The Southern
Conference League 2024 ended the way the league finished in 2023 with
Hammersmith Hills Hoists, mainly Australian players working in and around
London, winning against Wests Warriors in what was a very closely fought Grand Final
held at London Skolars ground in Wood Green, London. On the same day, also at Skolars, Eastern
Rhinos won a highly competitive middle of the table clash against
North Herts Crusaders to win the SCL Shield.
Wests Warriors, a team made up of predominantly NZ expats, had
another really solid season but lost in all three encounters with Hoists. Wests
strength in depth was shown by the performance of their A team in the London
and SE league who, having come second in the league, went on to beat Brixton
Bulls in the London and SE Grand Final.
Hoists remained unbeaten throughout the season only dropping
points in a draw with London Chargers who remain a firm fixture at 3rd in the table but
showing signs of developing to push the top two in the near future. The middle
of the SCL table was contested down to the final regular match that saw Bristol
All Golds secure a playoff place at the expense of Eastern Rhinos. Rhinos still
had a great season winning the SCL Shield Final and their A team winning the East
Rugby League Cup against Bedford Tigers (A) Rhinos also won the Rotterdam 9s.
Bedford Tigers played their part in the season but results left them in the bottom half of the league, a place they probably didn't want to be and didn't do justice to their application to turn professional and join League 1.
Let’s hope that interest grows in Tigers and the club prospers in the coming seasons, whatever happens with their
ambitions toward professional status.
Brentwood Eels continue to do well in the youth junior
league but need support at open age. A league without the Eels would look
rather strange and lacking. The same can be said of London Skolars who have
been through a tough time having stepped down from League 1. However, Skolars
have recently announced a new Head Coach and that bodes well for the future.
In the London and SE league Brixton bulls lost out to Wests
Warriors (A) in the Grand Final. Other clubs based in the area seem to be
struggling for open age players. Invicta Panthers have produced some great
prospects who have reached the highest levels in Rugby League, including the
NRL and Super league but are currently struggling for numbers and volunteers (mainly coaching) to field teams at all ages. The youth teams of Medway Dragons, Panthers, and Elmbridge
Eagles all have strong squads across many age groups which looks good for the
future of Rugby League in the south, over the next few years. Brighton and Hove
have, by all accounts, a really good youth setup and should be a club to watch
in the coming seasons.
East Rugby League produced one of the surprises across the
season with one of the newest clubs in Rugby League, Anglian Vipers, applying for
League 1 status for next season. Unfortunately, at the end of the season, Vipers having won the East League
Final against Canvey Knights, were unable to field a team for the Harry Jepson semi-final
against Telford Raiders, from the Midlands League. Canvey Knights still provide
a good level of competition and along with the rebuilding of Hemel Stags and SCL clubs that are able to field an A team, should produce a competitive, if small,
league next year. There are other clubs showing signs of rebuilding across the
region; St Ives Roosters and Deeping Ducks have played friendlies this season but they will need to find the players
and the right league to play in.
The Midlands League was a very close affair with the top 6
clubs only separated by 2 points and the championship decided on points
difference with Nottingham Outlaws and Birmingham Bulldogs coming second and third respectively. The Champions, Telford Raiders have gone on to be awarded the Harry
Jepson Trophy – a competition between the Tier 5 leagues in the South but
disappointingly the semi and final did not take place due to the other teams being unable to
gather the players to make a team. Hopefully, Raiders will still get
a very prestigious place in the Challenge Cup next season.
It seems that the SCL is looking good for 2025;
Hoists and Wests are expected to remain strong contenders for the title again but Bristol All Golds and London Chargers should be pushing
hard. The restoration of Skolars with hopefully improving squad strength at
Eels and Tigers and in the middle of all this the ever-present Eastern Rhinos, one
of the oldest clubs in the Eastern region and consistently attracting the numbers to provide
a good mid table challenge.
The Midlands, London and East leagues are competitive and
mostly produce good matchups. Improving squad strength at
Hemel Stags would see a return to former performance for this historically high-profile
club in the south.
What needs to happen now is a real drive to highlight the
capability of Rugby League in the South and more exposure for the teams across
a national level maybe even an attempt to stage a "Champions Cup" match between NCL and SCL but that would need full support from the National body and, probably, help with financial aspects. This would show where quite a few players that appear for
London Broncos came from and hopefully produce more players making it to the
professional levels.
If you like this article and would like to follow Rugby
League in the South UK please follow:
Facebook:
Rugby League South - Results
Southern Conference League
Instagram:
Rugby League South_Results
Southern Conference League
