Conference League South
 | |
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2016 |
| Country |
 |
| Other club(s) from |
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| Number of teams | 7 |
| Level on pyramid | 4 |
| Promotion to | League 1 (via RLF application) |
| Relegation to |
Midlands League South West League West League East League South Premier London and South East League North Wales Conference South Wales Conference |
| Domestic cup(s) | Challenge Cup |
| League cup(s) | Conference Challenge Trophy |
| Last champions | London Chargers |
The Conference League South was a British rugby league division in the RFL's tier 4. It was the highest level of amateur rugby league in the South of England, the English Midlands and South Wales. It was one of the leagues that replaced Rugby League Conference. The competition was last played in 2016.
History
The Conference League South was founded in 2012 as a result of restructuring of the community game which saw the Rugby League Conference (RLC) broken up into regional leagues covering Britain and the heartlands National Conference League (NCL) move to a summer season. Some RLC sides joined a newly formed National Conference League Division 3 for a single season and applied for full membership of the NCL the following season.
The Conference League South was created for sides outside the rugby league heartlands of the North of England that wanted a higher standard of rugby league than the Midlands Rugby League Premier Division or the South Premier but were not yet ready to join the NCL.
In 2013 the six teams to compete in the CLS were , Bristol Sonics, Nottingham Outlaws and St Albans Centurions joined from National Conference League Division 3; Leicester Storm and Northampton Demons were elevated from the premier division of Midlands Rugby League and Sheffield Hallam Eagles joined as a new side after the collapse of the Championship reserve under-23 division.
Northampton Demons and St Albans Centurions were replaced with Oxford Cavaliers and Valley Cougars in 2014 however Oxford Cavaliers failed to complete the season. Bristol Sonics dropped down to the West of England Rugby League in 2015 which allowed four new clubs to join; Gloucestershire Warriors, Coventry Bears Reserves, Torfaen Tigers and Raiders RL alongside the return of Oxford Cavaliers.
London Chargers were promoted to compete in 2016 alongside a new reserve side from University of Gloucestershire All Golds with Gloucestershire Warriors, Leicester Storm, Oxford Cavaliers and Sheffield Hallam Eagles dropping out.
At the end of the 2016 season, it was announced that the Conference League South season would not take place in 2017, and teams would return to their respective regional leagues.[1] In May 2017, the RFL announced plans to introduce a new Southern League competition from 2018 onwards.[2]
Clubs
| Club | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry Bears Reserves | |
Xcel Leisure Centre |
| Gloucestershire Warriors | |
Oxstalls Sports Park |
| London Chargers | |
Old Blues Rugby Club |
| Nottingham Outlaws | |
Highfields Playing Fields |
| West Wales Raiders Rugby League | |
Stebonheath Park |
| Torfaen Tigers | |
Kings Head Ground |
| Valley Cougars | |
The Ferns |
Results
| Season | Grand Final Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | |
| 2012 | Hemel Stags | 17-10 | Huddersfield Underbank Rangers |
| 2013 | Sheffield Hallam Eagles | 32-24 | Nottingham Outlaws |
| 2014 | Valley Cougars | 19-10 | Sheffield Hallam Eagles |
| 2015 | Nottingham Outlaws | 39-12 | Valley Cougars |
Winners
| Club | Wins | Winning years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hemel Stags | 1 | 2012 |
| 2 | Sheffield Hallam Eagles | 1 | 2013 |
| 3 | Valley Cougars | 1 | 2014 |
| 4 | Nottingham Outlaws | 1 | 2015 |
See also
References
- ↑ Hodgson, Phil (15 December 2016). "Goodbye to the Conference League South?". Total Rugby League. League Publications. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ↑ "New Southern Rugby League Competition set to launch in 2018". The Rugby Football League. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.