The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum criteria.
The Cumberland League has been in existence, in one form or another, since 1899. Millom, in 1897, was the first club in the county to defect from rugby union to Northern Union, they were followed a year later by Workington, Maryport, Whitehaven, Seaton, Brookland Rovers and Wath Brow. The first three named joined with Lancaster and the Furness clubs Barrow, Dalton and Askam to form the North Western League in 1898/99. The first champions were Millom who finished just ahead of Barrow.
On 10 May 1899 the Cumberland clubs met at the Grapes Hotel in Workington and agreed to form a Cumberland Senior League for the following season. They voted W.E. Mason (Whitehaven) to chair the new competition and R. Nixon (Maryport) was elected Hon. Secretary.
The participants in that first season, 1899/1900, were Brookland Rovers, Maryport, Seaton, Whitehaven, Whitehaven Rec and Workington. Neither of the Whitehaven clubs nor Workington have any connection with Whitehaven and Workington Town who currently play in the Co-operative Championship and Championship One respectively.
The first winners were the Maryport.
| Club | Founded | Location | Club Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspatria Hornets | 1891 originally /2012 (reformed) | Beacon Hill, Aspatria | Black & Yellow |
| Egremont Rangers 'A' | 1946 | Gillfoot Park, North Road, Egremont | Blue, Red & White |
| Ellenborough Rangers | 1969 | Solway Park, Grasslot, Maryport | Blue & White |
| Flimby | 1984 | Main Road, Flimby | Red & White |
| Great Clifton Lions | 1973 | William Street, Great Clifton | Green & Gold |
| Hensingham ARLFC | 1900 | Richmond Hill, Hensingham, Whitehaven | Red & Black |
| Kells 'A' | 1931 | Kells Welfare/Big Waite, Kells, Whitehaven | Red & White |
| Lowca | 1974 | Westcroft Terrace, Lowca, Whitehaven | Black & White- |
| Maryport 'A' | 1968 | Athletic Ground, Maryport | Blue & Yellow |
| Salterbeck Storm | 2000 | Salterbeck Road, Workington | Black, Red & White |
| Club | Founded | Location | Club Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspatria Hornets | 1891 originally / 2012 (reformed) | Beacon Hill, Aspatria | Black & Yellow |
| Egremont Rangers 'A' | 1946 | Gillfoot Park, North Road, Egremont | Blue, Red & White |
| Ellenborough Rangers | 1969 | Solway Park, Grasslot, Maryport | Blue & White |
| Ellenborough Rangers 'A' | 1969 | Solway Park, Grasslot, Maryport | Blue & White |
| Flimby | 1984 | Main Road, Flimby | Red & White |
| Great Clifton Lions | 1973 | William Street, Great Clifton | Green & Gold |
| Hensingham | 1900 | Richmond Hill, Hensingham, Whitehaven | Red & Black |
| Kells 'A' | 1931 | Kells Welfare/Big Waite, Kells, Whitehaven | Red & White |
| Lowca | 1974 | Westcroft Terrace, Lowca, Whitehaven | Black & White- |
| Maryport 'A' | 1968 | Athletic Ground, Maryport | Blue & Yellow |
| Salterbeck Storm | 2000 | Salterbeck Road, Workington | Black, Red & White |
