The 2026 community season, the first to be delivered under the new National Community Rugby League (NCRL) structure, launches this weekend Friday 6 March.<\/p>\n
During the off-season, 23 different playing leagues from across the\u00a0country\u00a0came\u00a0together under one unified competition structure\u00a0and brand. The reinvigorated competition framework provides\u00a0a strong base\u00a0from which to drive future growth,\u00a0reflecting a new whole-game approach prioritising player development, club\u00a0sustainability\u00a0and volunteer wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
National League Launch this weekend\u00a0<\/p>\n
Action gets underway on Friday,\u00a06th\u00a0March,\u00a0with a pulsating\u00a0Men\u2019s National Leagues\u00a0NW Conference\u00a0derby between\u00a0Blackbrook and\u00a0Clock Face Miners\u00a0in St Helens.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0remainder of Round 1\u00a0matches,\u00a0branded\u00a0\u2018The\u00a0Ignition Point\u2019,\u00a0will take place on Saturday,\u00a06th\u00a0March.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Men\u2019s Regional Leagues\u00a0<\/p>\n
The North-West Men\u2019s Regional League starts on 7th\u00a0March,\u00a0with the remaining six regional competitions from\u00a0Yorkshire,\u00a0Cumbria to London and the South East\u00a0kicking off during March and April.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s\u00a0Competition\u00a0Expands\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Women\u2019s competition gets underway later this month with\u00a0the Challenge Shield match between\u00a0Workington Town Ladies v Bronte Barbarians on Friday 21st\u00a0March,\u00a0with a full schedule the following day,\u00a0including for the first time three National League divisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Youth and Junior\u00a0and Girls\u00a0Competition Underway\u00a0<\/p>\n
The majority of\u00a0youth and junior activity will also\u00a0commence\u00a0this weekend,\u00a0with in total 8 Youth and Junior Leagues\u00a0swinging\u00a0into action over the next few weeks\u00a0including regional heavyweights the\u00a0North West\u00a0and Yorkshire Youth and Junior Leagues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alongside the Boys\u2019 competitions, Girls\u2019 Rugby League continues to go from strength to strength, having grown consistently year on year for\u00a0a number of\u00a0seasons.?The season starts this weekend for teams from Under 11s \u2013 Under 18s, with over 200 teams entered and 16 structured divisions.?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0RFL\u2019s Head of Delivery Kelly Barrett expressed,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 2,000 teams are set to take to the field over the next\u00a0few\u00a0weeks. As\u00a0always\u00a0we are incredibly grateful to the army of\u00a0experienced\u00a0volunteers who support the RFL\u00a0in\u00a0delivering these competitions and the volunteers across our community club network\u00a0who enable these teams to take to the pitch every week.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
This season is particularly significant as it is the first under the new NCRL structure. I would like to thank our clubs and league volunteers for their support, their willingness to embrace change and the huge amount of work that has gone into transitioning into this new model.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The changes\u00a0introduced\u00a0during the off-season\u00a0are\u00a0designed to improve the player experience and\u00a0strengthen the competition offer. We hope these are well received and everyone continues to work with us to \u00a0a strong and sustainable future\u00a0community rugby league!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Respect Campaign:\u00a0Lets\u00a0Make Rugby League Better\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the new season begins, the\u00a0RFL\u00a0is reminding everyone across the community game of its ongoing Respect campaign, which continues to promote positive behaviour at every level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Respect and positive behaviour remain fundamental pillars of the new NCRL framework. Clubs, players, coaches, match\u00a0officials\u00a0and supporters all play a vital role in upholding the values of rugby league and ensuring a safe,\u00a0inclusive\u00a0and enjoyable environment for all participants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The campaign promotes\u00a0high standards\u00a0in:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Touchline conduct\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Player and fan sportsmanship\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Treatment of match officials\u00a0<\/p>\n
By working together and showing respect in every interaction, we can continue to make rugby league better,\u00a0on and off the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Find Your Competition\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fixtures, league\u00a0tables\u00a0and competition updates across all NCRL leagues can be found via the official competition websites:\u00a0<\/p>\n