Football league
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Number of clubs | 98 (2024) |
| Level on pyramid | 9 |
| Current champions | Stanley Rangers A (1st title) |
| Website | |
| Current: 2023 | |
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: British Amateur Rugby League Association § History, and History of the Rugby League ConferenceFollowing 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.
Structure
See also: British rugby league systemThe Yorkshire Men's League currently runs seven divisions with promotion and relegation between them:
- Premier Division
- Division 1
- Division 2
- Division 3
- Division 4
- Division 5
- Division 6
They also runs two separate leagues separate from the main competition:
- NCL Alliance
- Hull Division
Clubs
2024 Clubs
- Almondbury Spartans
- Batley Boys
- Beverley
- Bradford Dudley Hill
- Bentley
- Beverley
- Bramley Buffaloes
- Birkenshaw Blue Dogs
- Brighouse Rangers
- Birstall Victoria
- Castleford Panthers
- Cottingham Tigers
- Criggleston
- Cutsyke Raiders
- Dewsbury Moor
- Derby Elks
- Dearne Valley Bulldogs
- Dodworth Miners
- Doncaster Toll Bar
- East Hull
- East Leeds
- Elland/ Greetland
- Farnley Falcons
- Featherstone Lions
- Fryston Warriors
- Garforth Tigers
- Goole
- Harrogate Hawks
- Hemsworth Dragons
- Heworth
- Hull Dockers
- Hull Wyke
- Hunslet ARLFC
- Illingworth
- Keighley Albion
- King Cross Park
- Kirkburton
- Moldgreen A
- Myton Warriors
- Newsome Panthers
- Normanton Knights
- Odsal and Sedberg
- Ossett Trinity Tigers
- Oulton Raiders A
- Rycroft Hammers
- Saddleworth Rangers
- Scunthorpe Steel Sharks
- Seacroft Sharks
- Sharleston Rovers
- Shaw Cross Sharks
- Sheffield Forges
- Sheffield Hawks
- Sherburn Bears
- Siddal Academy
- Skirlaugh
- Stanley Rangers A
- Stanningley A
- Thornhill Trojans A
- Underbank Rangers
- Upton
- West Bowling A
- West Craven
- West Hull
- Westgate Common
- Wibsey Warriors
- Wyke
- York Acton A
- York Barbarians
Results
Source:
RLC era
- 2009 Kippax Knights
- 2010 East Leeds
- 2011 ????
Yorkshire Men's League era
| Season | Premier Division | Division One | Division Two | Division Three | Division Four | Division Five | Division Six |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Fryston Warriors | ||||||
| 2013 | West Hull A | ||||||
| 2014 | Bramley Buffaloes | Scarborough Pirates | Shaw Cross Sharks A | ||||
| 2015 | Sharlston Rovers | Siddal A | Shaw Cross Sharks A | Knottingley Worms | Lock Lane A | ||
| 2016 | West Bowling | Bentley | Leeds Akkies | Hunslet Club Parkside A | Birstall Victoria | Odsal Sedbergh | |
| 2017 | Siddal A | Norland Sharks | Bramley Buffaloes | Cutsyke Raiders | Staniland Stags | Eastmoor Dragons A | |
| 2018 | Batley Boys | Heworth A | West Hull A | Brighouse Rangers | Wyke | Farnley Falcons | |
| 2019 | Bentley | Elland | Wyke | Farnley Falcons | Greetland All Rounders | Dodworth Miners | |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown | ||||||
| 2021 | Siddal Academy | Westgate Common | Almondbury Spartans | Hunslet Club Parkside A | Newsome Panthers | Three Tuns | |
| 2022 | Westgate Common | Almondbury Spartans | Newsome Panthers | Keighley Albion | Stanley Rangers A | Seacroft Sharks | East Leeds A |
| 2023 | Newsome Panthers | Stanley Rangers A | Bradford Dudley Hill | Seacroft Sharks | |||
| 2024 | Stanley Rangers A | Siddal Academy | Moldgreen | Dodworth Miners | York Barbarians | Lindley St Joseph’s | Moortown Mambas |
See also
References
- "Amateur RL teams signing up for Yorkshire Men's League summer competition". YorkshireLive. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- "Three Huddersfield amateur clubs to compete in this summer's Yorkshire Men's League". YorkshireLive. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- "Roll of Honour". Rugby Football League. Retrieved 12 June 2024.