The National Conference League (NCL) was part of the British rugby league system at the top end of the amateur pyramid below the professional Championship. It came under the jurisdiction of the Rugby Football League (RFL). It was replaced by the National Community Rugby League.
History In the early days, rugby league had an established structure outside of the professional leagues with county-wide competitions. This decayed into local district leagues usually only featuring teams from one or two towns with no input from the professional game. This eventually saw the number of amateur rugby league clubs reduce to 150 in the early 1970s.
Against this background, the British Amateur Rugby League Association was formed in 1973. One of its first acts was to merge most of the district leagues into three regional leagues: the Yorkshire League, the Pennine League and the North Western Counties League. For geographical reasons, the Hull League, the Cumberland League, the Barrow League and the London League were left as they were.
This allowed clubs to play at more appropriate standards as there were more divisions, and this factor - along with the improved governance of BARLA - saw the standard and numbers of clubs rise quickly. However, while there was a National Cup, the best amateur clubs were still divided between six leagues and thus the desire for an amateur National League arose.
The BARLA National League was formed in 1986. It received 27 applications including five from the Barrow area, and more unusually, one from a London club, South London Warriors.
In the end the league settled on 10 members, all from the northern strongholds of the game. These were four clubs from Yorkshire: Dudley Hill, Milford Marlins, Heworth and West Hull; four clubs from Lancashire: Pilkington Recs, Wigan St Patrick's, Woolston Rovers and Leigh Miners' Welfare; and two clubs from Cumbria: Egremont Rangers and Millom. These ten clubs were to be the members for each of the first three seasons.
The National League soon proved popular. For the 1989/90 season, the top flight was extended to 12 teams to include Lock Lane and Mayfield. However, this modest expansion wasn't enough and the 1989/90 season also saw the addition of a 10-team second division (to expand to 12 teams after one season).
The ten inaugural members of the second division were: Saddleworth Rangers, Leigh East, British Aerospace, Barrow Island, Askam, Knottingley, Redhill, Dewsbury Celtic, Shaw Cross Sharks and East Leeds. This expansion proved successful with Leigh East becoming the first non-founder members to win the league, in the 1990/91 season.
In 1993, the RFL wanted to contract the professional ranks from 35 to 32 teams. However, their initial plan to place the excluded teams in the Alliance (reserve grade) faced a legal challenge so they needed an alternative competition for them. The RFL thus proposed a league to bridge the gap between the professional and amateur leagues to feature the three demoted semi-pro clubs plus Hemel Hempstead (who already played in the Alliance as a semi-pro club) and eight BARLA clubs.
However, BARLA wanted all National League clubs to be in any such league and since the RFL were in a tough legal position they were prepared to compromise with BARLA and thus the three division NCL was born. Other concessions included an increase in the BARLA representation in the Challenge Cup from two clubs to 64 and allowing the NCL champions to apply to replace the bottom team in the pro leagues.
The latter concession soon disappeared as the pro leagues moved to summer and the National Conference League did not want to move. Also, Woolston Rovers' application to replace Highfield was voted out (the one club elected to the league from the NCL being Chorley Borough who were themselves a former semi-pro league club). The NCL soon expanded all divisions to 14 teams, though on occasions it has struggled to reach full complement of members, and lost all the remaining semi-pro clubs within three seasons.
After the switch of the pro game to summer, the NCL became solely a BARLA league, despite being temporarily expelled from BARLA in 2002. Initially, only three NCL teams joined National League Three (intended to bridge the gap between the pro and amateur games) but this changed in 2008 when the NCL downgraded the league's BARLA membership from full to associate. In 2009 the NCL introduced a summer competition for clubs wanting to play year round as a test for a more permanent switch to summer which came in 2012.
From 2012 the Conference played in summer, as tier 3 of the new pyramid, and the initial season saw two former Rugby League Conference National Division clubs admitted (Dewsbury Celtic and Featherstone Lions) with others expected to join from 2013. For one season only the Rugby League Conference National Division ran as Conference division three with no automatic promotion to division two, but after this, all northern clubs were required to meet full Conference criteria to play in tier 3. The RFL also had ambitions of a Conference South which would leave the former NCL as Conference North. From 2013, the limit on member clubs was raised from 42 to 56 and saw an increase to four divisions.
