South Wales Premiership
The South Wales Premiership is the league for amateur clubs in southern Wales. Previously it was part of the Rugby League Conference but became standalone in 2012.
| Founded | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Wales |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | National Conference League via application to RFL |
| Domestic cup(s) | Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Rhondda Outlaws |
| TV partners | none |
History
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 marked 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 decision 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.
The RLC Welsh Championship division was given a re-structure following four West Wales clubs not fulfilling 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 was created.
From 2023, the league will once again be split East and West and the winners of the competition will play the winners of the North Wales Conference for a place in the Challenge Cup.
Position in Pyramid
- 1: Super League
- 2: Championship
- 3: League 1
- 4: Conference League South
- 5: South Wales Premiership
Teams
2012
| Club | Founded | Location | RLC Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgend Blue Bulls | 2003 | Porthcawl | Welsh Premier: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Harry Jepson Trophy: 2003, 2005 |
| Cardiff Demons | 1997 | Cardiff | RLC South West: 2003 Welsh Shield: 2004 East Wales Division: 2006 |
| Titans RLFC | 2004 | Machen | Welsh Shield: 2005 Welsh Plate: 2009 |
| Valley Cougars | 2001 | Nelson | Welsh Premier: 2008, 2010 |
| Blackwood Bulldogs | 2006 | Blackwood, Caerphilly | Welsh Premier: 2009 |
| Bonymaen Broncos | 2011 | Bon-y-maen, Swansea | |
| Dyffryn Devils | 2010 | Ammanford, Carmarthenshire | |
| Tydfil Wildcats Rugby League | 2008 | Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr Tydfil | |
- NB: Blackwood Bulldogs and Tydfil Wildcats failed to start the season. Cardiff Demons, Titans and Dyffryn Devils failed to complete the season.
Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis. Each Premier division then has its own play-off series to determine the champion with the five divisional winners entering the national play-offs. The winner of the national play-offs is awarded the Harry Jepson Trophy.
2013
- Premier Division: Bonymaen Broncos, Borderer Boars, Cardiff Demons, Newport Titans, Torfaen Tigers, Valley Cougars. Bridgend Blue Bulls and Blackwood Bulldogs entered but failed to start the season. Borderer Boars failed to complete the season
- South Wales Merit Table: Cardiff Demons B, Cardiff Spartans, Gwendraeth Valley Raiders, Torfaen Tigers B
2014
- Aber Valley Wolves, Bridgend Blue Bulls, Cardiff Demons, Cardiff Spartans, Gwendraeth Valley Raiders, Newport Titans, Torfaen Tigers, Valley Cougars A
Winners
- RLC Welsh Premier era
- 2003: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2004: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2005: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2006: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2007: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2008: Valley Cougars
- 2009: Blackwood Bulldogs
- 2010: Valley Cougars
- 2011: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- South Wales Premiership era
- 2012: Bonymaen Broncos
- 2013: Torfaen Tigers
- 2014: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2015: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2016: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2017: Valley Cougars
- 2018: Valley Cougars
- 2019: Rhondda Outlaws
- 2020: Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021: Bridgend Blue Bulls
- 2022: Rhondda Outlaws
Welsh Shield
Secondary Welsh competition for teams who do not make the play-offs for the Welsh Premier. It has not been contested since 2005.
- 2004: Cardiff Demons
- 2005: Newport Titans (now Titans RLFC)
Plate Final
- 2009: Newport Titans (now Titans RLFC) 32 - 24 Dinefwr Sharks
League standings
| Current Teams | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwood Bulldogs | x | x | x | 1st | ||||
| Bridgend Blue Bulls | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||
| Cardiff Demons | x | |||||||
| CPC Bears | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Dinefwr Sharks 1 | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Neath Port Talbot Steelers 2 | x | |||||||
| Newport Titans | x | |||||||
| Rumney Rhinos | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Swansea Valley Miners 3 | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Torfaen Tigers | 3rd | x | ||||||
| Valley Cougars 4 | 1st | |||||||
| West Wales Wild Boars | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
- 1 competed as West Wales Sharks between 2006 and 2008
- 2 competed as Aberavon Fighting Irish between 2003 and 2006
- 3 competed as Swansea Bulls in 2003
- 4 competed as Cynon Valley Cougars in 2003
Key
| DNF | Did not complete the season |
| x | Did not participate |
| Divisional winner | |
| Qualified for divisional play-off | |
| Finished bottom | |
Junior league
The South Wales Premiership also opperates at under-17, under-15, and under-13 age groups.