NCRL National Conferences
| Founded | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Country |  England |
| Divisions | Conference Cumbria Conference North West Conference Southern Conference Yorkshire |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | National League One |
| Relegation to | Iggesund Cumberland Premier Division East Rugby League London and South East Rugby League Midlands Premier Division North East Rugby League North Wales Men's League North West Premier Division South Wales Premiership Yorkshire Premier Division |
| Domestic cup | Challenge Cup |
| League cup | National Cup |
| Website | NCRL |
The National Conferences are five conference leagues that sit of the third level of the National Community Rugby League.
History
In November 2025, the RFL launched its National Community Rugby League initiative which proposed replacing the National Conference League (NCL) with two national leagues and a number of regional leagues.[1] While most clubs were not in favour of the initiative, the clubs decided to agree to the proposal "for the good of the sport".[1] The NCL clubs met on 19 January and agreed to dissolve the NCL.[2]
Several clubs hit out at being placed in conferences as some wanted to remain playing in national leagues while Barrow based clubs were unhappy at being placed in the National Conference Cumbria, as they had been playing in the North West Men's League for years.[3]
Clubs from the old NCL Divisions Two and Three were put into the conferences as well as six clubs from the Yorkshire Premier Division; Fryston Warriors, King Cross Park, Mirfield Spartans, Newsome Panthers, Stanley Rangers, Siddal Academy as well as three clubs from Yorkshire Division 1; Bradford Dudley Hill, Kippax Welfare and Moldgreen.
From the North West Premier Division, five clubs were promoted to the National Conference North-West; Ashton Bears, Blackbrook, Haresfinch, Orrell St James, and Shevington Sharks. While Dalton were placed into the National Conference Cumbria along with Hindpool Tigers and Ulverston joined from North West Division 1.
The Conference League South folded for clubs to join the National Conference Southern.
System
Clubs play in one of the five Conferences; Cumbria, North West, Southern, Yorkshire A or Yorkshire B. At the end of the regular season, winners of each Conference enter the playoffs to decide on promotion to National League One.
Clubs
National Conference Cumbria
| National Conference Cumbria | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year founded | Location | ||||||
| Barrow Island | 1925 | Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria | ||||||
| Dalton | 1963 | |||||||
| Distington | — | Distington, Cumbria | ||||||
| Ellenborough Rangers | — | Maryport, Cumbria | ||||||
| Hensingham ARLFC | 1900 | Hensingham, Whitehaven, Cumbria | ||||||
| Hindpool Tigers | 1971 | Barrow-in-Furness | ||||||
| Maryport | — | Maryport, Cumbria | ||||||
| Millom | — | Millom, Cumbria | ||||||
| Seaton Rangers | 1968 | Seaton, Cumbria | ||||||
| Ulverston | — | Ulverston, Cumbria | ||||||
National Conference North-West
| National Conference North-West | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year founded | Location | ||||||
| Ashton Bears | 1987 | Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester | ||||||
| Blackbrook | 1952 | Blackbrook / Sutton, St Helens, Merseyside | ||||||
| Clock Face Miners | 1921 | Clock Face, St Helens, Merseyside | ||||||
| Crosfields | 1901 | Hood Lane Recreation Ground, Warrington, Cheshire | ||||||
| Haresfinch | 1979 | St Helens Haresfinch, Merseyside | ||||||
| Ince Rose Bridge | 2001 | Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Greater Manchester | ||||||
| Leigh East | 1977 | Leigh, Greater Manchester | ||||||
| Orrell St James | Orrell, Wigan, Greater Manchester | |||||||
| Saddleworth Rangers | 1930 | Greenfield, Saddleworth, Oldham. | ||||||
| Woolston Rovers | 1959 | Woolston, Warrington, Cheshire | ||||||
National Conference Southern
| National Conference Southern | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year founded | Location | ||||||
| Bristol All Golds | 2013 | Bristol | ||||||
| Bedford Tigers | 2004 | Bedford | ||||||
| Brentwood Eels | Brentwood, Essex | |||||||
| Eastern Rhinos | 1992 | Colchester | ||||||
| Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 2008 | Chiswick, London | ||||||
| London Chargers | 2013 | Chiswick, London | ||||||
| North Herts Crusaders | Hitchin | |||||||
| Wests Warriors | 2014 | Acton, London | ||||||
National Conference Yorkshire
| National Conference Yorkshire | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year founded | Location | ||||||
| Beverley | 1883 | Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire | ||||||
| Bentley | 1962 | Bentley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire | ||||||
| Bradford Dudley Hill | 1947 | Bradford, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Drighlington | 1973 | Drighlington, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Featherstone Lions | 1994 | Featherstone, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Keighley Albion | 1948 | Keighley, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Fryston Warriors | 1944 | Castleford, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| King Cross Park | 1919 | Halifax, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Hull Dockers | 1880 | Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire | ||||||
| Moldgreen | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | |||||||
| Kippax Welfare | 1948 | Kippax, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Myton Warriors | 1997 | Myton, Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire | ||||||
| Milford | — | Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Newsome Panthers | 1995 | Newsome, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Mirfield Spartans | 2018 | |||||||
| Normanton Knights | 1879 | Normanton, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Stanley Rangers | 1919 | Stanley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Siddal Academy | 2017 | Siddal, Halifax, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Thornhill Trojans | 1988 | Thornhill, West Yorkshire | ||||||
| Skirlaugh | 1980 | Skirlaugh, East Riding of Yorkshire | ||||||
References
- ^ a b "Talking Grassroots: NCL 'begrudgingly' back restructure as legal action averted – Total Rugby League". Total RL. No. 21 December 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ "Talking Grassroots". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3516. 26 January 2026. p. 25.
- ^ "Talking Grassroots: NCL 'begrudgingly' back restructure as legal action averted – Total Rugby League". Retrieved 2026-01-31.