Although rugby league spread overseas, sanctions by the RFU made it more difficult for the sport to expand beyond its "heartlands" in the traditional counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumberland.
The Eastern Counties and the MASWARLA competitions folded in 1995 (as did the Welsh Amateur League of the time) The few remaining teams were absorbed by the London ARL and the EMARLA.
However teams in the South of England had no such option, London Skolars were even rejected from BARLA's National Conference League for the 1996–97 season.
A further major factor leading to the creation of the Southern Conference League was the fact that the professional clubs had switched to a summer season the previous year and thus interest in the sport in the winter was decreased.
Kingston were to resign from the league after only playing one game, but besides this and a forfeited semi-final this pilot season was generally successful, resulting in an increase of RFL funding to allow further expansion.
Initial line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics): In an all new team final Crawley Jets beat South Norfolk Saints at the Prince of Wales Stadium in Cheltenham.
Initially only 15 clubs were to be funded by the RFL and Hemel Stags were admitted to the East division to fill the gap originally intended for Northampton the previous season after their Northern Ford Premiership application was rejected and the Alliance (reserve grade) was scrapped.
Derby City were welcomed as the final champions of the EMARLA and the other 4 new sides were formed from the ashes of defunct winter clubs.
Team line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics): The title was won by Chester Wolves who defeated Crawley Jets in the final.
Team line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics): The league was won by Crawley Jets who defeated Rotherham Giants in the final.
The Conference expanded into Wales for the first time in 2001 when Cardiff Demons, who had formerly run a young team in the Academy competition, joined the league.
Teesside beat Coventry Bears by a narrow margin in the grand final at Webb Ellis Road, Rugby.
[2] Plans to expand to Scotland with a Glasgow team in 2002 on the Cardiff model failed to materialise, and the Conference had to wait until 2007 to have Scottish full members for the first time.
In September, last year's losing finalist Coventry Bears beat Hemel Stags in the grand final held at Cheltenham.
Hemel Stags, St Albans Centurions, Coventry Bears, Manchester Knights, South London Storm (their position initially given to Crawley Jets, who later turned it down) and Teesside Steelers joined the newly formed National League Three in 2003, where they were joined by BARLA clubs Woolston Rovers (Warrington), Bradford Dudley Hill, Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks and Huddersfield Underbank Rangers.
Initial line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics):[3] The start of the season was marred by the withdrawal of twice former champions Crawley Jets, whose proposed replacements Reigate Crusaders never materialised.
In 2005 National League Three changed from a period of expansion to one of consolidation, with both Manchester Knights (who had failed to complete their last few games the previous season) and South London Storm both deciding to enter the new Premier Divisions, though in fact Manchester Knights would only last two games before folding, with their position taken over by former BARLA club Dewsbury Celtic who saw summer as their future.
New teams Redditch Ravens and Scarborough Pirates were formed from the ashes of the Worcestershire Saints and Yorkshire Coast Tigers clubs respectively.
This was supported by the unprecedented number of midseason withdrawals, though a couple of these were more due to the increasing standards created by the influx of heartland teams.
This continued with mid-season withdrawals of Oxford Cavaliers (who were to return), Luton Vipers 'A', Middlesex Lions, Gosport & Fareham Vikings and most surprisingly Rotherham Giants.
Their NL3 places were taken by the promoted Dewsbury Celtic and Featherstone Lions, who had recently resigned from the BARLA National Conference League.
Initial line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics): As with the previous season there were many drop-outs with Winlaton Vulcans (replaced by Gateshead Storm 'A'), Pembrokeshire Panthers and Northampton failing to make the starting gate and West Cumbria Crusaders, Huddersfield Sharks, Luton Vipers, Essex Eels, Catterick Panthers and Mansfield Storm subsequently resigned.
The six teams being Glasgow Bulls, Easterhouse Panthers, Paisley Hurricanes, Edinburgh Eagles, Fife Lions and Moray Eels.
South London Storm were crowned RLC National Champions after beating East Lancashire Lions 30–0 in the final at Broadstreet RUFC.
For the first time in several years no London League teams were promoted, but Farnborough Falcons and London Griffins had intended to enter before receiving call-ups (to form the short lived South Division intended to replace the failed South East division) and still played a small number of fixtures in it.
Aberavon Fighting Irish rebranded as Neath Port Talbot Steelers and South Norfolk Saints as Thetford Titans.
Initial line-ups as follows (new clubs in italics): Glasgow Bulls, Manchester Jets and Macclesfield Titans all failed to start the season, with Kent Ravens having their fixtures stopped after one game, joined the London League.
Amman Valley Rhinos, Dinefwr Sharks, Wildboars (St Clears) and Swansea-Llanelli Dragons were all excluded from the Welsh Regional division after not fulfilling any fixtures and replaced by Dyffryn Devils.
The plans for 2012 saw several winter sides switching to summer with Cadishead Rhinos, Chorley Panthers and Rochdale Cobras joining the North West Regional division; Walton Warriors, Knottingley Rockware Stolze and Cutsyke Raiders in the Yorkshire East division and Doncaster Toll Bar, Guiseley Rangers and Lindley Swifts in the Yorkshire West (which also gained new side Prospect Pirates).
Norwich City Knights and Northampton Demons A failed to complete the season in the East division and their results stood The RFL have released plans for a new structure in the summer game.