East Midlands Derby

Lore & Background

The Rugby League Conference (RLC) was born in 1997, then known as the Southern Conference. The RLC Midlands Division (now Midlands Rugby League Championship) was first created in 2001 and lasted until 2003 as the league was split in two parallel divisions due to it being oversubscribed. The RLC Premier Divisions 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 Midlands Premier was created one season later in 2006, and placed between the existing RLC Midlands Division and the RLC National Division. In 2012 the Rugby League Conference was disbanded and all divisions adopting the name Midlands Rugby League.

Reader's Guide

Position in Pyramid: 1: Super League, 2: Championship, 3–5: National Community Rugby League, 6: Midlands Rugby League Premier Division, 7: Midlands Rugby League Championship. Clubs as of 2024: Birmingham Bulldogs, Coventry Bears, Leamington Royals, Oxford Cavaliers, Nottingham Outlaws, Sherwood Wolf Hunt, Swindon St George, Telford Raiders.

Did You Know?

• The founder members of the Midlands Premier in 2006 were Coventry Bears, Telford Raiders, Nottingham Outlaws, Derby City, Birmingham Bulldogs, Leicester Phoenix and Wolverhampton Wizards.
• A Midlands Merit League (now defunct) was founded in late 2005 as a feeder league for the RLC Midlands Division.
• The 2020 and 2021 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.