RL Merit League

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News

15th September 2008 - Winter Merit League to run in 08/09

Due to popular demand a winter Merit League will run in the 08/09 season aimed at clubs not playing in existing leagues. Redditch Ravens, Telford Raiders, Wolverhampton Warlords, Chester Gladiators and North Derbyshire Chargers plus Tallaght Tigers from Ireland have already shown interest. Entries will be accepted throughout the autumn and games will begin in September. If you are interested, contact Tim Fellows on 0785-294-5989 or e-mail midlands_rl@btinternet.com

18th August 2008 - Marauders and Outlaws take the Silverware

Two excellent games of rugby league saw Moorends-Thorne Marauders ML and Nottingham Outlaws take the Championship and Shield finals respectively.

Moorends ML came from behind to beat the Wigan Riversiders 28-18 and Nottingham scored a late try to sneak past the Sheffield Forgers 34-32.

9th August 2008 - Shield Finalists Decided

Young players dominated the RLML Shield semi-finals as last week's losers Nottingham Outlaws and Sheffield Forgers booked their places at next week's showpiece final at Bramhope. At All Saints Sheffield Forgers made hard work of their game with Birmingham Bulldogs, grinding out a 36-24 victory. Impressive for the Forgers was young 16 year old Ben Taylor who tracked back 80 metres to prevent a Bulldogs score. The Forgers found going forward tough with many knock ons and poor handling, but their defence and determination and second half organisation was the difference between the two sides. Meanwhile at Lady Bay it was Keiron Curtis (17) who stole the headlines from 18-year-old Jimmy Keinhorst of the German Exiles. Half-back Curtis scored twice and made a third as the Outlaws stormed back from 18-6 down against an Exiles team reduced to 12 men after their stand off was dismissed for a high tackle. Keinhorst scored three times for the Exiles and was a constant threat but unfortunately for him his efforts were not quite enough.

Next weeks Grand Finals are at The Sycamores, Bramhope - home of the Leeds Akkies. The Shield Final kicks off at 12.30 followed by the Grand Final at 3 o'clock. Entry is £1.50 including a programme. .

2nd August 2008 - Marauders and Riversiders reach the Grand Final

Moorends Marauders will face the Wigan Riversiders in the RLML Grand Final in two weeks time after both teams won their semi-finals on Saturday. Moorends ran out 44-22 winners over the Sheffield Forgers and Wigan, after an even start against the Outlaws, clicked into gear in the second half and ran away with the game 48-4. The final will be a repeat of the game between the two in Wigan earlier this season, when the Riversiders just came out on top. Sheffield and Nottingham get their second chance in the Shield semi-finals next week.

26th July 2008 - Marauders take Minor Premiership

Moorends Marauders Merit League squad took the minor premiership title on points difference with a win at South Humber, setting up a semi-final next week at home to the Sheffield Forgers. Despite their win over Chester, Wigan Riversiders have to settle for third and an away trip to Nottingham Outlaws for a place in the Grand Final. Elsewhere Birmingham gained revenge for their earlier defeat at the hands of the Warlords with a comfortable win at Wolverhampton.

20th July 2008 - Forgers Win Blows Play-offs Wide Open

Sheffield Forgers inflicted the Wigan Riversiders' first home defeat of the season with a narrow 36-34 win. The result really alters the top 4 with Wigan dropping to third and Nottingham now have to win their 2 remaining home games to take the minor premiership. Moorends have a tough game next week at South Humber, who are undefeated at home after a 60-38 win over the German Exiles. The game was end to end with South Humber only making sure with two tries in the last 5 minutes.

13th July 2008 - Outlaws Edge Forgers in Battle for Third

After their original opponents both pulled out, Sheffield Forgers and Nottingham Outlaws arranged a late fixture at All Saints. The battle for third place went to the Outlaws, whilst the Forgers back up their defeat with a tough game next week away at Wigan Riversiders, who won away at East Riding. Moorends beat RLML new boys Scarborough to hold on to second place. Congratulations to Chester Gladiators, who gained their first ever win at North Derbyshire on their third long trip of the season.

6th July 2008 - Wigan and Sheffield Power On

Wigan Riversiders and Sheffield Forgers both had good wins that almost cement their place in the top 4 and a shot at the championship. Next week sees the top 8 all in action, with Scarborough making a late debut in the competition and Nottingham looking for a double against London League visitors Bedford Tigers.

29th June 2008 - Wigan back on top as Outlaws lose 100% record

South Humber Rabbitohs repeated their 2006 Grand Final victory over Nottingham Outlaws, avenging their defeat earlier this season and preventing their visitors from taking top place in the table. That position is retaken by Wigan, who crushed Scunthorpe 92-6. Sheffield Forgers beat Chester Gladiators and go fourth, while Birmimgham also maintain their play-off hopes with a good win at North Derbyshire..

