Rugby League Conference Welsh Championship
Encyclopedia
The 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
.
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 Championship is the lowest level of amateur rugby league in Wales. Above the Welsh Championship is the Welsh Premier and the National Division
which sides from around the UK are able to join.
Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis.
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 is a 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 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 Welsh Championship
The Welsh Championship is the lowest level of amateur rugby league in Wales. Above the Welsh Championship is the Welsh Premier and 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.
Teams
| Club | Founded | Location | RLC Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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:... |
2006 | Blackwood, Caerphilly Caerphilly (county borough) Caerphilly is a county borough in southern Wales, straddling the ancient county boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.Its main town is Caerphilly, and also the largest... |
Welsh Premier: 2009 |
| Bonymaen Broncos Bonymaen Broncos Bonymaen Broncos are a Welsh rugby league team that participate in the Rugby League Conference Welsh Championship. All home games are played at Bonymaen RFC.-History:... |
Bon-y-maen Bon-y-maen Bon-y-maen, sometimes spelt Bonymaen, is a community in Swansea, Wales located about north east of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Bonymaen ward. Immediately above Bon-y-maen on the top of Kilvey Hill is the main TV transmitter for Swansea. The local rugby team is Bonymaen RFC.... , Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
||
| Dyffryn Devils | 2010 | Ammanford, Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford... |
|
| 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:... |
2003 | Port Talbot Port Talbot Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan... , Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough.... |
Welsh Championship: 2010 |
| Tydfil Wildcats Rugby League Tydfil Wildcats Rugby League Tydfil Wildcats Rugby League is a Rugby League club based in Merthyr Tydfil. The club colours are yellow and blue. The home ground was the cage in Troedyrhiw until September 2010 but relocated for the 2011 season to Dowlais RFC. The Wildcats play in the Wales Rugby League conference.- History... |
2008 | Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of... , Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of... |
Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis.
Winners
- 2010 Neath Port Talbot Steelers
- 2011 Bonymaen Broncos