bowes

Relegated from Premier Division to Division 1: Heworth, Rochdale Mayfield Promoted from Division 1 to Premier Division: Dewsbury Celtic, East Leeds Demoted from Division 1 to National Conference North West: Wigan St Patrick's Promoted from National Conference Yorkshire B to Division 1: Featherstone Lions Relegated from National Conference Yorkshire A to Yorkshire Men's League: Stanley Rangers Relegated from National Conference Yorkshire B to Yorkshire Men's League: Normanton Knights Promoted from Yorkshire Men's League to National Conference Yorkshire A or B: Doncaster Toll Bar, Ossett Trinity Tigers, Dodworth Miners Relegated from National Conference North West to North West Men's League: Woolston Rovers Promoted from North West Men's League to National Conference North West: West Bank Bears Relegated from National Conference Cumbria to Cumbria Men's League: Ulverston Promoted from Cumbria Men's League to National Conference Cumbria: Wath Brow Hornets A National Conference South will remain at six teams after North Herts Crusaders and Brentwood Eels failed to complete the season. Both will reform in the London and East Men's League.

They're the only two that are even allowed to enter the world cup, let alone host. (South Africa recently lost IRL full membership)

Even a proper 4-3-3 like 1995 would be better if they're worried about the length of the tournament. But this format is just weird. At least we haven't brought back super pool and top 3 of the group of 4 making the semifinals.

Lebanon technically shouldn't even have been allowed to enter because they're not RLIF full members, but they made the quarterfinals last time. A shame they didn't go with 12 teams though as Jamaica and Wales would have had a chance to qualify.

Yes I think this made sense with the short Rugby League Conference season but it’s silly when players and/or clubs try to play in two overlapping seasons. I remember when summer started and there was still a significant winter game, a lot of clubs tried to play year round and then ended up failing to finish the season in both summer and winter (unless they were doing well) when they started to the new season.

I'd imagine it's because they've designed the fixture list around 18 rounds before the playoffs. Kings Cross and one other team (I think Kippax?) were meant to be in the NCL this season too after applying so it's only really 6 teams added.

It was because there were 12 Yorkshire teams that would have been in division 2 and 3 of the NCL without the changes (plus I believe 2 others had applied to step up and met the criteria). Therefore, they didn't want to demote teams that would have been in the NCL out of the national league structure altogether.

The two finalists get promoted to division 1.

There’s a Newcastle Lightning team in the Yorkshire Men’s League premier division this year, but I would guess most are lost to the game as there’s nowhere for them to play.

Yes, there had been a North East League since the 1980s, predating summer rugby league. It got up to two divisions in the not too decent past as well. But then collapsed quite quickly after Coronavirus. It only collapsed at open age though, there are still junior leagues.

Two different teams pulled out of the final. It’s not the SRL’s fault.

They played in the North East League in 2022 before the North East League folded and the Scottish League restarted. Cumbria probably wouldn’t be practical though.

Thank you. I reset my login recently as I'd forgotten my password. I don't post much but saw an interesting thread recently on southern amateur clubs from the past that I wanted to contribute to.

More teams would get relegated from the Yorkshire Conference/fewer teams promoted into it. And the opposite for Cumbria (and in theory South, but that division is already two teams short and so would depend who is able and willing to step up, if anyone). The champions of the Regional Leagues* are guaranteed promotion to the regional conferences of the National Leagues, but the runners-up only get promoted if there's enough league places available. Page 17 here explains this in more detail with examples: NCRL Open Age (Male) 2026 Structure.pdf In the specific example given it would mean 3 teams relegated from the Yorkshire Conferences to the Yorkshire Men's League and 1 promoted from the Yorkshire Men's League. 2 teams promoted from the Cumbria Men's League to the Cumbria Conference and 1 relegated to it. *I'm unsure whether this includes the Midlands Men's League and London and East Men's League.

It meant Yorkshire clubs could mainly play other Yorkshire clubs and Lancashire clubs mainly play other Lancashire clubs. The odd team like Keighley might have found themselves on the wrong side of that though.