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The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the TotalRL Conference as a result of sponsorship from totalrl.com (http://www.totalrl.com)) is a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throught England and Wales. Currently there are ten divisions (Cumbria, North East, North West, Yorkshire, North Midlands, Midlands, East, South West, South, Wales)
The Conference was founded in 1998 with 15 teams, it grew out of the Midlands and South West Amateur Rugby League (MASWARLA) and the Southern Conference League. It was originally known as the Summer Conference as most other amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) play in winter. Confusingly, the top (winter) league administered by BARLA is also titled conference: the National Conference League.
Although many of the clubs are affiliated to BARLA, the RLC is run, not by them, but by the Rugby Football League.
The aim of the RLC is to provide regular fixture for new clubs based outside the 'heartland' of rugby league. The hope is that at least some of these clubs will eventually progress to become semi-professional clubs that could one day join the 'traditional' clubs in the national leagues. Several former RLC teams are now in National League Three whilst London Skolars have progressed far enough to now play in National League Two.
After the end of the RLC season a series of games between the different English regions (as defined by Sport England) are held. These regional teams draw upon players from the clubs in their region. After this a selection is made for the England Lionhearts who represent England in a competition against national amateur sides from Wales (players drawn from Welsh RLC teams), Scotland and Ireland (players from own national amateur championship).
From 2004/5 there will be a new competition called the RLC Premier which will consist of four regional based divisions: North, Midlands, South and Wales. The North, Midlands and South divisions will feature the twelve strongest teams in those areas whereas the Wales division will be the RLC Conference Wales division all promoted at the same time (with the possible addition of North Wales Coasters, who currently play in the Northwest division of the RLC).
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