South Wales Premiership
Founded2003
Country Wales
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid5
Promotion toNational Conference League via application to RFL
Domestic cup(s)Challenge Cup
Current championsSouth Wales Jets

The South Wales Premiership is the league for amateur clubs in southern Wales. Previously it was part of the Rugby League Conference but became standalone in 2012.

History

The Rugby League Conference (RLC) was founded in 1997 as the Southern Conference, a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and English Midlands.

The RLC first expanded into Wales in 2001 when Cardiff Demons joined the South West division.

In 2003, the RLC expanded with the creation of the Welsh Premier division. This division had 6 teams in the inaugural season and marked the first all Welsh rugby league division.

The Welsh Premier division was split into two divisions East Wales and West Wales in 2006, though this decision was reversed for the following season.

The Welsh Conference Junior League began in 2009.

In 2010, due to the growth of the sport, a Championship division was formed which would function at one tier lower than the present Premier division. This Championship division featured teams from South Wales.

The RLC Welsh Championship division was given a re-structure following four West Wales clubs not fulfilling fixtures. Amman Valley Rhinos, Dinefwr Sharks, Swansea/Llanelli Dragons and West Wales Wild Boars were omitted and replaced with newly formed Dyffryn Devils.

In 2012 the league became the South Wales Premiership with the lower Championship division being abolished. 2012 also saw the creation of the North Wales Conference. This was part of large restructure of the RLC as the Conference League South was created.

From 2023, the winners of the competition will play the winners of the North Wales Conference for a place in the Challenge Cup. Due to logistical issues 2023 Champions (in their debut season), South Wales Jets were allocated the Welsh League place in the Challenge Cup

Source:[1][2]

Position in Pyramid

Teams

2023

Club Founded Location RLC Honours
Bridgend Blue Bulls2003Pyle, BridgendWelsh Premier: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2021
Harry Jepson Trophy: 2003, 2005
Cardiff Blue Dragons2015Ely, Cardiff(*As Cardiff Demons) RLC South West: 2003
Welsh Shield: 2004
East Wales Division: 2006
Torfaen Tigers RLFC2004TalywainWelsh Shield: 2005
Welsh Plate: 2009
Welsh Premier: 2014
Cynon Valley Cavaliers2019Hirwaun
Rhondda Outlaws2017GlyncochWelsh Premier: 2019, 2022
South Wales Saints2022Penygraig, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Aberavon Fighting Irish2003Aberavon, Neath Port Talbot
South Wales Jets2022Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr TydfilWelsh Premier: 2023

Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis. Each Premier division then has its own play-off series to determine the champion with the five divisional winners entering the national play-offs. The winner of the national play-offs is awarded the Harry Jepson Trophy.

2013

  • Premier Division: Bonymaen Broncos, Borderer Boars, Cardiff Demons, Newport Titans, Torfaen Tigers, Valley Cougars. Bridgend Blue Bulls and Blackwood Bulldogs entered but failed to start the season. Borderer Boars failed to complete the season
  • South Wales Merit Table: Cardiff Demons B, Cardiff Spartans, Gwendraeth Valley Raiders, Torfaen Tigers B

2014

  • Aber Valley Wolves, Bridgend Blue Bulls, Cardiff Demons, Cardiff Spartans, Gwendraeth Valley Raiders, Newport Titans, Torfaen Tigers, Valley Cougars A

Winners

RLC Welsh Premier era
  • 2003: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2004: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2005: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2006: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2007: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2008: Valley Cougars
  • 2009: Blackwood Bulldogs
  • 2010: Valley Cougars
  • 2011: Bridgend Blue Bulls
South Wales Premiership era
  • 2012: Bonymaen Broncos
  • 2013: Torfaen Tigers
  • 2014: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2015: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2016: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2017: Valley Cougars
  • 2018: Valley Cougars
  • 2019: Rhondda Outlaws
  • 2020: Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2021: Bridgend Blue Bulls
  • 2022: Rhondda Outlaws
  • 2023: South Wales Jets

Welsh Shield

Secondary Welsh competition for teams who do not make the play-offs for the Welsh Premier. It has not been contested since 2005.

  • 2004: Cardiff Demons
  • 2005: Newport Titans (now Titans RLFC)

Plate Final

  • 2009: Newport Titans 32 - 24 Dinefwr Sharks

League standings

Current Teams 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Blackwood Bulldogsxxx1st
Bridgend Blue Bulls1st1st1st1st1st2nd
Cardiff Demonsx
CPC Bearsxxxxxxx
Dinefwr Sharks 1xxxx
Neath Port Talbot Steelers 2x
Newport Titansx
Rumney Rhinosxxxxxxx
Swansea Valley Miners 3xxxx
Torfaen Tigers3rdx
Valley Cougars 41st
West Wales Wild Boarsxxxxxxx
  • 1 competed as West Wales Sharks between 2006 and 2008
  • 2 competed as Aberavon Fighting Irish between 2003 and 2006
  • 3 competed as Swansea Bulls in 2003
  • 4 competed as Cynon Valley Cougars in 2003

Key

DNF Did not complete the season
x Did not participate
Divisional winner
Qualified for divisional play-off
Finished bottom

Junior league

The South Wales Premiership also operates at under-17, under-15, and under-13 age groups.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Wales Celebrates 20 Years of League Action".
  2. ↑ "20th anniversary fixtures revealed for South Wales men's league – Wales Rugby League (WRL)".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.