The North West Men's League is a rugby league competition for clubs in the North West of England. It is a successor league for the Rugby League Conference also comprising clubs from the North West Counties League following most of the latter switching to summer to follow the National Conference League.
The league replaced the Rugby League Conference North West Premier.
History
The North West Men's League comes from the merger of elements from two strands of rugby league: the British Amateur Rugby League Association and Rugby League Conference.
The British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) was created in 1973 by a group of enthusiasts concerned about the dramatic disappearance of many amateur leagues and clubs. BARLA merged the Leigh, Manchester, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes and Wigan districts into a new North West Counties league and created an elite National Conference League, this saw a revitalisation of the game in heartland areas of the North West of England.
In contrast, the Rugby League Conference (RLC) was born in 1997 as the Southern Conference, a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and English Midlands taking place in the summer time rather than the traditional winter season. It led to the creation of many new teams in non-traditional areas; the first North West team to join the new league were the Chester Wolves; more teams from the North West joined the following season and a Northern Division was set up with teams from the North West and the North Midlands. Following a big expansion to the Rugby League Conference in 2003, the North West got its own regional division.
By 2008, there were enough sides for a higher level North West Premier division to be created and in 2010, a North West Merit League was created out of existing merit leagues.
With the RLC growing rapidly, some BARLA sides chose to leave traditional winter leagues and join the summer-based RLC. However, in 2011, the National Conference League, voted to switch to a summer season and most of the reserve teams followed. There was a short season from September to November in 2011 with teams from British Amateur Rugby League Association league North West Counties league playing in two divisions under the name North West Men's League.
The Rugby League Conference was replaced in 2012 by a series of locally administered leagues. This saw the North West Men's League merge with the RLC North West Premier and regional divisions as well as the North West merit league to create a six division structure.
2015 structure
Premier Division
Hindley
Clock Face Miners
Widnes St Maries Vikings
Ashton Bears
Shevington Sharks
Haydock Warriors
Haresfinch
Rylands Sharks
Widnes West Bank
Folly Lane
Heysham Atoms
Division 1
Wigan St Cuthbert's (failed to complete the season but results stood) Halton Simms Cross Thatto Heath Crusaders A Wigan Spring View Chorley Panthers Wigan St Jude's A (failed to complete the season) Hindpool Tigers Bamber Bridge St Helens Wildboars (failed to complete the season) Latchford Albion Wigan St Patrick's A
Division 2
Halton Farnworth Hornets
Leigh Miners Rangers A
Accrington Panthers (failed to complete the season) Bank Quay Bulls Woolston Rovers A Oldham St Anne's A (failed to complete the season) Rochdale Mayfield A Golborne Parkside Leyland Warriors Widnes Tigers Orrell St James Bury Broncos
Division 3
Leigh East A
Pilkington Recs A
Burtonwood Bridge
Wigan Bulldogs
Fitton Hill Bulldogs
Little Hulton Reds
Bolton Mets
Crosfields A
Blackpool Scorpions
Eccleston Lions
Division 4
Westhoughton Lions
Widnes West Bank A (failed to complete the season) Culcheth Eagles Chester Gladiators Rylands Sharks A Rochdale Cobras Widnes St Maries Vikings A (failed to complete the season) Manchester Rangers Cadishead Rhinos Garswood Stags Runcorn Bury Broncos A
Merit League
Burtonwood Bridge A (failed to complete the season) Chester Gladiators A Haresfinch A Orrell St James A Salford City Roosters A Littleborough Langworthy Reds Mancunians Burnley & Pendle Liverpool Lions