The Southern Conference League was the fourth tier of the British rugby league system. It was the highest level of amateur rugby league outside of the heartlands in Northern England, operating in The Midlands, Southern England, and Wales.
It was one of the many leagues that replaced the Rugby League Conference. The competition was first played between 2012 and 2016, and was relaunched in 2019 after a two-year hiatus.
For the 2026 season the league was incorporated into the National Community Rugby League following a wider restructure of amateur rugby league in the United Kingdom.
History The Southern Conference League was founded in 2013 as the Conference League South following the restructuring of amateur rugby league in Great Britain. Teams that had competed in the Rugby League Conference National Division in 2011 were moved to the newly formed and BARLA administered NCL Division Three with clubs drawn from all across England. However at the end of the inaugural season many southern and midlands clubs opted to leave the National Conference League structure and join the newly formed Conference League South for the 2013 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 for the NCL. In 2013, the six teams to compete in the Conference League South were, Bristol Sonics, Nottingham Outlaws and St Albans Centurions 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. In May 2017, the RFL announced plans to introduce a new Southern League competition from 2018 onwards.
The Conference League South was reintroduced for the 2019 season as the Southern Conference League, split into geographic Eastern and Western divisions, with the Hammersmith Hills Hoists winning the first title under the tournament's new name. The 2020 season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the competition resumed in 2021, with a maiden title for Wests Warriors beating local rivals London Chargers 20 points to 10.
For the 2023 season, the geographic split of the league has been removed with all teams in the divisions below being able to apply to enter the competition if they so wish. When the fixture list was released, only 8 teams have entered the division - All Golds, Bedford Tigers, Brentwood Eels, Eastern Rhinos, Hammersmith Hills Hoists, London Chargers, North Herts Crusaders, Wests Warriors.
Clubs
TeamCityGroundBristol All GoldsBristolNorth Bristol RFCBedford TigersBedfordGreat Ouse WayBrentwood EelsBrentwood, EssexOld Brentwoods RFCEastern RhinosColchesterMill Road Playing FieldsHammersmith Hills HoistsChiswick, LondonChiswick RFCLondon ChargersChiswick, LondonChiswick RFCNorth Herts CrusadersHitchinKing George V Playing FieldsWests WarriorsActon, LondonTwyford Avenue
Results
The 2012 results refer to National Conference League 3.
SeasonGrand Final InformationChampionsScoreRunners-up2012 Hemel Stags17–10 Huddersfield Underbank Rangers2013 Sheffield Hallam Eagles32–24 Nottingham Outlaws2014 Valley Cougars19–10 Sheffield Hallam Eagles2015 Nottingham Outlaws39–12 Valley Cougars2016London Chargers42–0Valley Cougars2017rowspan=2 colspan=320182019Hammersmith Hills Hoists16–10London Chargers2020colspan=32021Wests Warriors20–10London Chargers2022Wests Warriors20–12London Chargers2023Hammersmith Hills Hoists14–0Wests Warriors2024 Hammersmith Hills Hoists12-6Wests Warriors2025 Hammersmith Hills Hoists20-12Wests Warriors
Winners ClubWinsWinning years Hammersmith Hills Hoists4 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025 Wests Warriors2 2021, 2022 Hemel Stags1 2012 Sheffield Hallam Eagles1 2013 Valley Cougars1 2014 Nottingham Outlaws1 2015 London Chargers1 2016
Tables 2021 Western ConferenceEastern ConferencePOSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTSPOSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Swindon St George64201621501281Wests Warriors121200538146392242Valley Cougars63301561154152London Chargers121020396207189203Devon Sharks62311441251953Hammersmith Hills Hoists1284035130843164All Golds6231114186-7234North Herts Crusaders125703663264010Deductions Valley Cougars: 1 points for forfeit All Golds: 2 point for two forfeits Hemel Stags: 1 point for forfeit South London Silverbacks: 1 point for forfeit5Bedford Tigers11560274298-24106Eastern Rhinos12570250344-94107Hemel Stags111100139423-28418South London Silverbacks100100132394-262-1
Play Off
2022 Western ConferenceEastern ConferencePOSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTSPOSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1All Golds5410138548481London Chargers121200482164318242Torfaen Tigers64202281527682Wests Warriors121020460228232203Swindon St George6240146188-4233Brentwood Eels12570210316-106104Devon Sharks514054172-11824Eastern Rhinos12480238290-528Deductions Swindon St George: 1 point for forfeit Hammersmith Hills Hoists: 1 point for forfeit5Bedford Tigers12480220314-9486North Herts Crusaders12480226392-16687Hammersmith Hills Hoists12390228360-1325
Playoffs
Play Off
2023 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Wests Warriors141310690126564262Hammersmith Hills Hoists141310470150320263London Chargers141040466184282204Brentwood Eels1477038034634145Bristol All Golds14680280424-184126Eastern Rhinos144100230458-22887North Herts Crusaders142120146502-35638Bedford Tigers141130154586-432-1Deductions Bedford Tigers: 3 points for three forfeits North Herts Crusaders: 1 point for forfeit
Play Off
2024 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Hammersmith Hills Hoists121101460104356232Wests Warriors121020582150432203London Chargers1283130822682174Bristol All Golds1264232227844145Eastern Rhinos1275027025416146North Herts Crusaders12471202338-13697Bedford Tigers12390238490-25268Brentwood Eels12291180320-14059London Skolars12012074476-4020 Deductions London Skolars: Withdrew partway into season. All remaining fixtures rewarded 24-0 to opponents.
Play Off
2025 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Wests Warriors141310556163393262Hammersmith Hills Hoists141220532132400243Bedford Tigers14950462286176184London Chargers1486031729225165Bristol All Golds14680310486-176126Eastern Rhinos143110202532-33067Brentwood Eels142111212438-22648North Herts Crusaders142111216478-2622
Deductions North Herts Crusaders: 1 points, Forfeit North Herts Crusaders: 1 points, Forfeit North Herts Crusaders: 1 points, Forfeit Brentwood Eels: 1 points, Forfeit
Play Off
See also
National Conference League Conference Challenge Trophy
References