The RFL President's Cup is an annual competition for men's and women's representative teams drawn from the British Rugby league structure and is run by the Rugby Football League (RFL). It was previously known as the RFL Association's Cup.
History The RFL Associations Cup was founded in 2014 following the previous year's Rugby League Festival Of World Cups (the series of Rugby League World Cups for women, wheelchair, police, armed forces and students) with a view to better preparing each of the competing British entries ahead of their inclusion in future World Cups.
Speaking at the launch of the competition, David Gent, the RFL's Director of Participation stated "This competition is about a regular fixed competition for these associations, but it is vital we support these squads in their attempts to win their respective World Cups."
Additional benefits for the women's team would be to give selectors the opportunity to scout players from all sections of the women's game, to create higher intensity fixtures than the domestic competition at the time provided and to select players to the national women's squad.
The first season saw the men's competition involving Great Britain Students, Great Britain Armed Forces, Great Britain Teachers and Great Britain Police and the women's competition featuring England Students, Great Britain Armed Forces, Great Britain Teachers and The Lionesses - a team made up of players from the women's domestic league who were not eligible for any of the other three teams.
In 2015 England Universities replaced Great Britain Students in the men's competition following the movement of the Student Rugby League Four Nations Competition from the Easter period to a summer slot.
No men's or women's competition took place in 2017 owing to teams participating in the Festival of World Cups in Australia. During this year, Great Britain Armed Forces re-branded to become UK Armed Forces.
For the 2018 season, the competition was renamed RFL President's Cup. The women's competition was discontinued following the RFL revamping the international player pathway process and introducing a National Performance Programme with a focus on talent identification, player skill development, physical competences and the creation of a performance coaching environment in advance of the RFL opening a National Rugby League Centre in Manchester which will provide facilities for the England Women's team to train at. An Origin Game was also introduced to recreate international competition to develop the elite players.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, but the competition returned in 2022 which also saw the return of a women's competition, this time for only 3 teams; England Students, Great Britain Teachers and UK Armed Forces.
Format Each team plays each other once in a single round-robin competition, with the team finishing at the top of the league table being crowned champions.
Competition points are scored as follows:
Win: 2 points Draw: 1 point Loss: 0 points Default on game: 0 points (with 24–0 score-line awarded to the opposition).
Where teams are tied on competition points, points difference (the cumulative number of points scored in all games minus the cumulative number of points conceded in all games) is used to determine league positions.
The Pankhurst Trophy, previously played for annually and awarded to the winner of the England Students v UK Armed Forces women's game, continues to be awarded to the winner of the fixture.
Men's Competition
2022 season The fixtures for the 2022 season are: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue UK Armed Forces 52–0 Great Britain Police 30 March 2022, 6:00pm Saddleworth Rangers England Universities 32–12 Great Britain Teachers 30 March 2022, 8:00pm Saddleworth Rangers Great Britain Police 38–32 England Universities 27 April 2022, 6:00pm Lock Lane Great Britain Teachers 18–40 UK Armed Forces 27 April 2022, 8:00pm Lock Lane Great Britain Teachers 32–40 Great Britain Police 25 May 2022, 6:00pm Leigh Miners Rangers UK Armed Forces 14–26 England Universities 25 May 2022, 8:00pm Leigh Miners Rangers
2021 season Competition did not take place.
2020 season Competition did not take place.
2019 season The fixtures for the 2019 season are: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue UK Armed Forces 38–6 Great Britain Police 10 April 2019, 6:00pm Leigh Miners Rangers England Universities 54–8 Great Britain Teachers 10 April 2019, 8:00pm Leigh Miners Rangers Great Britain Police 6–16 England Universities 8 May 2019, 6:00pm Siddal A.R.L.F.C. Great Britain Teachers 0–22 UK Armed Forces 8 May 2019, 8:00pm Siddal A.R.L.F.C. Great Britain Teachers 16–30 Great Britain Police 20 June 2019, 6:00pm Sheffield Hallam Sports Park UK Armed Forces 24–22 England Universities 20 June 2019, 8:00pm Sheffield Hallam Sports Park
2018 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue England Universities 48–10 Great Britain Police 18 April 2018, 7:00pm Rochdale Mayfield UK Armed Forces 0–24 Great Britain Teachers Game defaulted N/A Great Britain Teachers 10–46 England Universities 2 May 2018, 6:00pm Wigan St Judes Great Britain Police8–40 UK Armed Forces 2 May 2018, 8:00pm Wigan St Judes Great Britain Police 36–36 Great Britain Teachers 20 June 2018, 6:00pm Rochdale Mayfield England Universities40–22 UK Armed Forces20 June 2018, 8:00pmRochdale Mayfied
2017 season Competition did not take place.