25th June 2008 - RL Merit League Grand Finals Venue Confirmed

The Grand Finals of the RL Merit league will take place at The Sycamores, home of Leeds Akkies RLFC, on Sunday 17th August. The Shield Final will kick off at 1pm and the Championship match will kick off at 3pm. The league play-offs in August will determine which clubs will be present and the race for a top 8 finish by the end of July is well and truly on.

22nd June 2008 - Marauders go top despite defeat

The top of the table clash between Wigan Riversiders and Moorends ML lived up to its billing, with the Lancashire side coming out on top by the narrow margin of 22 points to 20. The Marauders go to the top of the league despite the defeat thanks to the long trip bonus point. Nottingham won again, completing a double over the Chargers at Lady Bay, and can claim top spot next week with a win at South Humber. Sheffield Forgers beat their Scunthorpe counterparts 38-10 to keep in touch with the leaders. Birmingham moved into fourth place with a comfortable home win over Crewe & Nantwich on Sunday.

15th June 2008 - Warlords Gain First Victory

Wolverhampton Warlords gained their first ever victory with a 32-22 win over local rivals Birmingham Bulldogs. It dented the Bulldogs' hopes of third place, which instead goes to South Humber, and pushes the Warlords into eighth place. South Humber go third instead, gaining a long trip point but losing out 46-28 to Crewe and Nantwich.

In the Sunday game North Derbyshire returned to form with a 70-22 drubbing of depleted Telford Raiders, avenging the defeat of 2 weeks ago.

The focus next week moves to the top of the table clash between Wigan and Moorends ML, two of the emerging favourites for the title. The Yorkshire side travel along the M62 looking to maintain their 100% record, cemented yesterday with a 56-16 win over neighbours Scunthorpe.

8th June 2008 - Wigan beat the Exiles, Moorends and Nottingham continue unbeaten runs

Wigan Riversiders are the new leaders of the Impact Sports RL Merit League, reaching 6 games and overtaking Sheffield with a narrow 28-24 win over the German Exiles. Nottingham and Moorends continued with their 100% starts, beating the two teams below them - Birmingham and South Humber. Crewe & Natwich Steamers gained their biggest win against a depleted Telford Raiders. Both sides deserve credit for their sporting attitude to the fixture - Telford for bringing a team in difficult circumstances and the Steamers for sharing players.

3rd June 2008 - Impact Player of the Month for May

The winner of the Impact Player of the Month, and recipient of an Impact Sports compression top, is Rory McQueen of the Nottingham Outlaws. Despite his young age he is a third season veteran of the Merit League and has been the key player in Nottingham's 100% start to 2008.

1st June 2008 - Six of the best for Forgers

Sheffield Forgers went to the top of the Impact Sports RL Merit League after becoming the first team to reach the 6 game mark, which is the minimum required to make the play-offs. Birmingham made it 3 in a row away at Redditch, who were making their debut in the competition. On a hot day the two sides battled it out until the last minute, with Redditch pushing hard for the 6 points needed for a draw Birmingham spun the ball wide and the wing man ran under the sticks to seal the game and put pressure on the teams above them.

Chester's first home game ended in defeat to strong Wigan outfit, but it marks the return of the game to the city. Next week sees Moorends and Nottingham back in action, aiming to keep their 100% records intact.

24th May 2008 - Nottingham edge thriller to go top

Nottingham and Moorends continue to forge ahead at the top of the Impact Sports RL Merit League with differing wins. The Outlaws went to London League rivals Bedford Tigers and needed two tries at the end of a pulsating game to sneak the win by 34-30. Moorends beat near neighbours Scunthorpe somewhat more easily, winning by 60-16. Nottingham have the edge thanks to their long trip bonus point.

A bumper weekend of fixtures saw Birmingham, Wigan, East Riding and South Humber keep just behind the leaders with good wins. Particular mention to Wigan, who beat RLC regional side Lymm Wolves. Chester Gladiators came away with a long travel point after the 300 mile round trip to Grimsby, but couldn't make it a win at their first time out. However they will take heart from a strong performance.

Crewe and Nantwich won their first ML game after a good performance at Wolverhampton.

18th May 2008 - Top Four meet

Something had to give this weekend as the unbeaten top four of the Impact Sports RL Merit League met each other. Moorends-Thorne and Nottingham Outlaws both won, with the Marauders leading the Outlaws at the top by a points difference of 1. Sheffield moved into third after an away win at Scunthorpe, and Birmingham take fourth after a home win over Telford at Moor Lane. North Derbyshire got off the mark with a hard fought win over Wolverhampton. Wigan also confirmed their potential with a strong performance at Crewe.

