North East Rugby League Regional Division

The North East Rugby League Premier Divisions is the lower league in a 2 division structure in rugby league's tier 4. It is competed for by teams in the North East of England, Cumbria and North Yorkshire though in the past occasionally teams from West Yorkshire took part.

Many of the teams also run age group teams in the North East Junior League.

History

The Rugby League Conference was founded in 1997 as the ''Southern Conference'', a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and the English Midlands. The Conference began to include sides from the North of England from the 1999 season in a new Northern division though none of the teams were from the North East.

The Northern Rugby League Summer Conference was founded in 2000 outside the Rugby League Conference structure for teams in the North East of England and various British Amateur Rugby League Association leagues, it lasted one season. The Rugby League Conference added a North East division for the 2001 season featuring many of the Northern Conference sides.

The RLC Premier divisions were set up in 2005 and Jarrow Vikings, Peterlee Pumas and Sunderland City joined the North Premier with the rest of the sides coming from Cumbria.

The Premier divisions saw a change in boundaries in 2006 leaving the North Premier division covering a larger area to give the English Midlands clubs their own premier division without having to face heartland teams, no North East teams would take part in this season's North Premier. Winlaton Vulcans were replaced by Gateshead Storm A. Jarrow Vikings, Peterlee Pumas and Sunderland Nissan took part in the newly North regional division against teams from Cumbria.

The promotion of three teams to the RLC National Division left the already depleted Premier North unviable and an artificial North Premier was created out of two of the North East and North regional divisions. The North East division was scrapped and did not return until the 2009 season.

In 2011 the league was split into 2 divisions (premier and regional). In 2012 it became a stand-alone league.

Rugby league conference pyramid

* National Conference League
* North East Rugby League Division 1
* North East Rugby League Division 2

2015 structure

;North East Division 2
* Cramlington Rockets A
* Durham Tigers
* Gateshead Storm A
* North Yorkshire Wildcats
* Wallsend Eagles A
* Warriors RL
* Whitley Bay Barbarians

Participating teams by season

Northern Rugby League Summer Conference

* 2000: Bridlington Bulls, Gateshead Panthers, Teesside Steelers, West Craven Warriors and Wetherby Bulldogs

Rugby League Conference North East Division

* 2001: Bridlington Bulls, Durham Phoenix (replacing Gateshead Panthers), Newcastle Knights, Sunderland City, Teesside Steelers
* 2002: Bridlington Bulls, Durham Tigers, Newcastle Knights, Sunderland City, Teesside Steelers
* 2003: Bridlington Bulls, Durham Tigers, Gateshead Storm, Leeds Akademiks, Newcastle Knights, Sunderland City, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Yorkshire Coast Tigers
* 2004: Durham Tigers, Jarrow Vikings, Newcastle Knights, Peterlee Pumas, Sunderland City, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Yorkshire Coast Tigers
* 2005: Catterick Panthers, Durham Tigers, Newcastle Knights, Scarborough Pirates, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Winlaton Vulcans
* 2006: Catterick Panthers, Durham Tigers, Newcastle Knights, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Winlaton Vulcans
* 2009: Hartlepool (failed to complete season), Jarrow Vikings, Newcastle Knights, Northallerton Stallions, Peterlee Pumas, Sunderland City, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Winlaton Warriors
* 2010: Cramlington Rockets, Durham Demons, Jarrow Vikings, Newcastle Storm, Northallerton Stallions, Peterlee Pumas, Sunderland City, Wallsend Eagles, Whitley Bay Barbarians, Winlaton Warriors
* 2011: Cramlington Rockets, Durham Demons, East Cumbria Crusaders, Hartlepool, North Yorkshire Stallions, Peterlee Pumas A, Warriors RL, Whitley Bay Barbarians,

North East Rugby League Regional Division

* 2012: Consett Steelers, Cramlington Rockets, Durham Demons, Durham Tigers, Hartlepool, Miners, Peterlee Pumas A, Teesside Bulls, Warriors RL, Whitley Bay Barbarians
* 2013: Consett Steelers, Darlington, Durham Demons, Durham Tigers, East Cumbria Crusaders, Peterlee Pumas A, Warriors RL, Whitley Bay Barbarians
* 2015: Cramlington Rockets A, Durham Tigers, Gateshead Storm A, North Yorkshire Wildcats, Wallsend Eagles A, Warriors RL, Whitley Bay Barbarians

Merit Division

* 2013: Cramlington Rockets A, Gateshead Storm A, Hartlepool West View Warriors, Miners (after dropping out of premier division), North Yorkshire Wildcats, Peterlee Pumas B

Winners

Northern Rugby League Summer Conference

*2000 Teesside Steelers

North East Rugby League Regional Division

*2001 Teesside Steelers ¹
*2002 Teesside Steelers ¹
*2003 Leeds Akademiks ¹ (now Leeds Akkies)
*2004 Newcastle Knights ¹ (now Gateshead Storm)
*2005 Durham Tigers ¹
*2009 Jarrow Vikings ¹
*2010 Jarrow Vikings ¹
*2011 North Yorkshire Stallions ¹
*2012 Cramlington Rockets
*2013 East Cumbria Crusaders
*2014 Whitley Bay Barbarians
*2015 Whitley Bay Barbarians
¹ as Rugby League Conference North East Regional Division

References

External links

North East rugby league site

Darlington RLFC

{{British_Rugby_League_links

Rugby League Conference
Sport in North East England
Rugby league in North Yorkshire