2012 National Conference League

2012 National Conference League
2012 National Conference League
League	National Conference League
Teams	51
2012 Season
Champions	Wath Brow Hornets
League Leaders	Wath Brow Hornets
	← 2010–11 2013 →

The 2012 National Conference League was the 27th season of the National Conference League, the top league for British amateur rugby league clubs, and was the first season that the league was played in the summer.

The league was expanded to four tiers for the first time, with the new Division Three largely consisting of teams from the former Rugby League Conference National Division.

Premier Division

The Premier Division featured three new clubs:

Oulton Raiders, promoted as champions from 2010–11 NCL Division One
Ince Rose Bridge, promoted from 2010–11 NCL Division One
Myton Warriors, promoted from 2010–11 NCL Division One

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Wath Brow Hornets (C)	26	17	2	7	655	563	92	36	Qualification for National Conference League play-offs
2	Siddal	26	18	0	8	630	863	36	36
3	Myton Warriors	26	16	3	7	665	429	236	35
4	Thatto Heath Crusaders	26	17	0	9	790	556	234	34
5	Leigh Miners Rangers	26	16	1	9	750	477	273	33
6	West Hull	26	16	0	10	590	487	103	32
7	Wigan St Patricks	26	14	0	12	647	541	106	28
8	Hull Dockers	26	13	0	13	628	637	−9	26
9	Ince Rose Bridge	26	9	2	15	581	607	−26	20
10	East Hull	26	9	2	15	633	721	−88	20
11	Skirlaugh	26	9	1	16	439	636	−197	19
12	Leigh East (R)	26	9	0	17	604	662	−58	18	Relegated to National Conference League Division Two^[a]
13	Oulton Raiders (R)	26	7	1	18	500	765	−265	15	Relegated to National Conference League Division One
14	Saddleworth Rangers (R)	26	5	2	19	505	942	−437	12	Relegated to National Conference League Division One

Source: [1]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

^ Leigh East were already relegated based on their league position, but were demoted another division due to non-fulfillment of a fixture during the season.^[1]

Play-offs


Elimination finals			Major/Minor semifinal			Preliminary final		Grand Final

			3 November 2012					16 November 2012

			1	Wath Brow Hornets	18			Wath Brow Hornets	22

			2	Siddal	12	10 November 2012		Myton Warriors	6
27 October 2012
						Siddal	22
3	Myton Warriors	24
			3 November 2012			Myton Warriors	23
6	West Hull	22
			Myton Warriors		21
27 October 2012
			Thatto Heath Crusaders		20
4	Thatto Heath Crusaders	38

5	Leigh Miners Rangers	6

Division One

Division One featured six new clubs:

Hunslet Warriors, promoted as champions from 2010–11 NCL Division Two
Castleford Lock Lane, promoted from 2010–11 NCL Division Two
Egremont Rangers, promoted from 2010–11 NCL Division Two
Bradford Dudley Hill, relegated from 2010–11 NCL Premier Division
Wigan St Judes, relegated from 2010–11 NCL Premier Division
York Acorn, relegated from 2010–11 NCL Premier Division

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Egremont Rangers (C, P)	26	19	0	7	921	558	363	38	Promoted to National Conference League Premier Division
2	Castleford Lock Lane (P)	26	19	0	7	679	443	236	38
3	York Acorn (P)	26	19	0	7	701	509	192	38
4	Bradford Dudley Hill	26	18	1	7	850	404	446	37
5	Hunslet Warriors	26	18	1	7	746	434	312	37
6	Rochdale Mayfield	26	15	1	10	759	587	172	31
7	Milford Marlins	26	14	2	10	692	438	254	30
8	Wigan St Judes	26	15	0	11	796	662	134	30
9	Eccles & Salford	26	12	1	13	669	718	−49	25
10	Millom	26	10	0	16	536	661	−125	20
11	Stanley Rangers	26	8	1	17	534	832	−298	17
12	Stanningley (R)	26	8	0	18	426	822	−396	16	Relegated to National Conference League Division Two
13	Oldham St Annes (R)	26	2	0	24	414	872	−458	4
14	Castleford Panthers (R)	26	1	1	24	282	1065	−783	3

Source: [2]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Division Two

Division Two featured five new clubs:

