| South Wales Men's League | |
| Founded: | 2003 |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Levels: | 5 |
| Domest Cup: | Challenge Cup |
| Champions: | Aberavon Fighting Irish |
| Runners-Up: | South Wales Jets |
| Current Winners In 2024 Season: | Aberavon Fighting Irish |
| Most Champs: | Bridgend Blue Bulls (10) |
| Website: | www.wrl.wales |
| Current: | 2024 |
The South Wales Men's League is a summer rugby league competition for amateur teams in South Wales. The competition was formed in 2003 as the RLC Welsh Premier. Following the 2012 restructure of amateur rugby league in Great Britain, it was renamed the South Wales Premiership.
See also: History of the Rugby League Conference. The Rugby League Conference (RLC) was founded in 1997 as the Southern Conference, a 10-team pilot league for teams in the South of England and English Midlands.
The RLC first expanded into Wales in 2001 when Cardiff Demons joined the South West division.
In 2003, the RLC expanded with the creation of the Welsh Premier division. This division had 6 teams in the inaugural season and was the first all-Welsh rugby league division.
The Welsh Premier division was split into two divisions, East Wales and West Wales, in 2006, though this split was reversed for the following season.
The Welsh Conference Junior League began in 2009.
In 2010, due to the growth of the sport, a Championship division was formed which would function at one tier lower than the present Premier division. This Championship division featured teams from South Wales.[1]
The RLC Welsh Championship division was restructured after four West Wales clubs failed to fulfil their fixtures. Amman Valley Rhinos, Dinefwr Sharks, Swansea/Llanelli Dragons and West Wales Wild Boars were omitted and replaced with newly formed Dyffryn Devils.
In 2012 the league became the South Wales Premiership, with the lower Championship division being abolished. 2012 also saw the creation of the North Wales Conference. This was part of large restructure of the RLC as the Conference League South (CLS) was created.
In 2017, the competition was renamed as the South Wales Premier League, and saw three Conference League South teams return to the competition with the CLS not running that year.[2]
From 2023, the winners of the competition will play the winners of the North Wales Conference for a place in the Challenge Cup. Due to logistical issues 2023 Champions (in their debut season), South Wales Jets were allocated the Welsh League place in the Challenge Cup.
For the 2024 season, JES Group was announced as the competition's principal sponsor.[5]
See also: British rugby league system.
Eight teams will contest the 2024 season:[6]
The competition is played as a single round robin with one loop fixture, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs.[5]
See also: Rugby League Conference trophy winners.
Source:[7]
The South Wales Premiership has, on occasion, held a shield/plate competition for clubs who failed to reach the playoffs:
During the RLC era, a second tier competition was held for a brief period called the "RLC Wales Regional". Winner were:
The South Wales Premiership also operates at under-17, under-15, and under-13 age groups.