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National Conference League

National Conference League

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2015 HARRY JEPSON TROPHY  LINE UP CONFIRMED

 

The Harry Jepson Trophy will be contested for the 19th time this month, after first being awarded in 1997 to the Rugby League Conference champions North London Skolars.

 

The trophy, bearing the name of Harry Jepson OBE - a former president of the Rugby Football League, one of its longest-serving and most distinguished administrators and the current president of Ladbrokes Challenge Cup winners Leeds Rhinos – was, until 2011, presented to RLC winners but since has become a competition in its own right.

 

It is played for by the leading community club in each region outside of the sport’s Yorkshire, North West and Cumbria strongholds.

 

This year, six teams from across the North East, Midlands and South line up for the crown currently held by retaining champions South West London Chargers, who are again in the mix.

 

The final, a double header with the Conference League South Grand Final, will take place at Leafy Lane, the Corsham home of the Bath & Wiltshire Romans, and 95-year-old Jepson is already looking forward to making the near 500-mile journey to attend.

 

“I have been privileged to attend a number of the most prestigious occasions in the sport but this is the one I cherish the most,” he said. “I have always been an expansionist and the thought of travelling to the South West to see a final in my name is an absolute highlight and delight, I can’t wait.

 

Jepson added, “I am continually astounded by the passion for and pleasure taken in the sport from people who have not been brought up with it when I meet them on such occasions.”

 

The Romans will be hoping to make a home appearance in the final having recorded a stellar debut year in the West of England League. Coached by British Army Rugby League player Tom Howley, they topped their table and backed it up with a 34-30 Grand Final win over local rivals Bristol Sonics.

 

Representing London, and the only side to have won the trophy back-to-back, the Chargers dispatched Colchester-based rivals Eastern Rhinos 46-6 in the London Grand Final to qualify.

 

Midlands champions, Northampton Demons are no strangers to the Harry Jepson Trophy, having been runners up in 2012.

 

Bedford Tigers will represent the East of England League, having been all-conquering in their regional competition and beating St Ives Roosters in the regional decider.

 

Wallsend Eagles will make their debut after beating 2014 runners-up Jarrow Vikings 38-20, whilst the South East will be represented by Surrey Sharks.

 

There is an additional incentive to winning as the Harry Jepson Trophy champions will join the road to Wembley in 2016, with a prestigious entry into the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

 

 

HARRY JEPSON TROPHY 2015 - FIXTURES:

 

Round 1: Saturday 5th September

South West London Chargers v Surrey Sharks

Northampton Demons v Wallsend Eagles (2pm, Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park)

 

Semi Finals:  Saturday 12th September

Bath & Wiltshire Romans v Winner Game 1

Bedford Tigers v Winner Game 2

 

Final: Saturday 19th September

Winner Semi Final 1 v Winner Semi Final 2 (1pm, Leafy Lane, Corsham)

 

 

Previous Winners:

 

1997 North London Skolars

1998 Crawley Jets

1999 Chester Wolves

2000 Crawley Jets

2001 Teesside Steelers

2002 Coventry Bears

2003 Bridgend Blue Bulls

2004 Widnes Saints

2005 Bridgend Blue Bulls

2006 South London Storm

2007 St Albans Centurions

2008 Nottingham Outlaws

2009 West London Sharks

2010 St Albans Centurions

2011 Parkside Hawks

2012 London Skolars ‘A’

2013 South West London Chargers

2014 South West London Chargers

 

 

Phil Caplan

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Jasper

Jasper

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So what are everyone's predictions?

I've seen both Chargers & Bedford play and both are strong but no idea about Romans or Wallsend?

This is such a great competition!!

 

Like you, I've only seen Beds and SW Chargers play, and any team that beats them will have to be a good 'un.  I'll go for a Beds - SW London final with SW London running out the winners, although I would like to see Bedford win it to get a new name on the trophy.

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Jasper

Jasper

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They genuinely have no competition and I'm not sure that's good for the rest of the game.

I was just thinking that myself.  On the London website it says they have only lost 2 games in the last three seasons.  Unfortunately I am not sure what they can do, there is no higher league in London/South East that they can go into, and I would think they would say that playing in the Conf League South involves too much travelling.

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London Drifter

London Drifter

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Someone from the club told me they had lost only 4 games in 2 years. 1 league game, a cup final, & 2 Challenge Cup games (rd 2 in 14 & rd 1 in 15) - pretty impressive.

It's almost a sad reflection on the RFL for not providing a competition for them to move to? Or at least properly fund the CLS so that traveling for these amateur clubs isn't an issue.

From my experience you would be looking at bus hire costs of over £5,000 for the season.

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bowes

bowes

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Someone from the club told me they had lost only 4 games in 2 years. 1 league game, a cup final, & 2 Challenge Cup games (rd 2 in 14 & rd 1 in 15) - pretty impressive.

It's almost a sad reflection on the RFL for not providing a competition for them to move to? Or at least properly fund the CLS so that traveling for these amateur clubs isn't an issue.

From my experience you would be looking at bus hire costs of over £5,000 for the season.

This is a difficult one as CLS only has Oxford near them so if you regionalised it would be much the same teams they're playing now. At a push the best teams from London premier and East premier could go into a league including Oxford though? It wouldn't be much higher standard though

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bbfaz

bbfaz

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The RFL is now an irrelevance.  Forget them, they no longer exist here other than David Lawrenson writing articles for London RL website.  The Foundation, which has taken over from the Broncos, is focused on under-14s and took the remaining RFL staff.  There's no competition manager, the Chargers president runs the league and the league committee and there's minimal admin support.  The referees are self-run too.

 

We can blame the RFL, they really don't care as they've left the region to its own devices.

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bowes

bowes

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I was referring to the body as a whole not one office or region.

CLS is akin to NCL DIV 2/3 but due to geography it makes it tough for clubs to finance.

There has to be a sustainable competition between League One and the regional amateur leagues to complete the pyramid.

I'm not sure there's an easy answer. If we regionalise CLS (as I suspect we will) then Nottingham and Valley Cougars will be in the situation that SWL Chargers are now but if we don't then it will be hard for clubs to step up from London and the South East
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