| Club | Founded | Location | Club Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broughton Red Rose | 1965 | Papcastle Road, Great Broughton, Cockermouth | Red & White |
| Cockermouth Titans | 2006 | Grassmoor Sports Centre, Tarn Close, Cockermouth | Blue & Yellow |
| Distington | 1984 | Grass Road, Distington | Navy & Red |
| Glasson Rangers | 1912 | Sandy Lonning, Maryport | Blue & Red |
| Hensingham | 1900 | Richmond Hill, Hensingham, Whitehaven | Red & Black |
| Kells | 1931 | Kells Welfare/Big Waite, Kells, Whitehaven | Red & White |
| Maryport | 1968 | Athletic Ground, Maryport | Blue & Yellow |
| Seaton Rangers | 1968 | Welfare Field, Seaton | Maroon & Amber |
| Seaton Rangers 'A' | 1968 | Welfare Field, Seaton | Maroon & Amber |
| Wath Brow Hornets | 1963 | Cleator Moor Sports Field, Cleator Moor | Black & Amber |
| Club | Founded | Location | Club Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspatria Hornets | 1891 originally / 2012 (reformed) | Beacon Hill, Aspatria | Black & Yellow |
| Egremont Rangers 'A' | 1946 | Gillfoot Park, North Road, Egremont | Blue, Red & White |
| Ellenborough Rangers | 1969 | Solway Park, Grasslot, Maryport | Blue & White |
| Flimby | 1984 | Main Road, Flimby | Red & White |
| Frizington | 2005 | Jubilee Playing Field, Main Street, Frizington | Blue & White |
| Glasson Rangers 'A' | 1912 | Milltofts Playing Fields, Maryport | Blue & Red |
| Great Clifton Lions | 1973 | William Street, Great Clifton | Green & Gold |
| Kells 'A' | 1931 | Kells Welfare/Big Waite, Kells, Whitehaven | Red & White |
| Lowca | 1974 | Westcroft Terrace, Lowca, Whitehaven | Black & White- |
| Salterbeck Storm | 2000 | Salterbeck Road, Workington | Black, Red & White |
| Year | League Leaders | Play Off Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Result | Runner-up | |||
| 1899/1900 | Maryport | Not played | |||
| 1900/01 | Maryport | Not played | |||
| 1901/02 | Seaton | Seaton | 5-3 | Whitehaven Rec | |
| 1902/03 | Maryport | Maryport | 18-0 | Seaton | |
| 1903/04 | Maryport | Not played | |||
| 1904/05 | Parton | Parton | 0-0
5-2 |
Brookland Rovers | |
| 1905/06 | Whitehaven Rec | ||||
| 1906/07 | Millom | Workington | 25-3 | Millom | |
| 1907/08 | Workington | Workington | WO | Whitehaven Rec | |
| 1908/09 | Workington | Workington | 6-5 | Egremont | |
| 1909/10 | Broughton Moor | Broughton Moor | 8-0 | Brookland Rovers | |
| 1910/11 | Broughton Moor | Brookland Rovers | 2-0 | Broughton Moor | |
| 1911/12 | Seaton | Seaton | 10-5 | Brookland Rovers | |
| 1912/13 | Seaton | Seaton | 29-0 | Fothergill United | |
| 1913/14 | Seaton | Seaton | 23-3 | Broughton Moor | |
| 1919/20 | Brookland Rovers | Brookland Rovers | 7-5 | Broughton Moor | |
| 1920/21 | Dearham Wanderers | 14-4 | Seaton | ||
| 1921/22 | Broughton Moor | Broughton Moor | 7-5 | Wath Brow Hornets | |
| 1922/23 | Brookland Rovers | Brookland Rovers | 2-0 | Aspatria Hornets | |
| 1923/24 | Glasson Rangers | 5-3 | Flimby & Fothergill Utd | ||
| 1924/25 | Brookland Rovers | 3-0 | Flimby & Fothergill Utd | ||
