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The 2026 Community Season Launches Under New National Community Rugby League Structure (NCRL)
The 2026 community season, the first to be delivered under the new National Community Rugby League (NCRL) structure, launches this weekend Friday 6 March.
During the off-season, 23 different playing leagues from across the country came together under one unified competition structure and brand. The reinvigorated competition framework provides a strong base from which to drive future growth, reflecting a new whole-game approach prioritising player development, club sustainability and volunteer wellbeing.
National League Launch this weekend
Action gets underway on Friday, 6th March, with a pulsating Men’s National Leagues NW Conference derby between Blackbrook and Clock Face Miners in St Helens.
The remainder of Round 1 matches, branded ‘The Ignition Point’, will take place on Saturday, 6th March.
Men’s Regional Leagues
The North-West Men’s Regional League starts on 7th March, with the remaining six regional competitions from Yorkshire, Cumbria to London and the South East kicking off during March and April.
Women’s Competition Expands
The Women’s competition gets underway later this month with the Challenge Shield match between Workington Town Ladies v Bronte Barbarians on Friday 21st March, with a full schedule the following day, including for the first time three National League divisions.
Youth and Junior and Girls Competition Underway
The majority of youth and junior activity will also commence this weekend, with in total 8 Youth and Junior Leagues swinging into action over the next few weeks including regional heavyweights the North West and Yorkshire Youth and Junior Leagues.
Alongside the Boys’ competitions, Girls’ Rugby League continues to go from strength to strength, having grown consistently year on year for a number of seasons.?The season starts this weekend for teams from Under 11s – Under 18s, with over 200 teams entered and 16 structured divisions.?
RFL’s Head of Delivery Kelly Barrett expressed,
“Around 2,000 teams are set to take to the field over the next few weeks. As always we are incredibly grateful to the army of experienced volunteers who support the RFL in delivering these competitions and the volunteers across our community club network who enable these teams to take to the pitch every week.”
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.
The changes introduced during the off-season are designed to improve the player experience and strengthen the competition offer. We hope these are well received and everyone continues to work with us to a strong and sustainable future community rugby league!”
Respect Campaign: Lets Make Rugby League Better
As the new season begins, the RFL is reminding everyone across the community game of its ongoing Respect campaign, which continues to promote positive behaviour at every level.
Respect and positive behaviour remain fundamental pillars of the new NCRL framework. Clubs, players, coaches, match officials and supporters all play a vital role in upholding the values of rugby league and ensuring a safe, inclusive and enjoyable environment for all participants.
The campaign promotes high standards in:
· Touchline conduct
· Player and fan sportsmanship
· Treatment of match officials
By working together and showing respect in every interaction, we can continue to make rugby league better, on and off the field.
Find Your Competition
Fixtures, league tables and competition updates across all NCRL leagues can be found via the official competition websites:
The 2026 campaign represents more than the start of a new season; it signals a unified future for community rugby league, built on collaboration,sustainability and shared ambition.
