THE RUGBY LEAGUE CONFERENCE -
EXPANDING RUGBY LEAGUE OUTSIDE THE HEARTLANDS

To those who don't know the game, rugby league can often be seen as a colloquial, northern game only played along the M62. Professionally speaking this is probably a fair assessment of the game but few people outside the league community are aware of the vibrant and well established amateur game that has existed outside the 3 counties for many years. Now that the game has the opportunity to become a significant part of sporting life nationwide and this is in large part due to the Rugby League Conference (RLC). Established in 1998 from the Southern Conference League, the RLC is a summer competition with its aims set firmly in development of non-traditional areas.

Starting with a few teams initially the competition has expanded massively to incorporate over 60 teams spread across the country from Carlisle to Gosport and Aberavon to Whitley Bay. The competition is split into 10 regional divisions in Yorkshire, Cumbria, Wales, South-West, London and South, East, North Midlands, South Midlands, North East and North West which each contain 6 or eight clubs. Each club plays each other home and away in this league structure or selected sides in a 8 team league. The two top teams from each division then make up the 16 teams who contest the Harry Jepson Trophy with the rest of the teams going into the RLC shield competition.

The Ipswich Rhinos were one of the founder members of this competition and have made a great contribution to the competition since. The club compete in the Eastern Division along with Cambridge Eagles, Luton Vipers, St Ives Roosters, Hemel Stags, North London Skolars, Middlesex Lions and our arch rivals the South Norfolk Saints. Although the competition has changed greatly and continues to develop it is hoped that the Rhinos can be a part of an ever expanding and more influential RLC long into the future.

Cumbria Division - WEST CUMBRIA, COPELAND ATHLETIC, BARROW SHIPBUILDERS, PENRITH PANTHERS, Carlisle Centurions 'A'.

North East Division - Gateshead Storm, Newcastle Knights, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Sunderland City, Durham Tigers, Yorkshire Coast Tigers, PETERLEE PUMAS, JARROW VIKINGS.

Yorkshire Division - Bridlington Bulls, Leeds Akademiks, SOUTH WAKEFIELD SHARKS, HULL PHOENIX, WETHERBY BULLDOGS, SHEFFIELD HILLSBOROUGH HAWKS 'A', HUDDERSFIELD UNDERBANK RANGERS 'A', BRADFORD DUDLEY HILL 'A'.

North Midlands Division - Derby City, Nottingham Outlaws, Mansfield Storm, Worksop Sharks, THORNE MOOR MARAUDERS, Rotherham Giants.

East Division- Ipswich Rhinos, South Norfolk Saints, Cambridge Eagles, St Ives Roosters, North London Skolars, MIDDLESEX LIONS, Hemel Stags 'A', Luton Vipers.

South Division - Gosport & Fareham Vikings, Greenwich Admirals, Crawley Jets, West London Sharks, South London Storm 'A', Kingston Warriors.

North West Division - Lancaster, Blackpool sea Eagles, Liverpool Buccaneers, Bolton Le Moors, Chester Wolves, NORTH WALES COASTERS, WIDNES SAINTS, Crewe Wolves.

Wales Division - *Swansea Valley Miners, Aberavon Fighting Irish, Bridgend Blue Bulls, *RCM Cougars (Rhonda/Cynon/Merthyr), Cardiff Demons, NEWPORT TITANS, Torfaen Tigers.

South West Division- Somerset Vikings, Bristol Sonics, Gloucestershire Warriors, Worcester Saints, Oxford Cavaliers, Telford Raiders.

Midlands Division- Leicester Phoenix, RUGBY RAIDERS, Wolverhampton Wizards, Birmingham Bulldogs 'A', Coventry Bears 'A', TBA (Selection will be made from one of two applicants in early February).

The winners of the divisions with eight clubs, plus Cumbria and Wales will qualify for the quarter finals whilst those in six team leagues will face preliminary play-offs. The RLC Shield will run alongside the Harry Jepson Trophy. Twenty of the clubs have registered to play in the RLC Cup, currently held by North London Skolars, which will begin on February 29th with Quarter Finals on April 11th, Semi Finals on April 18th and the Final on Sunday April 25th at a venue to be arranged.