Midlands Rugby League Division Two
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Formerly known as | Midlands Merit League, RL Merit League, Midlands Rugby League |
| Inaugural season | 2009 |
| Chair | Tim Fellows |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Country |  England |
| Champions | Leamington Royals (2013) |
| Website | midlandsrugbyleague.co.uk |
| Related competition | Midlands Rugby League Premier Division, Midlands Rugby League Division One, Midlands Junior League |
The Midlands Rugby League Division Two is a summer rugby league tournament in the Midlands region of England. It was previously known as the Midlands Rugby League and the Midlands Merit League. Its season runs from April to August.
History
The Midlands Merit League was founded in late 2005 to support the growth of rugby league in non-heartland areas. The 2007 season saw the introduction of an informal under-15 league Midlands Junior League based on Merit League principles. In 2008 the junior competition featured under-14 and under-16 divisions.
The league was renamed RL Merit League (RLML) for the 2008 season due to its increased geographical spread with teams from the North of England taking part. 2009 saw the largest ever entry, with over 30 teams split into two Northern pools; "Yorkshire and Humber" and "North West" and the stand-alone Midlands Rugby League.
In 2012, the Rugby League Conference was replaced by regional leagues and the Midlands Rugby League took control of the RLC Midlands Premier Division and the RLC Midlands regional division. The old Midlands Rugby League continued as Division Two of the new Midlands pyramid.
Community game pyramid
- National Conference League
- Conference League South
- Midlands Rugby League Premier Division
- Midlands Rugby League Division One
- Midlands Rugby League Division Two
Participating clubs
The participating clubs in 2012 were:
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Participating teams by season
- For information prior to the split see: History of the RL Merit League
- 2009: Birmingham Bulldogs A, Burntwood Barbarians, Coventry Bears A, Leamington Royals, Leicester Phoenix A, Northampton Casuals A, North Derbyshire Chargers, Nottingham Outlaws, Redditch Ravens, Telford Raiders A, Wolverhampton Warlords, Wolverhampton Wizards
- 2010: Birmingham Bulldogs B, Dronfield Drifters, Leicester Storm A, North Derbyshire Chargers, Northampton Casuals A, North Staffordshire RLFC, Nottingham Outlaws B, Telford Raiders A, Wolverhampton RLFC
- 2011: Coventry Dragons, Coventry Warriors, Dronfield Drifters, Hope Valley Hawks, Leamington Royals A, Leicester Storm A, NEW Ravens, Nottingham Outlaws B, Sleaford Spartans, Telford Raiders A, Wolverhampton RLFC
- 2012: Bridgnorth Bulls, Coventry Warriors, Derby City, Dronfield Drifters, Hope Valley Hawks, Leamington Royals A, North Derbyshire Chargers, Telford Raiders A
- 2013: Coventry Bears, Coventry Dragons A, Derby City, Leamington Royals, Telford Raiders A, Wolverhampton RLFC
Teams joining the Rugby League Conference
- 2010: Birmingham Bulldogs A, Coventry Bears A, Leamington Royals, Redditch Ravens
- 2011: Bristol Sonics A, Northampton Demons A
Format
The scoring system for 2010 for the Midlands Rugby League men's competition was as follows:
Win: 3 points
Draw: 2 points
Defeat not conceded: 1 point
Default on game within three days of fixture: 0 points, with 24-0 score-line awarded to the opposition.
The average number of points scored per game, rather than the total, determines positions in the league table. Teams who have played 6 or more games will be placed higher in the table than those who haven't. If the average is the same, total games played followed by points difference will determine the placings.
Inter-league games between members of the Midlands Rugby League and the London League or RL Merit League can be counted as competitive matches, whilst both leagues are in season. These fixtures will need to be confirmed a week in advance to be guaranteed inclusion as regular season games.
Past winners
For the sake of completeness, previous Midlands competitions are included.
Midlands Merit League Championship
| 2006 | South Humber Rabbitohs | 42-18 | Nottingham Outlaws Academy |
| 2007 | St Helens Wild Boars | 46-22 | German Exiles |
| 2008 | Moorends-Thorne Marauders ML | 28-18 | Wigan Riversiders |
Midlands Merit League Shield
| 2007 | East Riding RLC | 32-26 | Nottingham Outlaws Academy |
| 2008 | Nottingham Outlaws Academy | 34-32 | Sheffield Forgers |
Midlands Rugby League
| 2009 | Birmingham Bulldogs A | 26-12 | North Derbyshire Chargers |
| 2010 | Leicester Storm A | 24-22 | North Derbyshire Chargers |
| 2011 | Hope Valley Hawks | 72-32 | Sleaford Spartans |
Midlands Rugby League Division Two
- 2012 Hope Valley Hawks
- 2013 Leamington Royals