Skanska Amateur Four Nations

Skanaska Amateur Four Nations or Home Nations Championship is a rugby league competition contested annually by Wales A, Ireland A, Scotland A and the England Lionhearts. While the teams from the Celtic nations are officially the countries' second string sides, the Lionhearts are England's representatives from the Rugby League Conference and the student and armed forces' sides. The competition has previously been sponsored by Cheltenham Regency and Parkhouse Recruitment.

Contents

History

Friendly matches between A sides were played between 1998 and 2001 with Scotland facing Wales twice and Ireland three times and Wales taking on the forerunner to the England Lionhearts once.

The success of these one-off friendly internationals saw the advent of the first Home Nations Championship in 2002.

Until the final match between Wales and England at Cheltenham, the tournament was low-key and had little publicity, even in Wales where the Ireland match was played on a park pitch in Penarth on a Sunday morning. But the England v Wales match received unprecedented national coverage with highlights on Sky Sports and resulted in a shock Wales win.

Wales would continue to "shock" for the next four years as they continued to win the title, only losing two matches in this period. It took the introduction of the Crusaders to weaken the Wales side and allow England to win the title for the first time in 2006. Even then Wales only lost by two penalties and travelled with a weakened injury-laden side.

The tournament has been successful in introducing new players to international rugby league with at least three players from the Celtic nations each year are invited to play for their full international sides.

Results and Tables

2002

Team P W D L For Agn Pts Diff
Wales 3 3 0 0 120 60 6 60
England 3 2 0 1 108 46 4 62
Ireland 3 1 0 2 100 94 2 6
Scotland 3 0 0 3 40 168 0 -128

15 June - Scotland 22 Wales 40 at Glasgow

16 June - Ireland 10 England 32

20 July - Scotland 8 England 58

21 July - Wales 52 Ireland 20 at Penarth

18 August - Ireland 70 Scotland 10

15 September - England 18 Wales 28 at Cheltenham

2003

Team P W D L For Agn Pts Diff
Wales 3 2 0 1 104 72 4 32
England 3 2 0 1 80 62 4 18
Scotland 3 1 0 2 90 96 2 -6
Ireland 3 1 0 2 66 110 2 -44

21 June - England 28 Scotland 20

28 June - Ireland 32 Wales 28 at Dublin

27 July - Wales 48 Scotland 22 at Brewery Field, Bridgend

27 July - England 34 Ireland 14

9 August - Scotland 48 Ireland 20

14 September - Wales 28 England 18 at Aberavon RFC

2004

Team P W D L For Agn Pts Diff
Wales 3 3 0 0 124 70 6 54
Scotland 3 1 0 2 76 78 2 -2
England 3 1 0 2 63 88 2 -25
Ireland 3 1 0 2 56 83 2 -27

15 May - Wales 56 Ireland 12 at Cardiff Athletics Stadium

13 June - Scotland 26 England 28

3 July - Scotland 26 Wales 34 at Glasgow

3 July - Ireland 28 England 24 at Clontarf RFC, Dublin

22 August - Ireland 16 Scotland 24

12 September - England 32 Wales 34 at Coventry Bears

2005

Team P W D L For Agn Pts Diff
Wales 3 2 0 1 120 54 4 66
Scotland 3 2 0 1 69 102 4 -33
England 3 1 0 2 60 75 2 -15
Ireland 3 1 0 2 52 70 2 -18

12 June - Wales 70 Scotland 8 at Brewery Field, Crusaders

2 July - England 8 Ireland 26 at Odsal, Bradford

16 July - Ireland 10 Wales 18 at Terenure College, Dublin

23 July - England 16 Scotland 17 at New River Stadium, London Skolars

14 August - Scotland 44 Ireland 16 at Glasgow

11 September - Wales 32 England 36 at Brewery Field, Crusaders

2006

Team P W D L For Agn Pts Diff
England 3 3 0 0 120 63 6 57
Ireland 3 2 0 1 85 84 4 1
Wales 3 1 0 2 58 70 2 -12
Scotland 3 0 0 3 60 106 0 -46

Saturday 15 July - Ireland 23 England 44 at Terenure College RFC, Dublin

Saturday 3 June - Ireland 38 Scotland 30 at St Marys RFC, Limerick

Sunday 16 July - Scotland 16 Wales 22 at Glasgow

Sunday 13 August - Scotland 14 England 46 at Glasgow

Saturday 19 August - Wales 10 Ireland 24 at Brewery Field, Crusaders

Sunday 10 September England 30 Wales 26 at Featherstone Rovers

2007

Team P W D L For Agn Pts Diff
Wales 3 2 1 0 99 64 5 35
Ireland 3 2 1 0 72 56 5 16
England 3 1 0 2 81 107 2 -26
Scotland 3 0 0 3 88 114 0 -26

Saturday 16 June - Wales A 44 Scotland 30 at Cardiff Demons

Saturday 23 June - England A 22 Ireland A 28 at Leigh Centurions

Saturday 30 June - Wales A 22 France A 18 at Neath Port Talbot Steelers (not part of Championship)

Saturday 14 July - Ireland A 16 Wales 16 at Carlow

Saturday 14 July - England A 42 Scotland A 40 at Gateshead Thunder

Saturday 11 August - Scotland A 18 Ireland A 28 at Glasgow Hawks

Sunday 19 August - Wales A 39 England A 18 at Blackwood Bulldogs