Normanton Knights, relegated from 2010–11 NCL Division One
Askam, played in 2011 NCL transitional season
Widnes West Bank, played in 2011 NCL transitional season
Dewsbury Celtic, joined from Rugby League Conference National Division
Featherstone Lions, joined from Rugby League Conference National Division

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	East Leeds (C, P)	24	22	0	2	800	313	487	44	Promoted to National Conference League Division One
2	Waterhead Warriors (P)	24	18	0	6	799	454	345	36
3	Dewsbury Celtic (P)	24	17	1	6	832	463	369	35
4	Shaw Cross Sharks	24	17	1	6	568	382	186	35
5	Widnes West Bank	24	13	1	10	657	488	169	27
6	Crosfields (R)	24	11	0	13	562	863	−32	22	Relegated to National Conference League Division Three^[a]
7	Normanton Knights	24	11	0	13	499	762	−263	22
8	Ovenden	24	10	1	13	544	651	−107	21
9	Featherstone Lions (R)	24	9	3	12	565	724	−159	21	Relegated to National Conference League Division Three^[a]
10	Askam	24	10	0	14	511	615	−104	20
11	Elland	24	9	1	14	569	518	51	19
12	Eastmoor Dragons	24	4	1	19	524	706	−182	9
13	Heworth (R)	24	0	1	23	252	1012	−760	1	Relegated to National Conference League Division Three^[a]

Source: [3]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:

^ ^a ^b ^c Although there was no official relegation to Division Three, Crosfields, Featherstone Lions and Heworth were all demoted due to non-fulfillment of a fixture during the season.^[1]

Division Three

Of the ten clubs in the newly formed Division Three, seven joined from the former Rugby League Conference National Division and two teams were promoted from the RLC Premier Divisions (Bristol Sonics and St Albans Centurions). The tenth club, South Wales Hornets, were a newly founded team. The Grand Final winners were Hemel Stags, defeating Underbank Rangers 17–10.

At the end of the season, all clubs apart from Underbank Rangers and Coventry Bears withdrew from the league for various reasons:

Hemel Stags, accepted into Championship One
Bristol Sonics, St Albans Centurions and Nottingham Outlaws, joined newly formed Conference League South
Bramley Buffaloes and Kippax Knights, applications rejected by NCL; joined Yorkshire Men's League
Warrington Wizards, merged with Woolston Rovers
South Wales Hornets, folded

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Underbank Rangers	18	16	2	702	160	542	50	Qualification for NCL Division Three play-offs
2	Hemel Stags (C)	18	15	3	612	229	383	47
3	Coventry Bears	18	13	5	512	320	192	40
4	Warrington Wizards	18	12	6	543	402	141	37
5	Bramley Buffaloes	18	8	10	378	402	−24	29
6	Nottingham Outlaws	18	6	12	366	620	−254	21
7	St Albans Centurions	18	5	13	362	626	−264	20
8	Kippax Knights	17	5	12	302	454	−152	19
9	Bristol Sonics	17	5	12	333	583	−250	18
10	South Wales Hornets	18	4	14	297	611	−314	14

Source: [4]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions

Play-offs


Elimination finals			Major/Minor semifinal			Preliminary final		Grand Final

			15 September 2012					29 September 2012

			1	Underbank Rangers	14			Hemel Stags	17

			2	Hemel Stags	24	22 September 2012		Underbank Rangers	10
9 September 2012
						Underbank Rangers	36
3	Coventry Bears	40
			15 September 2012			Coventry Bears	18
6	Nottingham Outlaws	16
			Coventry Bears		44
8 September 2012
			Warrington Wizards		34
4	Warrington Wizards	64

5	Bramley Buffaloes	22

References

^ ^a ^b Brough, Martin. "NCL Statement: Leigh East and Heworth". Pitch Hero. Retrieved 2 July 2017.

[table_note_res_REL20.75515277066974-2] Leigh East were already relegated based on their league position, but were demoted another division due to non-fulfillment of a fixture during the season.^[1]

[table_note_res_REL0.77315571660789-3] Although there was no official relegation to Division Three, Crosfields, Featherstone Lions and Heworth were all demoted due to non-fulfillment of a fixture during the season.^[1]

[nclstatement-1] Brough, Martin. "NCL Statement: Leigh East and Heworth". Pitch Hero. Retrieved 2 July 2017.

[a]

[1]

[a]