Student Rugby League

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The Student Rugby League is the organisation which administrates university and college rugby league in the United Kingdom, on behalf of the Rugby Football League and BUCS.

Due to the efforts of former Conservative party chairman Sir Edward du Cann, there is now a scholarship programme for Oxford University [1].

Rugby league in universities has been an important vehicle for expansion of the game as players from outside the heartlands often first began to play at university level. Many continue to play after leaving university and this has led to the creation of teams in non-traditional areas such as London Skolars.

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Alongside its own BUCS competition, the top university sides can qualify for the Challenge Cup, the club's members individually also have the opportunity to qualify for representative honours.

The BUSA Competition is split into nine playing leagues with the Premier North and the Premier South being supported by seven regional leagues. The fixtures run from October until March leading up to the Championship play-off series.

The U19’s College Competition is split into three leagues, the North West, Yorkshire and the Premier Division. The College leagues play from September until March culminating in a top four play-off series.

Regional and 4 Nations Championships that take place annually and form the basis of the Great Britain and Ireland Academic Lions squad. This squad takes on the Australian Universities and competes for the Academic Ashes.

[edit] History

Founded in 1967 when a team was created at Leeds University by Andrew Cudbertson, Jack Abernathy and Cec Thompson, other teams soon joined in areas of the United Kingdom which lay outside of the games traditional heartlands, in 2006 the Student Rugby League had over 70 member clubs playing in 9 leagues, club locations ranging from Napier in Scotland to Exeter in the south of England.

The first university game was between Leeds and Liverpool in 1968. A year later the Universities and Colleges Rugby League was formed after student pioneers fought hard to get the sport recognised in higher education.

Rugby league reached Oxford University in 1976 and the first Oxford versus Cambridge University match took place in 1981. The varsity match has 'discretionary full blue' status. The game is now played in over 70 Universities.

In 2006 the Student Rugby League had over 70 member clubs playing in 9 leagues, club locations ranging from Napier in Scotland to Exeter in the south of England.

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