The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a

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 amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

, North Yorkshire,

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. In N ...

and the east of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

. The league is run by the

British Amateur Rugby League Association The British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) is an association for social and recreational rugby league. It works jointly with the Rugby Football League through the RFL Community Board. History BARLA was created in 1973 in Huddersfiel ...

(BARLA). Teams from the Pennine League can apply for election to the

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 ...

if they meet minimum criteria.

History

Following the formation of

in 1973, local District Leagues got together and pooled their resources. The Pennine league was formed by a merger of Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Oldham and Rochdale districts.

Structure

For the 2011–2012 season, there were 106 teams within the Pennine League structure, organised into nine divisions. The number of teams has increased by 24 over the past four years in large part due to the demise of the

CMS Yorkshire League The CMS Yorkshire League was a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire. The league was run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). Teams from the Yorkshire league could apply for election to the Na ...

. There are also three cup competitions: * The Pennine Presidents Cup (Premier Division to Div 1) * The Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy (Divisions 2 to 4) * The Pennine Supplementary Cup (Divisions 5 to 7) The winners of the Premier League are entered into the

Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...

First qualifying round in the following season. The current league structure is as follows:

Premier Division

* Beeston Broncos * Dewsbury Moor * Drighlington * Halifax Irish * Hunslet Club Parkside * Queens * Queensbury * Sharlston Rovers * Slaithwaite Saracens * Thornhill Trojans * Wibsey Warriors

Championship

* Bank Top Harriers * Keighley * King Cross Park * Knottingley Rockware Stolze * Moorends Thorne Marauders * Nevison Leap * New Earswick All Blacks * Ossett Trinity * St.Joseph's * West Bowling * Westgate Wolves

Division One

* Allerton Bywater * Batley Boys * Bentley Good Companions * Birkenshaw * Brighouse Rangers * Methley Royals * Morley Borough * Newsome Panthers * Sharleston Rovers (A) * Upton

Division Two

* Boothtown Terriers * Brotherton Bulldogs * Clayton * Dodworth * Doncaster Toll Bar * Emley Moor * Illingworth * Lindley Swifts * Troydale Trojans * Underbank Rangers * West Craven Warriors * Wyke

Division Three

* Greetland Allrounders * Hoyland Vikings * Littleborough * Odsal Sedbergh * Pontefract Sports & Social Club * Selby Warriors * Silsden * Shaw Cross Sharks * Stainland Stags * West Leeds * Woodhouse Warriors * Wortley Dragons

Division Four

* Dearne Valley Bulldogs * Drighlington (A) * Farnley Falcons * Knottingley Kellingley Welfare * New Earswick All Blacks A * Queensbury (A) * Siddal * Thornhill Trojans (A) * Undercliffe Wildboars * Victoria Rangers * Whitehall Warriors * Wibsey Warriors (A)

Division Five

* Brighouse Rangers (A) * Burley Lions * Crofton Cougars * Eastmoor Dragons * Hanging Heaton * Hollinwood * Hunslet Old Boys A * Meltham All Blacks * Newsome Panthers A * Slaithwaite Saracens (A) * Whinmoor

Division Six

* Harehills * King Cross Park (A) * Kinsley Raiders * Rodley Rockets * Ryhill Hammers * Sherburn Bears * Wakefield City * West Bowling (A) * Wetherby Bulldogs * Whitworth Spartans * Worth Village

Division Six West 2014/15

* Boothtown Terriers (A) * Cowling Harlequins * Greetland All Rounders (A) * Illingworth (A) * Kings Cross Park (A) * Meltham All Blacks * Odsal Sedburgh (A) * Queensbury (B) * Victoria Rangers (A) * Worth Village * Wyke (A) Notes: Siddal, Shaw Cross, Eastmoor Dragons and Castleford Panthers enter their first team in the

Past winners

Premier Division

*2013–14 Hunslet Old boys

Championship Division

*2012–3 Keighley

First Division

*2012–3 Methley Royals

Second Division

*2012–3 Illingworth

Third Division

*2012–3 West Leeds

Fourth Division

*2012–3 Siddal

Fifth Division

*2012–3 Hanging Heaton

Sixth Division

*2012–3 West Bowling A

Seventh Division

*2012–3 Garforth Tigers

Pennine Presidents Cup

*2016–17 Fryston Warriors

Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy

*2016–17 Brighouse Rangers

Pennine Supplementary Cup

*2016–17 Allerton Bywater

External links

Official website – latest results and tables

BARLA Official Website
{{British_Rugby_League_links BARLA competitions Rugby league competitions in Yorkshire Rugby league in Lancashire Rugby league in Greater Manchester

History

Structure

Premier Division

Championship

Division One

Division Two

Division Three

Division Four

Division Five

Division Six

Division Six West 2014/15

Past winners

Premier Division

Championship Division

First Division

Second Division

Third Division

Fourth Division

Fifth Division

Sixth Division

Seventh Division

Pennine Presidents Cup

Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy

Pennine Supplementary Cup

See also

External links