North Lancashire/Cumbria (usually referred to as North Lancs/Cumbria) was an English Rugby Union League at the seventh tier of club rugby union for teams from North Lancashire and Cumbria that ran until the end of 2017–18 season. Promotion from this division used to be into North 1 West with the champions going straight up and the league runners up facing the league runners up from South Lancs/Cheshire 1 for their place. Clubs at the bottom of the table were relegated either to North Lancashire 1, South Lancs/Cheshire 2 or the Cumbria League depending on their geographical location.
The division was initially known as North-West East/North 1 when it was created in 1987, and had a number of different names since with North Lancs/Cumbria being the longest running. At the end of the 2017–18 season, the RFU had to cancel the division after 19 Lancashire clubs withdrew from RFU competitions across the leagues to form their own competitions. As a result, all Lancashire based teams in this division that wanted to remain in the RFU league structure were transferred into Lancs/Cheshire 1, while the Cumbria sides were transferred into Cumbria 1.
Teams 2017–18
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Aldwinians Audenshaw Park Audenshaw, Greater Manchester 9th Aspatria Bower Park Aspatria, Cumbria 3rd Bolton Avenue Street Bolton, Greater Manchester 6th Burnley Holden Road Burnley, Lancashire Promoted from Lancashire (North) (play-offs) De La Salle (Salford) De La Salle Sports & Social Club Salford, Greater Manchester 2nd (lost promotion play-off) Eccles Gorton Street Eccles, Greater Manchester Relegated from North 1 West (14th) Fleetwood Melbourne Avenue Fleetwood, Lancashire 8th Hawcoat Park Hawcoat Park Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria 7th Keswick Davidson Park Keswick, Cumbria Promoted from Cumbria League (champions) Littleborough Rakewood Road Littleborough, Greater Manchester 11th Oldham Manor Park Oldham, Greater Manchester 4th Tarleton Carr Lane Tarleton, Lancashire Promoted from Lancashire (North) (champions) Trafford MV MacPherson Park Trafford, Greater Manchester 10th Wigton Lowmoor Road Wigton, Cumbria 5th
Participating Clubs 2016-17 Aldwinians Aspatria Bolton Carlisle (relegated from North 1 West) De La Salle (Salford) Fleetwood Hawcourt Park Littleborough (promoted from Lancashire (North)) Oldham Silloth Trafford MV (promoted from Lancashire (North)) Upper Eden Wigton Workington (promoted from Cumbria League)
Participating Clubs 2015-16
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Aldwinians Audenshaw Park Audenshaw, Greater Manchester 6th Ashton-under-Lyne Gambrel Bank Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester Promoted from North Lancashire 1 (playoffs) Aspatria Bower Park Wigton, Cumbria 4th Bolton Avenue Street Bolton, Greater Manchester Relegated from North 1 West (12th) De La Salle (Salford) De La Salle Sports & Social Club Salford, Greater Manchester 5th Fleetwood Melbourne Avenue Fleetwood, Lancashire 8th Hawcoat Park Hawcoat Lane Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria 9th Oldham Manor Park Oldham, Greater Manchester Promoted from North Lancashire 1 (champions) Silloth The Jim Brough Rugby Park Silloth, Cumbria Promoted from Cumbria League (champions) St Benedicts Newlands Avenue Mirehouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria 3rd Tyldesley St Georges Park Tyldesley, Greater Manchester Promoted & level transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (2nd) Upper Eden Pennine Park Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria 10th Whitehaven Richmond Terrace Whitehaven, Cumbria 11th Wigton Lowmoor Road Wigton, Cumbria Relegated from North 1 West (14th)
Participating Clubs 2014-15 Aldwinians Aspatria Blackburn De La Salle (Salford) (promoted from North Lancashire 1) Fleetwood Furness (promoted from Cumbria League) Hawcoat Park Heaton Moor (promoted from North Lancashire 1) Leigh (relegated from North 1 West) St Benedicts Tarleton Upper Eden Whitehaven Wigan
Participating Clubs 2013-14 Aldwinians Aspatria Blackburn Bolton (promoted from North Lancashire 1) Eccles Fleetwood (relegated from North 1 West) Hawcoat Park (promoted from Cumbria League) Keswick Littleborough St Benedicts Tarleton (promoted from North Lancashire 1) Upper Eden Whitehaven Workington
Participating clubs 2012−13 Aldwinians Aspatria (relegated from North 1 West) Blackburn Didsbury Toc H Eccles Egremont Heaton Moor Keswick (promoted from Cumbria League) Littleborough St Benedicts Upper Eden Whitehaven (promoted from Cumbria League via Play-offs) Wigton (relegated from North 1 West) Workington
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
Calder Vale Colne & Nelson Eccles Fleetwood Furness Littleborough Moresby Old Aldwinians Oldham Toc H Vickers
North Lancashire/Cumbria Honours
North-West East/North 1 (1987–1992)
The original incarnation of North Lancashire/Cumbria was known as North-West East/North 1, and was a tier 9 league with promotion up to North West 2 and relegation down to either North-West East 1 or North-West North 1.
