London Men's League
 | This article needs to be updated. (September 2021) |
Current season or competition: 2024 London Mens League season | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Formerly known as | RLC Southern Premier |
| Instituted | 2005 |
| Country |  England |
| Champions | London Chargers A (2023) |
| Related competition | London Merit League, London & South East Men's League |
The London Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in London and the surrounding area. The competition was formed in 2005 as the RLC Southern Premier. It's name changed following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain.
History[edit]
The Rugby League Conference was born in 1997 as the Southern Conference.
The Premier Division was set up in 2005 for teams who had achieved a certain playing standard and were able to travel further afield to find stronger opposition. The new Premier Divisions included the North Premier, the South Premier, the Central Premier and the Welsh Premier.
Prior to the 2005 season National League Three side South London Storm announced that they were joining the South Premier; the other founder members came from the Conference regional divisions.
After the 2006 season with other teams withdrawing from National League Three, St Albans Centurions also decided to join the Premier South.
In 2012 it became a standalone league run by the RFL with the introduction of Summer Rugby in the amateur ranks. St Albans Centurions returned to playing nationally in National Conference League division three
It has a merit league attached to it enabling smaller clubs to develop before entering the league to see if they are able to meet the demands of player numbers and competing fixtures throughout a regular season. Some larger clubs have fielded an A team in this league to bolster numbers and create opportunities for less experienced players to play.
Position in Pyramid[edit]
- 1: Super League
- 2: Championship
- 3: League 1
- 4: National Conference League/Conference League South
- 5: London Men's League
Clubs[edit]
As of 2024: Brighton & Hove RL, Brixton Bulls, Elmbridge Eagles, London Chargers, Medway Dragons, Wests Warriors A.[1]
League Standings[edit]
| This section needs to be updated. (April 2023) |
| Teams | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bedford Tigers
|
x | x | x | x | 6th | x | x | x | x |
 Eastern Rhinos |
3rd | 2nd | 5th | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 4th |
 Elmbridge Eagles 2
|
x | 5th | 6th | 7th | 9th | x | x | 5th | 6th |
 Essex Eels
|
x | DNF | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
 Greenwich Admirals |
6th | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
 Hainault Bulldogs
|
x | x | x | x | 8th | 6th | DNF | x | x |
| Hammersmith Hills Hoists | x | x | x | x | x | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st |
| Hemel Stags A | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 5th |
| Kent Ravens |
x | x | 7th | DNF | x | x | x | x | x |
 London Skolars A 3
|
4th | 4th | 3rd | 6th | 7th | 8th | 5th5 | 1st | 3rd |
 Luton Vipers
|
5th | DNF | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Portsmouth Navy Seahawks
|
x | x | x | 5th | 5th | 7th | x | x | x |
| St Albans Centurions |
x | x | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | x | x |
| South London Storm |
1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 5th | 6th | 4th | x |
| South West London Chargers4 |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 2nd |
| West London Sharks |
2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | DNF | x |
- 1 competed as Ipswich Rhinos between 2005 and 2009
- 2 competed as Kingston Warriors between 2005 and 2007 and Elmbridge in 2008.
- 3 competed as Haringey Hornets in 2006
- 4 a merger of South London Storm and West London Sharks
- 5 midseason replacements for Hainault Bulldogs
Key[edit]
| DNF | Did not complete the season |
| x | Did not participate |
| Divisional winner | |
| Qualified for divisional play-off | |
| Finished bottom |
Grand Finals[edit]
- Source from 2017[2]
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | South London Storm | 24–8 | West London Sharks | Storm Park |
| 2006 | South London Storm | 52–10 | Ipswich Rhinos | Storm Park |
| 2007 | St Albans Centurions | 18–10 | South London Storm | Twickenham Stoop |
| 2008 | West London Sharks | 24–20 | South London Storm | Grasshoppers RFC |
| 2009 | West London Sharks | 26–16 | South London Storm | Storm Park |
| 2010 | St Albans Centurions | 54–4 | West London Sharks | Cotlandswick |
| 2011 | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 18–16 | St Albans Centurions | Hemel Hempstead |
| 2012 | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 46–8 | Eastern Rhinos | |
| 2013 | South West London Chargers | 20–10 | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | Chiswick RFC |
| 2014 | South West London Chargers | 46–6 | Eastern Rhinos | Wasps RFC |
| 2015 | South West London Chargers | 32–12 | London Skolars A | Old Blues RFC |
| 2016 | Brixton Bulls | Richmond Warriors | ||
| 2017 | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 25–18 | London Chargers | New River Stadium |
| 2018 | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 20–8 | London Chargers | |
| 2019 | West Warriors A | 38–22 | London Skolars A | New River Stadium |
| 2020 | No competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Medway Dragons | 38–18 | Brixton Bulls | Rosslyn Park RFC |
| 2022 | Brixton Bulls | 34–30 | Elmbridge Eagles | New River Stadium |
| 2023 | London Chargers A | 38–16 | Medway Dragons | London Skolars |
Titles[edit]
| Position | Team | Number of Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 = | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 4 | 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018 |
| 1 = | London Chargers | 4 | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2023 |
| 3 = | Brixton Bulls | 2 | 2016, 2022 |
| 3 = | St Albans Centurions | 2 | 2007, 2010 |
| 3 = | West London Sharks | 2 | 2008, 2009 |
| 3 = | South London Storm | 2 | 2005, 2006 |
| 7 = | Medway Dragons | 1 | 2021 |
| 7 = | West Warriors | 1 | 2019 |
London Cup[edit]
- 2013: South West London Chargers
Harry Jepson Trophy games[edit]
- Ceased 2011
| Year | Game | RLC Southern Premier Team | Result | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Semi-final | South London Storm | 18–34 | Bridgend Blue Bulls | Cheltenham |
| 2006 | Semi-final | South London Storm | 32–12 | Bridgend Blue Bulls | Hemel |
| Grand Final | South London Storm | 30–0 | East Lancs Lions | Coventry | |
| 2007 | Semi-final | St Albans Centurions | 42–16 | Bridgend Blue Bulls | |
| Grand Final | St Albans Centurions | 28–20 | Coventry Bears | ||
| 2008 | Semi-final | West London Sharks | 32–30 | Valley Cougars | |
| Grand Final | West London Sharks | 8–28 | Nottingham Outlaws | Derby |
See also[edit]
Other articles of the topic Sports : Basketball, SmackDown Women's Champion, National Collegiate Athletic Association
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References[edit]
External links[edit]
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