The North Wales Conference is a summer
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
competition for teams in
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
and
Mid Wales
Mid Wales ( cy, Canolbarth Cymru or simply ''Y Canolbarth'', meaning "the midlands") or Central Wales refers to a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Senedd ...
.
History
The
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, ...
was founded in 1997 as the ''Southern Conference'', a 10-team pilot league for teams in the
South of England
Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes Gr ...
and
English Midlands
The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
. It expanded into North Wales for the first time in 2004 when
North Wales Coasters
Rhyl Coasters are a rugby league team based in Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales. They played in the Rugby League Conference
History
The original ''North Wales Coasters'' formed in 1989 and joined the nearest district association which was Widnes in En ...
joined the North West Division of the Rugby League Conference.
The professional side
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
announced in December 2009 that they would leave the South Wales town of Bridgend an relocate to Wrexham in North Wales. On the back of this, the ''North Wales League'', a proposed feeder league for the
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, ...
was announced in 2010.
There were intended to be four teams for the initial season: Conwy Celts established 2007 (based at Colwyn Bay); two new sides: Penrhyn Eagles (from Bangor, where there was already a university club) and Mid Wales Marauders (based in Welshpool, the only rugby league club in mid Wales) and Rhyl Exiles, who while technically a new club were formed from the ashes of recently disbanded club
Rhyl Coasters
Rhyl Coasters are a rugby league team based in Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales. They played in the Rugby League Conference
History
The original ''North Wales Coasters'' formed in 1989 and joined the nearest district association which was Widnes in En ...
(formerly North Wales Coasters). Rhyl won the North Wales 9s but pulled out of the league.
Chester Gladiators
Chester Gladiators Rugby League Football Club is a rugby league club in Chester, England. They play in the North West Division of the Rugby League Conference, North West Counties and the North West Merit League.
History Previous clubs in Ch ...
A were proposed as replacements but in the end the season was cancelled.
There was no open-age league in North Wales in 2011; but the ''North Wales Conference'' got off the ground in 2012. The inaugural competition consisted of
Conwy Celts
Conwy Celts are a rugby league team based in Colwyn Bay. They play in the North Wales Conference.
History
''Conwy Celts'' were formed in 2007.
They joined the newly formed North Wales Conference in 2012 finishing second in the table. Conwy Cel ...
,
Dee Valley Dragons
Dee Valley Dragons are an amateur rugby league team based in Corwen, North Wales.
History
''Dee Valley Dragons'' were established in 2011 by coach Mike Parry, they played a series of friendlies throughout their inaugural season and took their p ...
, Montgomeryshire Marauders,
Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers
Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers are an amateur rugby league team based in Rhyl, North Wales. They play in the North Wales Conference.
History
''Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers'' won the North Wales 9s in 2012 and then joined the newly formed North Wa ...
and
Wrexham Bradley Raiders
Wrexham Bradley Raiders are a rugby league club based in Wrexham, Wales. They play in the North Wales Championship competition.
History
Wrexham Bradley Raiders were formed in 2011 after discussions between the Welsh Rugby League, local coache ...
. Montgomeryshire Marauders folded mid-season and were replaced by
Flintshire Falcons
Flintshire Falcons Rugby League Club is a rugby league team from the county of Flintshire, North Wales. They presently play in the Wales Rugby League North Wales Championship.
Flintshire Falcons Rugby League Club are a members-run club. They ar ...
. The grand final was fought out between the top two sides: Conwy Celts and Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers with the Celts running out 48–26 winners to be crowned the first North Wales Champions.
Rugby League Conference Pyramid
*
National Conference League
The National Conference League (known as the Kingstone Press National Conference League for sponsorship reasons) is the top English amateur rugby league competition in the Rugby Football League pyramid, and as such is the leading amateur rugby l ...
* North Wales Conference
The North Wales Conference is part of tier five of the British rugby league system. Above the North Wales Conference is the National Conference League, the highest level of amateur rugby league in the UK.
2013 structures
*
Conwy Celts
Conwy Celts are a rugby league team based in Colwyn Bay. They play in the North Wales Conference.
History
''Conwy Celts'' were formed in 2007.
They joined the newly formed North Wales Conference in 2012 finishing second in the table. Conwy Cel ...
*
Dee Valley Dragons
Dee Valley Dragons are an amateur rugby league team based in Corwen, North Wales.
History
''Dee Valley Dragons'' were established in 2011 by coach Mike Parry, they played a series of friendlies throughout their inaugural season and took their p ...
*
Flintshire Falcons
Flintshire Falcons Rugby League Club is a rugby league team from the county of Flintshire, North Wales. They presently play in the Wales Rugby League North Wales Championship.
Flintshire Falcons Rugby League Club are a members-run club. They ar ...
*
Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers
Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers are an amateur rugby league team based in Rhyl, North Wales. They play in the North Wales Conference.
History
''Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers'' won the North Wales 9s in 2012 and then joined the newly formed North Wa ...
(failed to complete the season)
*
Wrexham Bradley Raiders
Wrexham Bradley Raiders are a rugby league club based in Wrexham, Wales. They play in the North Wales Championship competition.
History
Wrexham Bradley Raiders were formed in 2011 after discussions between the Welsh Rugby League, local coache ...
* NB: the league season was't completed and the four remaining clubs were entered into playoffs to determine the champions
Participants
*2012: Conwy Celts, Dee Valley Dragons, Flintshire Falcons (replaced Montgomeryshire Marauders mid-season), Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers, Wrexham Bradley Raiders
Winners
North Wales 9s
*2010 Rhyl Exiles
*2011 ''No event''
*2012 Prestatyn and Rhyl Panthers
*2013 Conwy Celts
North Wales Conference
*2012 Conwy Celts
See also
*
Rugby League in Wales
Rugby league is a sport played in Wales. The governing body of the game in Wales is the Wales Rugby League.
There is a long but sporadic history of rugby league in Wales ( cy, rygbi'r gynghrair). Over the decades hundreds of Welsh players have p ...
*
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, ...
*
Wales Rugby League
Wales Rugby League is the national governing body for rugby league football in Wales.
In 1907 The Welsh Northern Rugby Football Union was formed in Wrexham, but the English Northern Rugby Football Union refused it affiliation as they wanted the ...
External links
*http://www.cymrurl.com
{{British_Rugby_League_links
Rugby league in Wales
Rugby League Conference
Sports leagues established in 2012
Rugby league competitions in the United Kingdom