North-West East/North 1 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 11 Old Aldwinians Vickers Colne & Nelson, Calder Vale 1988–89 11 Moresby Windermere Littleborough, Toc H 1989–90 11 Ashton-on-Mersey De La Salle (Salford) Fleetwood, Heaton Moor 1990–91 11 Kirkby Lonsdale Old Salians Eccles, Burnage 1991–92 11 Old Salians Rossendale No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Cumbria/Lancs North (1992–1996)
As part of the north-west league restructuring North-West East/North 1 was renamed as Cumbria/Lancs North for the 1992–93 season with promotion continuing up to North West 2 and relegation down to either Lancashire North 1 (formerly North-West East 1) or Cumbria. Initially a tier 9 league, the creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Cumbria/Lancs North dropped to become a tier 10 league.
Cumbria/Lancs North HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1992–93 13 Penrith Windermere Keswick, De La Salle (Salford) 1993–94 13 Fleetwood Tyldesley Smith Brothers, Metrovick, Moresby 1994–95 13 Windermere Workington De La Salle (Salford) 1995–96 13 Workington Calder Vale Moresby, Carnforth, Furness Green backgrounds are promotion places.
North Lancs/Cumbria (1996–2000)
The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season. Cumbria/Lancs North was renamed as North Lancs/Cumbria, and the cancellation of National 5 North and creation of North West 3 meant that it remained a tier 10 league. Promotion was now to North West 3 while relegation was to either North Lancashire 1 or Cumbria.
North Lancs/Cumbria HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1996–97 10 St. Benedict's Broughton Ambleside 1997–98 10 Rochdale Blackpool Ashton-under-Lyme 1998–99 10 Blackpool Oldham Keswick 1999–00 10 Oldham De La Salle (Salford) Furness, Millom, Ambleside, Windermere, Hawcoat Park, Trafford MV, Tyldesley, Ormskirk Green backgrounds are promotion places.
North Lancs/Cumbria (2000–2018)
Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999–00 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 (tiers 7-9). This meant that North Lancs/Cumbria became a tier 7 league, with promotion to North 2 West (currently North 1 West). Relegation continued to be to either North Lancashire 1 or Cumbria.