| 1925/26 | Hensingham | Hensingham | vs. | Dearham/Brookland | |
| 1926/27 | Dearham Wanderers | Dearham Wanderers | 11-0 | Brookland Rovers | |
| 1927/28 | Dearham Wanderers | Dearham Wanderers | 20-0 | Whitehaven Rec | |
| 1928/29 | Whitehaven Rec | Glasson Rangers | 2-0 | Whitehaven Rec | |
| 1929/30 | Great Clifton | Glasson Rangers | 12-5 | Great Clifton | |
| 1930/31 | Great Clifton | Egremont Rangers | 5-2 | Great Clifton | |
| 1931/32 | Glasson Rangers | Glasson Rangers | 2-0 | Flimby | |
| 1932/33 | Flimby | Flimby | 4-0 | Great Clifton | |
| 1933/34 | Dearham Wanderers | Dearham Wanderers | 5-2 | Kells | |
| 1934/35 | Kells | Flimby | 6-0 | Kells | |
| 1935/36 | Glasson Rangers | Glasson Rangers | 11-3 | Maryport | |
| 1936/37 | Netherton | 6-0 | Broughton | ||
| 1937/38 | Glasson Rangers | 21-0 | Maryport | ||
| 1938/39 | Glasson Rangers | Glasson Rangers | |||
| 1945/46 | |||||
| 1946/47 | |||||
| 1947/48 | |||||
| 1948/49 | |||||
| 1949/50 | |||||
| 1950/51 | |||||
| 1951/52 | |||||
| 1952/53 | |||||
| 1953/54 | |||||
| 1954/55 | |||||
| 1955/56 | |||||
| 1956/57 | |||||
| 1957/58 | |||||
| 1958/59 | |||||
| 1959/60 | |||||
| 1960/61 | |||||
| 1961/62 | |||||
| 1962/63 | |||||
| 1963/64 | |||||
| 1964/65 | |||||
| 1965/66 | |||||
| 1966/67 | |||||
| 1967/68 | |||||
| 1968/69 | |||||
| 1969/70 | |||||
| 1970/71 | |||||
| 1971/72 | |||||
| 1972/73 | |||||
| 1973/74 | Seaton Rangers | ||||
| 1974/75 | Maryport | Maryport | |||
| 1975/76 | Wath Brow Hornets | ||||
| 1976/77 | Wath Brow Hornets | ||||
| 1977/78 | |||||
| 1978/79 | Lowca | Ellenborough Rangers | 14-0 | Lowca | |
| 1979/80 | Lowca | ||||
| 1980/81 | |||||
| 1981/82 | Kells | Glasson Rangers | |||
| 1982/83 | Kells | 12-8 | Lowca | ||
| 1983/84 | Great Clifton Lions | Egremont Rangers | def. | Great Clifton Lions | |
| 1984/85 | Egremont Rangers | ||||
| 1985/86 | |||||
| 1986/87 | |||||
| 1987/88 | |||||
| 1988/89 | Hensingham | ||||
| 1989/90 | Kells | ||||
| 1990/91 | Ellenborough Rangers | ||||
| 1991/92 | Ellenborough Rangers | ||||
| 1992/93 | Ellenborough Rangers | ||||
| 1993/94 | Hensingham | ||||
| 1994/95 | Hensingham | Ellenborough Rangers | def. | Hensingham | |
| 1995/96 | Hensingham | Wath Brow Hornets | |||
| 1996/97 | Westfield | Ellenborough Rangers | def. | Westfield | |
| 1997/98 | Wath Brow Hornets | Ellenborough Rangers | 22-6 | Wath Brow Hornets | |
| 1998/99 | Ellenborough Rangers | Ellenborough Rangers | 28-12 | Wath Brow Hornets | |
| 1999/2000 | Wath Brow Hornets | Hensingham | 29-16 | Wath Brow Hornets | |
| 2000/01 | Wath Brow Hornets | Wath Brow Hornets | 28-18 | Ellenborough Rangers | |
| 2001/02 | Wath Brow Hornets | Wath Brow Hornets | |||
| 2002/03 | Hensingham | Hensingham | |||
| 2003/04 | Hensingham | Seaton Rangers | def. | Hensingham | |
| 2004/05 | Seaton Rangers | Kells | 52-10 | Egremont Rangers | |
| 2005/06 | Seaton Rangers | Seaton Rangers | def. | ||
| 2006/07 | Seaton Rangers | ||||
| 2007/08 | Ellenborough Rangers | ||||
| 2008/09 | Kells | ||||
| 2012 | Kells | ||||
