The National Conference League (known as the Impact Performance National Conference League for sponsorship reasons and often abbreviated to simply NCL) is the fourth tier of the male British rugby league structure, currently consisting of top-level amateur clubs based wholly within Northern England.

Since 2012, the National Conference League operates over a summer season in line with the professional game.

History

The league was founded as the BARLA National League for the 1986–87 season with 10 teams: Dudley Hill, Egremont Rangers, Heworth, Leigh Miners Welfare (now Leigh Miners Rangers), Milford Marlins, Millom, Pilkington Recs, West Hull, Wigan St Patrick's and Woolston Rovers. The original NCL concept was one team per town.

The league added a second division in 1989, and expanded to three divisions (now named premier, first and second as opposed to first and second) along with a rebrand to the current name of National Conference League in 1993.

Somewhat confusingly, in the late 1990s and 2000s another major amateur competition was also titled conference: the Rugby League Conference (RLC), which operated a summer season as opposed to the traditional winter season retained by the NCL. The move to a summer season by the NCL in 2012 and a reorganisation by the RFL resulted in a merger of the leagues and the creation of a new NCL 3rd division out of the old RLC National Division, which was replaced by the Conference League South in 2013.

**Nationale Conference League**

Die Nationale Conference League ist ein Rugby-League-Turnier für Mannschaften der zweiten Spielklasse in England. Sie wurde 2015 gegründet, um die Lücke zwischen der Super League und den Amateurligen zu schließen.

Die Liga besteht aus zwölf Mannschaften, die in zwei Konferenzen aufgeteilt sind:

* Nordkonferenz: Barrow Raiders, Bradford Bulls, Halifax RLFC, Keighley Cougars, London Broncos, Oldham RLFC
* Südkonferenz: Batley Bulldogs, Coventry Bears, Featherstone Rovers, Hunslet RLFC, Newcastle Thunder, Workington Town

Die Mannschaften spielen jedes Team in ihrer Konferenz zweimal sowie einmal gegen jedes Team aus der anderen Konferenz. Die besten acht Mannschaften der Gesamtwertung erreichen die Play-offs, in denen der Sieger in die Super League aufsteigen kann.

Die Nationale Conference League ist ein wichtiger Schritt in der Entwicklung des Rugby League in England. Sie bietet ehrgeizigen Mannschaften eine Plattform, um ihr Potenzial unter Beweis zu stellen und den Aufstieg in die höchste Spielklasse anzustreben.