NCL 2025

[langpark]

Here are the 46 teams that will compete across the 4 divisions:

Also, if any fellow geography nerds are interested, here is a breakdown of which regions are represented across the divisions:

Premier
Yorkshire:  7
Lancashire:  4
Cumbria:  1

Div 1
Yorkshire:  4
Lancashire:  4
Cumbria:  2
Cheshire:  2 

Div 2
Yorkshire:  7
Lancashire:  2
Cumbria:  3

Div 3
Yorkshire:  6
Lancashire:  2 (I counted Saddleworth as Lancashire even though there is some debate around that)
Cumbria:  2

TOTAL
Yorkshire:  24
Lancashire:  12
Cumbria:  8
Cheshire:  2

[sam4731]

"National"

[The 4 of Us]

As far as I can see, none of those clubs are in Lancashire. There are however several in Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

[MidlandsJohn]

2 hours ago, sam4731 said:

"National"

They should just rename it Northern Conference League so they can still keep the NCL branding.

[Eddie]

7 hours ago, The 4 of Us said:

As far as I can see, none of those clubs are in Lancashire. There are however several in Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

Excellent pedantry  

[Barley Mow]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Excellent pedantry  

Yeah, we really don't need to do this every time someone mentions Lancashire.

It's obvious that in the RL (in fact almost any sporting) context a reference to Lancashire is the traditional county and not any of the local government, shrieval or lieutenancy areas.

Edited March 9 by Barley Mow

[langpark]

7 hours ago, MidlandsJohn said:

They should just rename it Northern Conference League so they can still keep the NCL branding.

But it is open to teams from all over the country, is it not? I hope we do see a team from outside these areas eventually join. 

[Archie Gordon]

1 minute ago, langpark said:

But it is open to teams from all over the country, is it not? I hope we do see a team from outside these areas eventually join. 

National Conference League makes little sense when there is a separate Southern Conference League at the same tier. And neither will ever have 'national' ambitions on their own, nor should they aim to or need to. 

[sam4731]

7 hours ago, MidlandsJohn said:

They should just rename it Northern Conference League so they can still keep the NCL branding.

It's even more ridiculous when the Northern Womens Championship includes London and Cardiff.

[Archie Gordon]

It really is a bizarre failure of branding and positioning. It's almost as if the RFL regards being Northern and daft as virtues.

[Spidey]

7 hours ago, MidlandsJohn said:

They should just rename it Northern Conference League so they can still keep the NCL branding.

Why?  There’s nothing stopping clubs from outside the north applying and playing in the NCL if they wish

[Celtic Roosters]

8 hours ago, MidlandsJohn said:

They should just rename it Northern Conference League so they can still keep the NCL branding.

It's open to teams from anywhere in the Country and has previously included London Skolars, Hemel Hempstead, Nottingham City and Northampton Knights (immediately come to mind) so that makes it national. The NWCL has previously included Stoke, Wrexham, London & North Wales Coasters? The RFL can't even grow the game in Bolton & Liverpool. Don't demean the amateur game - it's the only part of the game that is still honest.

[Celtic Roosters]

11 hours ago, The 4 of Us said:

As far as I can see, none of those clubs are in Lancashire. There are however several in Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

Merseyside and Greater Manchester do not exist as actual Counties. They were made up in 1973 for administration purposes. Most of us born before then don't accept them. I'm from Salford, Lancashire.

[The 4 of Us]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

Excellent pedantry  

Thank you. In which case it behoves me to point out that based upon the subsequent posts and desired historical correctness, I think Cheshire is an incorrect reference.  
 

And Cumbria should be Cumberland and Westmorland. 
 

Edited March 9 by The 4 of Us

[Hopping Mad]

I see those responsible for the BBC Sport website remain unable - or unwilling - to include the NCL's Division Three fixtures (and, come next weekend, no doubt, its results and league table).