At the end of 2025 the RFL launched its National Community Rugby League initiative which proposed replacing the NCL with two national leagues and a number of regional leagues. While most clubs were not in favour of the initiative, the clubs decided to agree to the proposal "for the good of the sport". The NCL clubs met on 19 January and agreed to dissolve the NCL.
Premier Division Results Season Winner Score Runners-up Relegated 1986–87Heworthrowspan=15West Hullrowspan=3 1987–88Milford West Hull 1988–89West HullWigan St Patricks 1989–90Bradford Dudley HillEgremont RangersMilfordLock Lane 1990–91 Leigh EastLeigh Miners RangersWest Hull 1991–92 Wigan St PatricksSaddleworth RangersBarrow IslandRochdale Mayfield 1992–93Saddleworth RangersEgremont Rangers 1993–94 Woolston RoversChorleyBlackpool GladiatorsNottingham City 1994–95Woolston Rovers (2)HeworthAskam 1995–96Woolston Rovers (3)Wigan St PatricksMillom 1996–97 West Hull (2)Woolston Rovers 1997–98 Egremont RangersWoolston Rovers Rochdale MayfieldLock Lane 1998–99West Hull (3)SkirlaughHeworth 1999–00West Hull (4)SkirlaughAskam 2000–01West Hull (5)Woolston RoversBradford Dudley HillRedhill2001–02West Hull (6)24-20Oulton RaidersWalney CentralSaddleworth Rangers 2002–03Siddal19-14West HullEast Leeds 2003–04Siddal (2)18-16SkirlaughLock LaneIdeal IsburgFeatherstone Lions 2004–05Leigh Miners Rangers30-22Wath Brow HornetsWest HullWest BowlingThatto Heath Crusaders 2005–06Oulton Raiders20-11Wigan St Patricks Eccles & SalfordLeigh EastWigan St Judes 2006–07Skirlaugh8-6Leigh Miners Rangers Oldham St AnnesWath Brow HornetsShaw Cross Sharks 2007–08East Hull26-10Leigh Miners RangersCastleford PanthersWest BowlingEastmoor Dragons 2008–09Siddal (3)15-8East Hull Thatto Heath CrusadersRochdale MayfieldThornhill Trojans 2009–10Leigh East (2)37-10SiddalOulton RaidersInce Rose BridgeWidnes St Maries 2010–11Thatto Heath Crusaders30-18Siddal Bradford Dudley HillWigan St JudesYork Acorn 2012Wath Brow Hornets22-6Myton WarriorsLeigh EastOulton RaidersSaddleworth Rangers 2013West Hull (7)16-12Wath Brow HornetsYork AcornMyton WarriorsInce Rose Bridge 2014West Hull (8)20-8Wath Brow Hornets (3)SkirlaughHunslet WarriorsWigan St Judes 2015Leigh Miners Rangers (2)22-20SiddalEast LeedsThatto Heath CrusadersOulton Raiders 2016Siddal (4)42-4Leigh Miners Rangers Lock LaneHull DockersYork Acorn 2017Thatto Heath Crusaders (2)18-12SiddalPilkington RecsLeigh Miners Rangers 2018Hunslet Club Parkside26-18West HullNormanton KnightsWigan St PatricksMyton Warriors 2019West Hull (9)18-14 (GP)Thatto Heath CrusadersLeigh Miners RangersThornhill TrojansKells 2020 colspan=4 2021 colspan=4 2022Hunslet Club Parkside (2)18-14West HullPilkington RecsThornhill TrojansEgremont Rangers 2023Hunslet ARLFC20-6West HullLeigh Miners RangersWigan St PatricksHull Dockers 2024Hunslet ARLFC (2)24-12SiddalHeworthKellsEgremont Rangers 2025West Hull (10)8-0SiddalLock LaneDewsbury MoorLeigh Miners Rangers
Winners ClubWinsRunners upWinning years1West Hull106 1988–89, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2013, 2014, 2019, 20252Siddal56 2002–03, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2016, 20173Woolston Rovers3 31993–94, 1994–95, 1995–964Leigh Miners Rangers242004–05, 2015Leigh East0 1990–91, 2009–10Hunslet Club Parkside2018, 2022Hunslet ARLFC2023, 20245Skirlaugh132006–07Wath Brow Hornets 2012Wigan St Patricks2 1991–92Egremont Rangers 1997–98Heworth1 1986–87Saddleworth Rangers 1992–93Oulton Raiders 2005–06East Hull 2007–08Thatto Heath Crusaders 2010–11Milford0 1987–88Bradford Dudley Hill 1989–90
