Rugby League Conference Expansion

The Rugby League Conference, the code's national summer competition for clubs in development areas outside the traditional heartlands, has announced major expansion plans for the 2000 season. RLC III will see a further increase in the number of teams, a new format and a revamped management structure to administer the burgeoning tournament.

Applications to join the Rugby League Conference were received from numerous organisations throughout the country and they were reduced to a final short list of ten clubs. Significant interest was expressed in North Yorkshire and the South West and both of these areas have been identified as key regions to be addressed by the competition Policy Document that is due to be finalised in the middle of the year.

The four new teams have been invited to take part in the 2000 competition are: SOUTH LONDON STORM, COVENTRY BEARS, ROTHERHAM GIANTS AND KINGSTON WARRIORS.

A brief look at all four clubs reveals the following

SOUTH LONDON STORM - Based in Croydon, the club was formed in 1997 as an amalgamation of Peckham and Bexleyheath, two long standing and successful members of the London Amateur Rugby League. They already have over 100 registered players from the Under 11 age group to open age.

COVENTRY BEARS - The Bears proved themselves in a series of superbly staged friendlies against Conference clubs during the 1999 campaign. They are fully integrated as part of the Coventry Rugby Union Club organisation whose chairman Keith Fairbrother was a former Rugby League professional at Leigh and they also have strong links to the Student Rugby League.

ROTHERHAM GIANTS - Originally formed in 1977, the South Yorkshiremen made history by becoming the first amateur side to tour Holland (1988) and Scotland (1993). The Giants' current first team, who operate in the Pennine League, have gained promotion in each of the last four seasons and now they are expanding into Conference rugby.

KINGSTON WARRIORS - A stalwart club who have carried the flag for Rugby League in North Surrey for a number of years in various guises. They are renown for their strong junior section and their work in the primary and secondary schools of Elmbridge Borough. They have produced and developed a number of representative players.

RLC III - THE FORMAT

All 20 clubs who took part in last season's expanded tournament, won in thrilling fashion by Chester Wolves, have been readmitted for 2000. Several have already announced exciting local initiatives aimed at increasing participation and secured additional funding from various local sponsors and government initiatives.

The clubs have been split into four regional divisions of six clubs as follows: -
NORTH - Chester Wolves, Crewe Wolves, Manchester Knights, Nottingham Outlaws, Derby City, Rotherham Giants.
WEST - Gloucestershire Warriors, Leicester Phoenix, Birmingham Bulldogs, Coventry Bears, Worcestershire Saints, Wolverhampton Wizards.
EAST - Ipswich Rhinos, South Norfolk Saints, Bedford Swifts, Cambridge Eagles, St Albans Centurions, Hemel Stags.
SOUTH - Crawley Jets, South London Storm, North London Skolars, West London Sharks, Oxford Cavaliers, Kingston Warriors .

THE 2000 CONFERENCE PLAYING SEASON

The regular season starts on Saturday, May 6 and will run for twelve consecutive weeks. Each side will play the other in their division home and away. In addition there will be two cross-conference fixtures in weeks Five and 11 and the fixtures will be selected by the club representatives themselves at the official launch in April.

The top two sides in each division will qualify for the play-offs that start on July 29. Regional Finals will be contested on August 5 with the two winners playing in the Grand Final on the August 19 at a venue in the Midlands.

NEW MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

To provide the best possible administration for the revamped competition, the management of the RLC has been strengthened enabled by direct funding from Super League Europe. A new three-man Board of Directors: RFL Chief Executive Neil Tunnicliffe, Development supremo Tom O'Donovan and RLC Chairman Lionel Hurst has been assembled and their principal responsibility will be to formalise the RLC Policy Document as well as drawing up a five-year plan for the competition.

A Board of Management, that will include the Directors, will look after the running of the RLC. Its members for 2000 are: Trevor Moss, Dave Berry, John Nugent, John Kain - who has specific line-management responsibility for the Administrator and Phil Caplan - who has specific responsibility for media relations and communication strategy.

Julian Harrison has been appointed as the full-time administrator of the RLC and he will begin his duties in mid-March following the completion of his role as Development Manager of the Student Rugby League Alumni. He will be based in Leicester.