The Women's Rugby League Conference was 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 11 ...

for female teams in Britain that ran from 2008 to 2013. The men's equivalent is 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 ...

History

: The ''Southern Conference League'' began as a 10-team pilot league for male rugby league teams in the Midlands and South of England in 1997. It changed its name to the

in 1998 and expanded to cover the whole of Great Britain. The first Women's Rugby League Conference began in 2008.

Competing teams by season

In 2009 the following teams played in the Conference: *National Division: Bradford Thunderbirds, Copeland Wildcats,

Coventry Bears The Midlands Hurricanes are a semi-professional rugby league club jointly based in Birmingham and Coventry, West Midlands, England. They were founded as the Coventry Bears in 1998 and entered the third tier of the British rugby league system, ...

, Nottingham Outlaws, Wakefield Panthers,

West London Sharks West London Sharks RLFC was a rugby league team based in Chiswick, London. West London Sharks are now playing at Chiswick RFU, Dukes Meadow, in Chiswick under the name of South West London Chargers. They compete in the South Premier Division of t ...

*North West Division:

Chorley Panthers Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...

, Halton, Hillside Hawks, Macclesfield,

Warrington Wolves The Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league club based in Warrington, England, that competes in the Super League. They play rugby at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2004. Founded as Warrington ...

*Yorkshire Division:

Bradford Dudley Hill Bradford Dudley Hill Rugby League Club is an English rugby league team based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Originally formed after the First World War, the club was re-established in 1948, and since 2006 has played in the National Conference ...

, Brighouse, Keighley Cats, Leeds Akkies, Stanningley 2010 structure: *East Division: Keighley Cats, Leeds Akkies, Guiseley, Stanningley, Whinmoor, New Earswick All Blacks *South Division:

Northampton Demons Northampton Demons is a rugby league club based in Duston, Northampton. They play in the RFL Midlands Rugby League Men's South Division. History Background - Nene Valley and Northampton Knights ''Nene Valley'' were set up in 1989 and they tra ...

, Nottingham Outlaws,

*West Division: Chorley Panthers, Warrington, Wigan 2011 structure: *Central Division: Bradford Thunderbirds, Brighouse Ladies, Dudley Hill Diamonds, Keighley Cats, West Craven Warriors *North East Division:

Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England, who play in the Championship. Featherstone is a former coal mining town with a population of around 16,000 and Rovers are one of the last "smal ...

Hunslet Hawks Hunslet R.L.F.C. is a professional rugby league club in Hunslet, South Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, who play in Betfred League 1. The club was founded in 1973 as New Hunslet, they became Hunslet in 1979 and the club were the Hunslet Hawks ...

, Peterlee Pumas, Leeds Akkies, Stanningley, Whinmoor *North West Division:

Leigh East Leigh East ARLFC is an amateur rugby league team from Leigh, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. They play in the National Conference League. They play their home matches at Leigh Sports Village ...

, Leigh Miners Rangers,

Mancunians RL Mancunians is Manchester's rugby league and sports club fielding several rugby and handball teams across the city at various age groups. The club is a Sports Club Community Mutual (Co-operative) and carries out development work across the city ...

, Wigan Ladies *South Division:

, Nottingham Outlaws, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, The Army,

*West Division: Crosfields, Halton, Macclesfield, Warrington, Widnes Moorfield 2012 structure: *Premier Division: Bradford Thunderbirds, Castleford Panthers, Coventry Bears,

, Nottingham Outlaws, Warrington Wolves *North West Division: Chorley Panthers, Crosfields, Leigh East, Leigh Miners Rangers, West Craven Warriors, Widnes Vikings, Wigan St Patricks *Southern Division: Guilford Giants, Hemel Stags, Royal Navy, Southampton Spitfires, West London Sharks *Yorkshire and North East Division: Brighouse, Guiseley, Hunslet Hawks, Oulton Raidettes, Ovenden, Stanningley, Whinmoor 2013 structure: *Premier Division: Bradford Thunderbirds, Coventry Bears,

, Normanton Knights, Thatto Heath St Helens *Division One: Brighouse, Castleford Panthers, Chorley Panthers, Crosfields, Hunslet Hawks, Leigh East, Leigh Miners Rangers, Oulton Raidettes, Stanningley, West Craven Warriors, Whinmoor, Wigan St Patricks

Winners

2008

*West London Sharks Ladies

2009

*National Division: Bradford Thunderbirds *RLC Regional: Hillside Hawks *North West Division: Hillside Hawks *Yorkshire Division: Keighley Cats

2010

*Women's RLC: Keighley Cats *Women's RLC Plate: Coventry Bears

2011

* Women's RLC South Division:

* Women's RLC North East Division:

* Women's RLC Central Division: Bradford Thunderbirds * Women's RLC North West Division:

* Women's RLC West Division: Halton * Women's RLC: Warrington * Women's RLC Plate: Leeds Akkies

References

External links

* {{British_Rugby_League_links Rugby League Conference Women's rugby league competitions in England 2008 establishments in the United Kingdom Sports leagues established in 2008