North Lancs/Cumbria HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2000–01 12 Workington Carlisle Egremont, Fleetwood, Burnley 2001–02 12 Rochdale Oldham Cockermouth, Netherhall, St. Benedict's 2002–03 12 Oldham Penrith Bury, De La Salle (Salford) 2003–04 12 Fleetwood Rossendale Windermere, Blackpool, Hawcoat Park 2004–05 12 Rossendale Tyldesley Egremont, Kirkby Lonsdale, Aldwinians 2005–06 12 Carlisle St. Benedict's Netherhall, Workington, Heaton Moor 2006–07 12 Aldwinians Blackburn Trafford MV, Whitehaven 2007–08 11 Blackburn Rossendale St. Benedict's, Didsbury Toc H, De La Salle (Salford) 2008–09 12 Tyldesley Vale of Lune No relegation 2009–10 14 Wigton Kirkby Lonsdale Netherhall, Burnley, Aldwinians 2010–11 14 Aspatria Fleetwood Oldham, Keswick, Whitehaven 2011–12 14 Fleetwood Kirkby Lonsdale Furness, Millom, De La Salle (Salford) 2012–13 14 Wigton Eccles Egremont, Didsbury Toc H, Heaton Moor 2013–14 14 Eccles Bolton Littleborough, Workington, Keswick 2014–15 14 Blackburn Leigh Furness, Tarleton, Heaton Moor 2015–16 14 St. Benedict's Bolton Ashton-under-Lyne, Whitehaven, Aldwinians 2016–17 14 Carlisle De La Salle (Salford) Workington, Silloth, Upper Eden 2017–18 14 De La Salle (Salford) Aspatria Burnley, Eccles, Hawcoat Park Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Promotion play-offs Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of North Lancashire/Cumbria and South Lancs/Cheshire 1 for the third and final promotion place to North 1 West. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2017–18 season the North Lancashire/Cumbria and South Lancs/Cheshire 1 team sides have nine wins apiece; and the home team has won promotion on thirteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
North Lancs/Cumbria v South Lancs/Cheshire 1 promotion play-off results Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance 2000–01 Warrington (SLC) HWO Carlisle (NLC) The Fortress, Walton, Cheshire N/A 2001–02 Oldham (NLC) 15-24 Aspull (SLC) Manor Park, Oldham, Greater Manchester 2002–03 Penrith (NLC) 25-10 Widnes (SLC) Winters Park, Penrith, Cumbria 2003–04 Rossendale (NLC) 24-28 Bowdon (SLC) Marl Pits, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire 2004–05 Leigh (SLC) 13-15 Tyldesley (NLC) Round Ash Park, Leigh, Greater Manchester 2005–06 Wilmslow (SLC) 43-10 St Benedicts (NLC) Memorial Ground, Wilmslow, Cheshire 2006–07 Leigh (SLC) 40-15 Blackburn (NLC) Round Ash Park, Leigh, Greater Manchester 2007–08 Rossendale (NLC) 20-16 Burnage (SLC) Marl Pits, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire 2008–09 Widnes (SLC) 41-52 Vale of Lune (NLC) Heath Road, Widnes, Cheshire 2009–10 Kirkby Lonsdale (NLC) 13-12 Widnes (SLC) Underley Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria 2010–11 Widnes (SLC) 26-19 Fleetwood (NLC) Heath Road, Widnes, Cheshire 2011–12 Kirkby Lonsdale (NLC) 21-18 (aet) New Brighton (SLC) Underley Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria 2012–13 Broughton Park (SLC) 32-13 Eccles (NLC) Hough End, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester 2013–14 Bolton (NLC) 21-18 Northwich (SLC) Avenue Street, Bolton, Greater Manchester 500 2014–15 Leigh (NLC) 34-26 Liverpool St Helens (SLC) Leigh, Greater Manchester 2015–16 Bolton (NLC) 20-27 West Park St Helens (SLC) Avenue Street, Bolton, Greater Manchester 2016–17 Douglas (I.O.M.) (SLC) 15-14 De La Salle (Salford) (NLC) Port-E-Chee, Douglas, Isle of Man 600 2017–18 Anselmians (SLC) 65-14 Aspatria (NLC) Malone Field, Eastham Green background is the promoted team. NLC = North Lancashire/Cumbria and SLC = South Lancs/Cheshire 1
Number of league titles
Fleetwood (3) Aldwinians (2) Blackburn (2) Carlisle (2) Oldham (2) Rochdale (2) St. Benedict's (2) Wigton (2) Workington (2) Ashton-on-Mersey (1) Aspatria (1) Blackpool (1) De La Salle (Salford) (1) Eccles (1) Kirkby Lonsdale (1) Moresby (1) Old Salians (1) Penrith (1) Rossendale (1) Tyldesley (1) Windermere (1)
See also Cumbria RU Lancashire RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
Notes
References