Yorkshire Men's League Explained

Pixels:200px
Country:England
Founded:2009
Teams:98 (2024)
Levels:9
Champions:Stanley Rangers A (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.

History

See also: History of the Rugby League Conference. 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]

Structure

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:

Clubs

2024 Clubs

Results

Source:[3]

RLC era

Yorkshire Men's League era

SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision ThreeDivision FourDivision FiveDivision Six
2012Fryston Warriors
2013West Hull A
2014Bramley BuffaloesScarborough PiratesShaw Cross Sharks A
2015Sharlston RoversSiddal AShaw Cross Sharks AKnottingley WormsLock Lane A
2016West BowlingBentleyLeeds AkkiesHunslet Club Parkside ABirstall VictoriaOdsal Sedbergh
2017 Siddal ANorland SharksBramley BuffaloesCutsyke RaidersStaniland StagsEastmoor Dragons A
2018Batley BoysHeworth AWest Hull ABrighouse RangersWykeFarnley Falcons
2019BentleyEllandWykeFarnley FalconsGreetland All RoundersDodworth Miners
2020Season cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown
2021Siddal AcademyWestgate CommonAlmondbury SpartansHunslet Club Parkside ANewsome PanthersThree Tuns
2022Westgate CommonAlmondbury SpartansNewsome PanthersKeighley AlbionStanley Rangers ASeacroft SharksEast Leeds A
2023Newsome PanthersStanley Rangers ABradford Dudley HillSeacroft Sharks
2024Stanley Rangers ASiddal AcademyMoldgreenDodworth MinersYork BarbariansLindley St Joseph’s Moortown Mambas

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Amateur RL teams signing up for Yorkshire Men’s League summer competition . YorkshireLive . 12 June 2024 . 15 December 2012.
  2. Web site: Three Huddersfield amateur clubs to compete in this summer’s Yorkshire Men’s League . YorkshireLive . 12 June 2024 . 26 January 2013.
  3. Web site: Roll of Honour . Rugby Football League . 12 June 2024.