Interesting results yesterday. In the Premier Division, Hunslet ARLFC, again likely to be the team to beat, squeezed past Dewsbury Moor Maroons, 10-8. Siddal edged out Lock Lane, 8-6, and York Acorn 'nilled' Thatto Heath Crusaders, winning 22-0.

In Division Two, Whitehaven's Hensingham were rewarded for a coast-to-coast trek by winning, 48-20, at Hull Dockers. East Leeds almost reached a half-century of points in thrashing Pilkington Recs, 46-14.

Not a full programme of fixtures next Saturday but all four divisions will be in action.

Edited March 9 by Hopping Mad

[Archie Gordon]

8 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

I see those responsible for the BBC Sport website remain unable - or unwilling - to include the NCL's Division Three fixtures (and, come next weekend, no doubt, its results and league table).

Interesting results yesterday. In the Premier Division, Hunslet ARLFC, again likely to be the team to beat, squeezed past Dewsbury Moor Maroons, 10-8. Siddal edged out Lock Lane, 8-6, and York Acorn 'nilled' Thatto Heath Crusaders, winning 22-0.

In Division Two, Whitehaven's Hensingham were rewarded for a coast-to-coast trek by winning, 48-20, at Hull Dockers. East Leeds almost reached a half-century of points in thrashing Pilkington Recs, 46-14.

Not a full programme of fixtures next Saturday but all four divisions will be in action.

I think the much bigger issue is why no SCL results/table.

[langpark]

4 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

National Conference League makes little sense when there is a separate Southern Conference League at the same tier. And neither will ever have 'national' ambitions on their own, nor should they aim to or need to. 

Right, so if there's an ambitious Midlands club that is decimating all the teams in the competition, what higher level should they aspire to? It should be the NCL, shouldn't it? 

[Archie Gordon]

3 minutes ago, langpark said:

Right, so if there's an ambitious Midlands club that is decimating all the teams in the competition, what higher level should they aspire to? It should be the NCL, shouldn't it? 

I think this is partly the point I'm making: who knows?

[Eddie]

5 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

It really is a bizarre failure of branding and positioning. It's almost as if the RFL regards being Northern and daft as virtues.

It’s not almost as if. 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, langpark said:

Right, so if there's an ambitious Midlands club that is decimating all the teams in the competition, what higher level should they aspire to? It should be the NCL, shouldn't it? 

League One. 

[Eddie]

4 hours ago, The 4 of Us said:

Thank you. In which case it behoves me to point out that based upon the subsequent posts and desired historical correctness, I think Cheshire is an incorrect reference.  
 

And Cumbria should be Cumberland and Westmorland. 
 

Also Merseyside no longer exists other than for ceremonial purposes. 

[langpark]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

League One. 

The leap is too big though and I believe NCL is the perfect middle ground.  What would a League One team's budget be compared to an NCL Div 3 team's?  

[Eddie]

28 minutes ago, langpark said:

The leap is too big though and I believe NCL is the perfect middle ground.  What would a League One team's budget be compared to an NCL Div 3 team's?  

It is without a doubt but I expect a lot of NCL3 teams would call off rather than travel to Norfolk or Devon. The other week when Hull KR were at Wakey the commentators actually said what a long away trip it is and that summed up the parochial nature of RL in England perfectly - every Vipers away game ever has been a longer trip than that. 

[sam4731]

35 minutes ago, langpark said:

The leap is too big though and I believe NCL is the perfect middle ground.  What would a League One team's budget be compared to an NCL Div 3 team's?  

A LOT of NCL teams would beat some lower end L1 teams as evidenced in the CC fairly often.

[langpark]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

It is without a doubt but I expect a lot of NCL3 teams would call off rather than travel to Norfolk or Devon. The other week when Hull KR were at Wakey the commentators actually said what a long away trip it is and that summed up the parochial nature of RL in England perfectly - every Vipers away game ever has been a longer trip than that. 

You are right, hence why I used Midlands as the example.  It seems more realistic all round than somewhere in the south.