| Pixels: | 200px |
| Country: | England |
| Founded: | 2009 |
| Teams: | 98 (2024) |
| Promotion: | National Conference League |
| Levels: | 5 |
| Champions: | Newsome Panthers (1st title) |
| Current: | 2023 |
| Website: | https://www.rugby-league.com/leagues__competitions/yorkshire_mens_league |
The Yorkshire Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in Yorkshire. The competition was formed in 2009 as the RLC Yorkshire Premier by splitting the RLC North Premier into two competitions - this and the RLC North West Premier. The league was renamed to its current name following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
See also: History of the Rugby League Conference and History of the Midlands Merit League. Following the formation of the British Amateur Rugby League Association in 1973 clubs from local leagues in both Yorkshire and Lancashire formed the Pennine League. A solely based Yorkshire competition was not formed until 1978 when the CMS Yorkshire League was established.
Following the formation of the National Leagues in 2003, the Conference League South was expanded to include Northern clubs and renamed National League Three, becoming the highest level of amateur rugby league played in the summer. In 2008 National League Three was rebranded to the Rugby League Conference and expanded to include several regional competitions including the RLC Yorkshire Premier, which grew to three divisions.
Many clubs playing in the traditional winter leagues began to switch to the summer RLC, which contributed to its rapid growth. As a result of this, in 2011 the National Conference League, the largest winter league in the country, voted to switch to summer. Subsequently the RLC National Division became NCL Division Three in 2012.
Following the switch to summer the CMS Yorkshire League folded with clubs wanting to continue playing in winter joining the Pennine League. Yorkshire based clubs who wished to play summer rugby were entered into the newly formed Yorkshire Men's League.[1] [2]
See also: British rugby league system.
The Yorkshire Men's League currently runs seven divisions with promotion and relegation between them:
They also runs two separate leagues separate from the main competition:
| Premier Division clubs | ||||||
| Club | City | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batley Boys | Batley, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Bentley | Bentley, South Yorkshire | |||||
| Beverley | Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire | |||||
| East Hull | Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire | |||||
| New Earswick All Blacks | York, North Yorkshire | |||||
| Norland Sharks | Norland, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Nottingham Outlaws | Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | |||||
| Queensbury | Bradford, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Siddal Academy | Halifax, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Division 1 clubs | ||||||
| Club | City | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birstall Victoria | Batley, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Hull Wyke | Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire | |||||
| Mirfield Stags | Mirfield, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Milford Marlins | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Oulton Raiders A | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | |||||
| York Acorn | York, North Yorkshire | |||||
| Division 2 clubs | ||||||
| Club | City | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garforth Tigers | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| King Cross Park | Halifax, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Division 3 clubs | ||||||
| Club | City | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Victoria Rangers | Bradford, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Knottingley Worms | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Keighley Cougars | Keighley, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Leeds Akkies | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Ossett Trinity | Wakefield, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Slaithwaite Saracens | Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Stanningley A | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| York Locomotive | York, North Yorkshire | |||||
| Division 4 clubs | ||||||
| Club | City | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castleford Lock Lane | Castleford, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Guiseley Rangers | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Mirfield Stags A | Mirfield, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Scarborough Pirates A | Scarborough, North Yorkshire | |||||
| Siddal B | Halifax, West Yorkshire | |||||
| Stanley Rangers A | Wakefield, West Yorkshire | |||||
Source:[3]
| Season | Premier Division | Division One | Division Two | Division Three | Division Four | Division Five | Division Six | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Fryston Warriors | |||||||
| 2013 | West Hull A | |||||||
| 2014 | Bramley Buffaloes | Scarborough Pirates | Shaw Cross Sharks A | |||||
| 2015 | Sharlston Rovers | Siddal A | Shaw Cross Sharks A | Knottingley Worms | Lock Lane A | |||
| 2016 | West Bowling | Bentley | Leeds Akkies | Hunslet Club Parkside A | Birstall Victoria | Odsal Sedbergh | ||
| 2017 | Siddal A | Norland Sharks | Bramley Buffaloes | Cutsyke Raiders | Staniland Stags | Eastmoor Dragons A | ||
| 2018 | Batley Boys | Heworth A | West Hull A | Brighouse Rangers | Wyke | Farnley Falcons | ||
| 2019 | Bentley | Elland | Wyke | Farnley Falcons | Greetland All Rounders | Dodworth Miners | ||
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown | |||||||
| 2021 | Siddal Academy | Westgate Common | Almondbury Spartans | Hunslet Club Parkside A | Newsome Panthers | Three Tuns | ||
| 2022 | Westgate Common | Almondbury Spartans | Newsome Panthers | Keighley Albion | Stanley Rangers A | Seacroft Sharks | East Leeds A | |
| 2023 | Newsome Panthers | Stanley Rangers A | Bradford Dudley Hill | Seacroft Sharks | ||||