Wikipedia

Pennine League

The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the east of Lancashire. The competition is one of many fifth tier leagues of the British rugby league system.

Pennine League
Pennine League logo
SportRugby league
Instituted1974
Number of teams94
Country England
Websitepennineleague.co.uk

The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). Teams from the Pennine League can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum criteria.

History

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Following the formation of British Amateur Rugby League Association in 1973, local District Leagues got together and pooled their resources. The Pennine League was formed a year later, following a merger of Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Oldham and Rochdale districts.[1]

Following the National Conference League's switch to a summer season in 2011, the Pennine League decided to remain a winter competition.[2] Although the number of teams have declined in recent years,[3][4] it is one of the few remaining British rugby league competitions to be played during the winter months.

Structure

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For the 2011–2012 season, there were 106 teams within the Pennine League structure, organised into nine divisions. The number of teams has increased by 24 over the past four years in large part due to the demise of the CMS Yorkshire League.

There are also three cup competitions:

  • The Pennine Presidents Cup (Premier Division to Div 1)
  • The Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy (Divisions 2 to 4)
  • The Pennine Supplementary Cup (Divisions 5 to 7)

The winners of the Premier League are entered into the Challenge Cup First qualifying round in the following season.

The current league structure is as follows:

Notes: Siddal, Shaw Cross, Eastmoor Dragons and Castleford Panthers enter their first team in the National Conference League.

Past winners

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Premier Division

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  • 2013–14 Hunslet Old Boys

Championship Division

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  • 2012–3 Keighley

First Division

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  • 2012–3 Methley Royals

Second Division

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  • 2012–3 Illingworth

Third Division

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  • 2012–3 West Leeds

Fourth Division

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  • 2012–3 Siddal

Fifth Division

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  • 2012–3 Hanging Heaton

Sixth Division

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  • 2012–3 West Bowling A

Seventh Division

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  • 2012–3 Garforth Tigers

Pennine Presidents Cup

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  • 2016–17 Fryston Warriors

Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy

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  • 2016–17 Brighouse Rangers

Pennine Supplementary Cup

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  • 2016–17 Allerton Bywater

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "New Pennine Rugby League is formed". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 9 July 1974. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "Amateur RL: Pennine League still to compete in winter". YorkshireLive. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Concern at heavy schedule as Pennine League restructure top tiers". Telegraph and Argus. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Summer RL is challenge to Pennine League". Telegraph and Argus. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
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