10th May 2008 - South Humber are new leaders

With all the early pacemakers taking a week off, South Humber Rabbitohs 40-0 win over Barton makes them the new leaders of the Impact Sports RL Merit League. Sheffield Forgers Academy scored their third win in a row, beating 12-man North Derbyshire Chargers in a close encounter at All Saints. The German Exiles got off the mark with a fine 54-18 win at Crewe and the Riversiders showed that they will be a force this season with a 48-22 win over Birmingham's Academy. Next week sees a repeat of the 2006 final when South Humber travel to Nottingham, whilst the Warlords and Telford make their 2008 debut.

5th May 2008 - Important development in Derbyshire Rugby League

Rugby league in Derbyshire took a major step forward with the announcement today that the Chesterfield Spires will combine forces with the North Derbyshire Chargers to form one club to serve the north of the county. The team will retain the Chargers branding but will play and train from the Spires' base at Chesterfield Rugby Club. Chesterfield bring three years experience of playing games at open age level and already have a relationship with the Rugby Union club in the town. The Chargers were formed in January this year as a way for pupils at Eckington School to extend the rugby league they have experienced at the school to club level. The Chargers have junior teams at the Under 16 and Under 14 age groups and will be playing in the Midlands League through the summer. In addition to the Eckington players, whose year 9 team are the current Derbyshire Schools Champions, the collaboration will enable the club to offer junior rugby league to rugby union players from the Chesterfield club and other players in the area new to rugby.

Both clubs have entered teams into the RL Merit League at open age (16 and over) level but after discussions between the committees it was felt that one club, combining the strengths of both, would enable players to get better coaching and playing standards over the short and long term. Once joint training is fully under way, the club hopes to confirm that it will field two teams in the league, giving playing opportunities to the whole squad.

The Chargers also have a women's section that has been training throughout 2008 in preparation for a season in the newly formed Women's Rugby League Conference. The competition allows teams to enter at their own level, with festivals where any numbers from a club can turn up and join forces with other development clubs to get game experience through to a full league program for clubs at a more advanced stage. The "Chargettes" will also play touch and tag rugby for those players who enjoy the skills part of the game without the rough and tumble of full contact.

The Chargers' Chairman, Tim Fellows, is happy to see the collaboration. "As someone born in Chesterfield who has lived in three different villages in the area for most of my life, the development of the sport of rugby league in this part of Derbyshire is close to my heart. This club has the potential to develop rugby league from the ground up, through a pro-active junior development program." Spires co-founder Ken Huckle agrees. "Developing local junior players has been aim of the Spires since we started it, but there has been limited resource to act on the plans. The Eckington development programme has accelerated this dramatically and enables us to drive our plans forward sooner rather than later." Luke Holt, introduced to rugby league by the Spires, is now at the Sheffield Eagles and two of the Eckington based juniors have been accepted onto the Eagles' scholarship program.

The club is also looking to develop new coaches to add to the existing team put together by Chargers' Performance Manager Rob Potts and are looking for more volunteers in any aspect of club management or administration. Several sponsors are already in place, but the club is always on the lookout for help from companies or individuals who want to contribute to junior sport in the area.

Training continues on Wednesday evenings with juniors (aged 13-16) from 6.00 - 7.15 and over 16s and women continuing from 7.15 onwards at Chesterfield Rugby Union Club, Tapton View Road. All players are welcome, regardless of rugby experience.

For more information, call Tim Fellows (midlands_rl@btinternet.com, phone 07855-281746), Rob Potts (pottsrob@hotmail.com, phone 07980-625497) or Ken Huckle (secretary@chesterfieldspires.com)

4th May 2008 - Forgers take revenge, Chargers start with defeat

The Sheffield Forgers gained revenge over the German Exiles for last season's play-off defeat in another high scoring win at All Saints. Last year saw the Exiles win 25-24, but this year the Forgers took an early grip on the game but were grateful for the fin al whistle as the Exiles scored three late unanswered tries in a 38-46 defeat.

In the North Derbyshire Chargers' opening game of the campaign, Nottingham Outlaws Academy spoilt the party with a solid performance in a 30 points to 8 victory.

29th April 2008 - Forgers overpower Riversiders, Marauders in winning debut

The Sheffield Forgers overcame a strong challenge from ML newcomers Wigan Riversiders in the second round of games in the Impact Sports RL Merit League. The Forgers were behind for much of the game but came through at the end 38-32 for their first win of 2008. In a double header with an RLC friendly at Moorends, the Marauders Academy side beat the Barton Bulldogs by 40 points to 8 to top the early leaderboard.