Division One Results Season Winners Runners up Relegated 1989–90Saddleworth RangersLeigh Eastrowspan=7 1990–91 Barrow IslandAskam 1991–92 West HullDewsbury Celtic 1992–93Rochdale Mayfield Oulton Raiders 1993–94 HeworthMayfield 1994–95MillomLock Lane 1995–96BeverleyOldham St Anne’s 1996–97 AskamWalney CentralMillom 1997–98 SkirlaughThornhill TrojansBlackbrook Royals 1998–99RedhillBradford Dudley HillMilfordEastmoor Dragons 1999–00Oulton RaidersIdeal IsburgBlackbrook Royals 2000–01Leigh EastSiddalHeworthMillom2001–02West BowlingEast LeedsRochdale MayfieldEastmoor Dragons 2002–03Thatto Heath CrusadersFeatherstone LionsWaterhead Warriors 2003–04Wath Brow HornetsWigan St JudesSaddleworth RangersCrosfield 2004–05Shaw Cross SharksEast HullCastleford PanthersFeatherstone Lions 2005–06West Hull (2)West BowlingAskamIdeal Isburg 2006–07Rochdale Mayfield (2)Castleford PanthersLock LaneMilfordOvenden 2007–08Wigan St JudesYork AcornEccles & SalfordWaterhead WarriorsEast Leeds 2008–09Wath Brow Hornets (2)Ince Rose BridgeEastmoor DragonsOldham St AnnesShaw Cross Sharks 2009–10Thatto Heath CrusadersBradford Dudley HillWest BowlingHeworth 2010–11Oulton Raiders (2)Myton WarriorsNormanton Knights 2012Egremont RangersLock LaneStanningley Oldham St AnnesCastleford Panthers 2013East LeedsHunslet WarriorsStanley RangersSaddleworth RangersWaterhead Warriors 2014Oulton Raiders (3)Rochdale MayfieldDewsbury CelticMillom Season Winners Runners up Playoff WinnerScore Playoff Runner up Relegated 2015KellsPilkington Recs York Acorn30-22Normanton KnightsSalford City RoostersWigan St JudesSaddleworth Rangers 2016Thatto Heath Crusaders (2)Myton WarriorsSkirlaugh25-18Featherstone LionsEast LeedsMilliomElland 2017Hunslet Club ParksideOulton RaidersNormanton Knights22-20MilfordHunslet WarriorsHull DockersBlackbroom 2018Thornhill TrojansLock LaneLeigh Miners Rangers23-22 (GP)MilfordInce Rose BridgeShaw Cross SharksBradford Dudley Hill 2019Pilkington RecsYork AcornFeatherstone Lions23-10StanningleySaddleworth RangersNormanton KnightsDewsbury Moor 2020 colspan=6 2021 colspan=6 2022Kells (2)Wigan St Patrickscolspan=3 Saddleworth RangersMyton WarriorsMilford 2023West Bowling (2)Egremont RangersHeworth46-6Oulton RaidersPilkington RecsThornhill Trojans 2024Waterhead Warriors Leigh Miners RangersDewsbury Moor16-10Ince Rose BridgeHull DockersClock Face MinersSkirlaugh 2025Wigan St Judes (2)HeworthInce Rose Bridge18-14StanningleyOulton RaidersCrosfieldsWoolston Rovers
Winners ClubWinsRunners upWinning years1Oulton Raiders32 2005–06, 2010–11, 20142Rochdale Mayfield22 1992–93, 2006–07West Hull0 1991–92, 2005–06Thatto Heath Crusaders 2002–03, 2016Wath Brow Hornets 2003–04, 2008–09Kells 2015, 2022Wigan St Judes 2007–08, 20253Askam11 1996–97Leigh East 2000–01West Bowling 2001–02Egremont Rangers 2012East Leeds 2013Thornhill Trojans 2018Pilkington Recs2019Saddleworth Rangers0 1989–90Barrow Island 1990–91Heworth 1993–94Millom 1994–95Beverley 1995–96Skirlaugh 1997–98Redhill 1998–99Shaw Cross Sharks 2004–05West Hull 2005–06Hunslet Club Parkside 2017Waterhead Warriors2024
See also
Conference League South Conference Challenge Trophy
References
Sources - former National Conference League official website