2016 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue Great Britain Armed Forces 52–18 Great Britain Police 20 April 2016, 6:00pm Stanningley ARLFC England Universities 32–16 Great Britain Teachers 20 April 2016, 8:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Police 4–58 England Universities 11 May 2016, 6:00pm Wigan St Patrick's Great Britain Teachers 24–44 Great Britain Armed Forces 11 May 2016, 8:00pm Wigan St Patrick's Great Britain Police 36–6 Great Britain Teachers 8 June 2016, 6:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone England Universities 36–26 Great Britain Armed Forces 8 June 2016, 8:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone
2015 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue England Universities 72–8 Great Britain Police 29 April 2015, 6:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Armed Forces 50–6 Great Britain Teachers 29 April 205, 8:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Teachers 14–36 England Universities 27 May 2015, 6:00pm Wigan St Patrick's Great Britain Police 28–32 Great Britain Armed Forces 27 May 2015, 8:00pm Wigan St Patrick's Great Britain Police 18–34 Great Britain Teachers 10 June 2015, 6:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone England Universities 4–28 Great Britain Armed Forces 10 June 2015, 8:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone
2014 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue Great Britain Police 30–44 Great Britain Armed Forces 10 May 2014, 2:00pmRAF Cranwell Great Britain Students 52–0 Great Britain Police 4 June 2014, 6:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Armed Forces 36–6 Great Britain Teachers 4 June 2014, 8:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Teachers 2–52 Great Britain Students 21 June 2014,12:00 Select Security Stadium, Widnes Great Britain Students 32–24 Great Britain Armed Forces 17 July 2014, 6:00pm Select Security Stadium, Widnes Great Britain Police 24–16 Great Britain Teachers 17 July 2014, 8:00pm Select Security Stadium, Widnes
Women's Competition
2022 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue UK Armed Forces34-10 Great Britain Teachers 13 April 2022, 7:00pm Saddleworth Rangers Great Britain Teachers England Students 11 May 2022, 7:00pm Lock Lane England Students UK Armed Forces 1 June 2022, 7:00pmLeigh Miners
2016 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue England Students 10–16 Great Britain Teachers 22 May 2016, 1:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Armed Forces0–62 The Lionesses 22 May 2016, 3:00pm Stanningley ARLFC England Students 21–16 Great Britain Armed Forces 26 June 2016, 3:00pmWigan St Patrick's The Lionesses 38–10 Great Britain Teachers 26 June 2016, 1:00pm Wigan St Patrick's Great Britain Teachers 32–14 Great Britain Armed Forces 10 July 2016, 1:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone The Lionesses 36–14 England Students 10 July 2016, 3:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone
2015 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue The Lionesses 52–10 Great Britain Armed Forces 7 June 2015, 1:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Teachers 14–46 England Students 7 June 2015, 3:00pm Stanningley ARLFC The Lionesses 36–18 Great Britain Teachers 28 June 2015, 3:00pm Wigan St Patrick's Great Britain Armed Forces10–50 Great Britain Students 28 June 2015, 12:15pm Odsal Stadium, Bradford Great Britain Armed Forces 18–24 Great Britain Teachers 19 July 2015, 1:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone England Students 20–26 The Lionesses 19 July 2015, 3:00pm Post Office Road, Featherstone
2014 season Fixtures & results: HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenue England Students 16–30 The Lionesses 8 June 2014, 1:00pm Rochdale Mayfield Great Britain Teachers 36–4 Great Britain Armed Forces 8 June 2014, 3:00pm Rochdale Mayfield England Students 20–20 Great Britain Teachers 21 June 2014, 2:00pm Select Security Stadium, Widnes Great Britain Armed Forces 4–40 The Lionesses 21 June 2014, 4:00pm Select Security Stadium, Widnes England Students 44–26 Great Britain Armed Forces 20 July 2014, 1:00pm Stanningley ARLFC Great Britain Teachers 16–32 The Lionesses 20 July 2014, 3:00pm Stanningley ARLFC
References
External links
University Rugby League
Teachers Rugby League Association UK Armed Forces Rugby League