Next weekend sees a repeat of last year's elimination play-off with the German Exiles visiting the Sheffield Forgers (Saturday, 14.00), who will be looking to avenge their narrow defeat on that occasion. On Sunday Barton and South Humber represent the RLML at the Scunthorpe 9s, start at 11.00am. There is also a festival of rugby at Chesterfield RUFC, where the North Derbyshire Chargers will play Nottingham Outlaws at Open Age, Women's, Under 16 and Under 14s level. The junior games kick off at 13.00, followed by the women's and RLML games.

20th April 2008 - Coventry Bears win Inaugural Midlands 9s

The Coventry Bears won the Midlands 9s today at their home ground of Old Coventrians, beating a determined St Ives Roosters team in a fiery final that saw a player from both sides dismissed. The Roosters had looked set for a surprise win when they led 6-0 into the second half. A narrowly missed drop goal attempt by St Ives proved the turning point as the Bears scored two late tries to take the spoils.

In the plate final a combined Wolverhampton Wizards and Redditch Ravens team proved too strong for the newly formed North Derbyshire Chargers, who were bolstered by some loan players from Coventry's Academy.
Earlier the teams all played each other round-robin, with Coventry just edging St Ives into second place in the table. Development sides North Derbyshire and Wolverhampton Wizards got their first competitive wins in a dogfight for the plate final with the Heavy Woollen Donkeys.

Over 100 players took part in a great festival of rugby league that the organisers hope will become an annual fixture. Thanks go to Ron Banks and the Bears for hosting and organising, to the South Yorkshire & East Midlands Referees Society for the match officials and to Niel Wood and the RFL for their support.

Round robin

Coventry 12 St Ives 6
Redditch Wizards 22 Donkeys 0
Warlords 4 Chargers 0
Donkeys 8 Chargers 14
St Ives 26 Warlords 0
Coventry 42 Redditch Wizards 0
Redditch Wizards 16 Warlords 6
Coventry 28 Donkeys 0
St Ives 22 Chargers 0
Coventry 34 Warlords 0
Redditch Wizards 22 Chargers 6
St Ives 30 Donkeys 0
St Ives 28 Redditch Wizards 6
Coventry 16 Chargers 6
Donkeys 12 Warlords 10

Plate final
Redditch Wizards 16 Chargers 6

Final
Coventry 12 St Ives 6

10th April 2008 - Merit League announces new sponsor

The RL Merit League is pleased to announce that its sponsor for the 2008 season is Impact Sports, who have recently opened up an office in the midlands and who specialise in fully bespoke rugby union and rugby league on and off field gear. For this season the league will be known as the Impact Sports RL Merit League and the company will be sponsoring the league's Player of the Month and Player of the Year awards and offering discounts for orders placed by clubs registered with the league. Impact have been in the business for the last 2 years and have a large presence in the North of England and are expanding into the Midlands and Southern Region. Impact are the Official Suppliers to the USA Tomahawks.

"The partnership with Impact Sports is an ideal fit for both parties." said Tim Fellows, RL Merit League organiser. "It is good to be involved with a specialist rugby company in the league's heartland."

The Impact Sports RL Merit League kicks off on Saturday, April 12th with a fixture between East Riding Academy and Sheffield Forgers Academy and involves 16 clubs over four months of rugby league action culminating in the double header Grand Final in August.

To find out any more about Impact Sports please visit: www.impact-sports.co.uk.

25th March 2008- Merit League season poised to start

The RL Merit League is poised to kick off on April 12th with a record 14 teams, with a couple more expected to join in as the season progresses. Already over 50 games have been arranged and the season promises to be one of the most competitive so far, with some teams in their third season of Merit League action, others new to the league and a couple of well established clubs entering their second string for the first time.

"It really is a difficult league to predict in 2008", said league organiser Tim Fellows, "New teams are an unknown quantity and second teams can be variable in standard as the first team injuries take their toll. I am delighted that established and well respected summer clubs Telford Raiders and Birmingham Bulldogs have entered their academy teams this season. That, and the upcoming junior summer leagues, shows that the RFL's development program in the Midlands is bearing fruit."

For full details on the RL Merit league go to the website at http://uk.geocities.com/midlands_rl@btinternet.com

8th February 2008- New season, new name

The Midlands Merit League will, from 2008 onwards, be known as the RL Merit League. This change in name has arisen from the success of the competition and its ever increasing participants and geographical spread. "The league has seen significant growth in its first two seasons and I am expecting further entries from all over the Midlands and North in 2008", said RL Merit League Organiser Tim Fellows. "Clubs like the flexibility that a Merit League offers, and it is ideal for RLC teams who want to run a second team without week-in, week-out commitment".

The league kicks off at the end of March and closes with a double header Grand Final on Saturday, August 16th and applications are now being accepted for the 2008 season.

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