Midlands Rugby League Premier Division

Midlands Rugby League Premier Division
Founded	2006
Country	England
Number of teams	10
Level on pyramid	5
Promotion to	Conference League South
Relegation to	Midlands Rugby League Division One
Domestic cup(s)	Challenge Cup
Current champions	Coventry Dragons

The Midlands Rugby League Premier Division is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands. It was previously the Midlands Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference. The competition is one of many fifth tier leagues of the British rugby league system.

Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League.

History[edit]

The Rugby League Conference was born in 1997, then known as the Southern Conference. The Premier Division were 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. The Central Premier had two Midlands clubs Telford Raiders and Nottingham Outlaws and the rest of the clubs were from Yorkshire or Lancashire.

The Midlands Premier was created one season later in 2006. The founder members were Coventry Bears, Telford Raiders, Nottingham Outlaws, Derby City, Birmingham Bulldogs, Leicester Phoenix and Wolverhampton Wizards.

In 2012 the Rugby League Conference will be disbanded and the Midlands Premier will continue as Midlands Rugby League Premier Division.

Community game pyramid[edit]

2015 structure[edit]

Birmingham Bulldogs
Boston Buccaneers
Buxton Bulls
Coventry Dragons
Derby City
Leamington Royals
Leicester Storm A
North East Worcestershire Ravens
Northampton Demons
Nottingham Outlaws A
Sherwood Wolf Hunt
Telford Raiders

2014 structure[edit]

Birmingham Bulldogs
Coventry Dragons
Derby City
Leamington Royals
Leicester Storm A
North Derbyshire Chargers (failed to complete the season)
North East Worcestershire Ravens
Northampton Demons
Nottingham Outlaws A
Telford Raiders

2013 structure[edit]

Birmingham Bulldogs
Coventry Bears A
Coventry Dragons
Leicester Storm A
North Derbyshire Chargers
North East Worcestershire Ravens
Northampton Demons A
Nottingham Outlaws A
Sleaford Spartans
Telford Raiders

2012 structure[edit]

Club	Founded	Location	RLC Honours
Birmingham Bulldogs A	1989	Birmingham	Western Division: 2000, Midlands Division: 2003
Coventry Bears A	1998	Coventry
Gloucestershire Warriors	1997	Gloucester	Western Division: 1999, South West Division: 2005, West Midlands and South West Division: 2006, West of England: 2011
Leicester Storm	1986	Leicester	Central Division: 1997, South Midlands Division: 2004
Northampton Demons	2007	Northampton	East Division: 2009, 2010, RLC Regional: 2009, 2010

Teams play each other three times culminating in a grand final.

League standings[edit]

Current Teams	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Bedford Tigers	x	x	3rd	x	x
Birmingham Bulldogs	6th	6th	6th	4th
Bristol Sonics	x	x	x	3rd
Coventry Bears	2nd	1st	2nd	1st
Derby City	4th	5th	5th	2nd
Gloucestershire Warriors	x	3rd	4th	6th
Leicester Phoenix	3rd	8th	7th	5th
Nottingham Outlaws	1st	2nd	1st	x	x
Redditch Ravens	x	x	x	DNF	x
Somerset Vikings	x	4th	x	x	x
Telford Raiders	5th	7th	x	7th	x
Wolverhampton Wizards	7th	x	x	x	x

Key[edit]

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

Titles[edit]

RLC Midlands Premier[edit]

2006 Nottingham Outlaws
2007 Coventry Bears
2008 Nottingham Outlaws
2009 Coventry Bears 48 Derby City 16
2010 Coventry Bears
2011 Bristol Sonics