Midlands Rugby League Premier Division
# Midlands Rugby League Premier Division

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

## History

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

* National Conference League
* Conference League South
* Midlands Rugby League Premier Division
* Midlands Rugby League Division One
* Midlands Rugby League Division Two

## 2015 structure

* 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

* 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

* 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

| 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

| 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

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

## Titles

### RLC Midlands Premier

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

### Midlands Rugby League Premier Division

* 2012 Northampton Demons
* 2013 Telford Raiders
