This season saw a relatively modest further expansion to 24 teams, including the return of founder members Kingston. This also coincided with the demise of the London ARL as a winter BARLA league but saw it reform as a summer based merit league with a combination of reserve teams and new clubs. In a second relocation Cheltenham Warriors moved to Gloucester and became Gloucestershire Warriors. Another rebranding was had by Birmingham Bulls, who became Birmingham Bulldogs to avoid a legal challenge by the Birmingham Bulls American football team.
This season also saw a test of summer rugby league in the North East of England, with a Northern Rugby League Summer Conference with teams from various BARLA leagues won by Teesside Steelers, also featuring Gateshead Panthers, Bridlington Bulls, West Craven Warriors and Wetherby Bulldogs.
Team line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics):
- Northern Division : Chester Wolves, Crewe Wolves, Manchester Knights, Derby City, Nottingham Outlaws, Rotherham Giants
- Western Division : Birmingham Bulldogs, Leicester Phoenix, Worcestershire Saints, Gloucestershire Warriors, Wolverhampton Wizards, Coventry Bears
- Eastern Division : Ipswich Rhinos, Bedford Swifts, Cambridge Eagles, South Norfolk Saints, Hemel Stags, St Albans Centurions
- Southern Division : North London Skolars, West London Sharks, Oxford Cavaliers, Crawley Jets, South London Storm, Kingston Warriors
The league was won by Crawley Jets who defeated Rotherham Giants in the final.
2001
The Conference expanded into Wales for the first time in 2001 when Cardiff Demons, who had formerly ran a young team in the Academy competition, joined the league. Along with the new North East Division this left the Rugby League Conference with 30 teams in the 2001 season.
Initial line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics):
- North East Division : Newcastle Knights, Gateshead Panthers, Sunderland City, Teesside Steelers, Bridlington Bulls
- Northern Division : Chester Wolves, Crewe Wolves, Manchester Knights, Derby City, Rotherham Giants
- Midlands Division : Birmingham Bulldo
VALLEY THE COUGAR ORIG POOL TABLE SALES FLYER MINT - eBay (item ...
eBay: Find VALLEY THE COUGAR ORIG POOL TABLE SALES FLYER MINT in the Collectibles , Arcade, Jukeboxes Pinball , Arcade , Manuals category on eBay.
Valley Cougar Pool
Valley-Dynamo, a division of Brunswick Billiards, is the largest manufacturer of pool tables, air hockey tables and foosball tables, namely, Valley pool tables, Dynamo pool tables ...
Valley Dynamo Pool Tables, Bumper Pool Table Black Cat Pool
... Billiard Tables Pool Balls, Custom Cue Sticks, Cues Valley Pool tables,Coin operated tables, Valley home style tables, ZD-8, Black Cat, Pool tables, game room, Tiger Cat, Cougar
Valley® Cougar® Cue Ball
Valley-Dynamo, a division of Brunswick Billiards, is the largest manufacturer of pool tables, air hockey tables and foosball tables, namely, Valley pool tables, Dynamo pool tables ...
Valley Cougar Coin Operated Pool Table
Buy Valley Cougar coin operated pool table at American Super Sports. Try the Valley coin op pool table difference and buy one today.
Valley Pool Tables | Factory Direct Prices ! | Worldwide Valley Pool ...
Valley Cougar Coin Op Pool Table - The signature look for Valley’s classic pool tables continues with the Cougar. The Cougar Pool Table features dramatic 45° angled corners and ...
Valley Cougar Pool Table Specifications
Length 91.0" 231.1cm 652lbs Width 18.5" 47.0 cm 295.7kg Height 54.5" 138.4cm
Valley Cougar Pool Table
Nationwide distributor of Arcade Games and Vending products for over 75 years! 800-288-7635 or Email Us Phone Sales Open: Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm CST
Valley-Dynamo Cougar Coin-Operated Pool Table | Valley-Dynamo
Valley-Dynamo Cougar Coin-Operated Pool Tables for sale by GameTablesUSA!
Valley Cougar Pool Table
Valley® has taken the very best commercial pool table and made it even better. The new rich Cherry finish looks incredible and will attract more play in any establishment.