RFU Championship

Second level of English rugby union

Championship RugbyCurrent season, competition or edition:
2024–25 RFU Championship

Sport| Rugby union
Founded| 1987; 37 years ago (1987)
Administrator| RFU
No. of teams| 12
Countries|  England
Most recent
champion(s)| Ealing Trailfinders (2nd title)
(2023–24)
Most titles| Bristol Bears (4 titles)
Level on pyramid| Level 2
Promotion to| No promotion
Relegation to| National League 1
Domestic cup(s)| Premiership Rugby Cup
Official website| championshiprugby.co.uk

The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising eleven clubs. It is the second level of men's English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players.[1][2] The competition has existed since 1987, when English clubs were first organised into leagues.[3]

## Organisation and format

[edit]

The Championship is governed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU).[4] The current competition format is a double round-robin tournament, where teams play each other home and away. The 2022–23 season had no playoff phase, and no team was promoted to the Premiership as Jersey Reds did not meet the minimum standards criteria.[5]

## Current league table

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from 2024–25 RFU Championship § Table.[edit]

2024–25 RFU Championship table  Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Coventry | 3  | 3  | 0  | 0  | 126  | 45  | +81  | 3  | 0  | 15  | Promotion place
2  | Chinnor | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 117  | 72  | +45  | 3  | 1  | 12  |
3  | Ealing Trailfinders | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 119  | 81  | +38  | 3  | 1  | 12
4  | Nottingham | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 86  | 52  | +34  | 2  | 1  | 11
5  | Doncaster Knights | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 95  | 96  | −1  | 2  | 0  | 10
6  | Bedford Blues | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 87  | 96  | −9  | 2  | 0  | 10
7  | London Scottish | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 78  | 94  | −16  | 2  | 1  | 7
8  | Hartpury University | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 87  | 123  | −36  | 2  | 1  | 7
9  | Cornish Pirates | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 63  | 73  | −10  | 1  | 1  | 6
10  | Ampthill | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 76  | 112  | −36  | 2  | 0  | 6
11  | Cambridge | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 69  | 114  | −45  | 1  | 0  | 5
12  | Caldy | 3  | 0  | 0  | 3  | 57  | 102  | −45  | 0  | 1  | 1  | Relegation place

Updated to match(es) played on 4 October 2024. Source: Source: RFU Championship [6]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

## Current teams

[edit]

Ampthill

Bedford Blues

Caldy

Cambridge

Chinnor

Cornish Pirates

Coventry

Doncaster Knights

Ealing Trailfinders

London Scottish

Hartpury University

Nottingham

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2024–25 RFU Championship teams

Eleven of the twelve teams played in last season's competition. Chinnor were promoted as the champions of the 2023–24 National League 1 with no side being relegated the opposite way due to Jersey Reds going into liquidation in September 2023 and there only being eleven sides.[7][8]

Club  | Stadium  | Capacity  | Area  | Previous season

|
|
|
|

Ampthill | Dillingham Park  | 3,000  | Ampthill, Bedfordshire | 7th
Bedford Blues | Goldington Road | 5,000 (1,700 seats)  | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 4th
Caldy | Paton Field | 4,000  | Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside | 10th
Cambridge | Grantchester Road | 2,200 (200 seats)  | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire | 11th
Chinnor | Kingsey Road  | 2,500  | Thame, Oxfordshire | Promoted from National League 1 (champions)
Cornish Pirates | Mennaye Field | 4,000 (2,200 seats)  | Penzance, Cornwall | Runners up
Coventry | Butts Park Arena | 5,200 (3,000 seats)  | Coventry, West Midlands | 3rd
Doncaster Knights | Castle Park | 5,183[9] (1,926 seats)  | Doncaster, South Yorkshire | 6th
Ealing Trailfinders | Trailfinders Sports Ground | 5,000 (2,115 seats)  | West Ealing, London | Champions (not promoted)
Hartpury University | ALPAS Arena  | 2,000  | Hartpury, Gloucestershire | 5th
London Scottish | Athletic Ground | 4,500 (1,000 seats)  | Richmond, London | 9th
Nottingham | Lady Bay Sports Ground  | 3,500  | Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | 8th

## History

[edit]

### Precursor competitions (1987–2009)

[edit]

The governing body for rugby union in England, the RFU, first allowed league hierarchies in 1987. This came nearly a century after leagues were first established in football and cricket, England's other two principal team sports.[10][11]

The RFU's reluctance to allow leagues was based on a perceived threat to the sport's amateurism regulations: competitive leagues were seen as making clubs more likely to use incentives to attract and retain the best players.[12]

When formalised leagues were finally permitted in the 1987–88 season, the second level was known as 'Courage League National Division Two'. The league has since had several different names before becoming the RFU Championship in the 2009–10 season.

Name of second-level competition  | First season  | Last season

|
|

Courage League National Division Two  | 1987–88 | 1996–97
Allied Dunbar Premiership Two  | 1997–98 | 1999–2000
National Division One  | 2000–01 | 2008–09

### Origins (2008)

[edit]

In November 2008, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) published a plan for a new professional tier below the Premiership. The 12-team Championship replaced the 16-team National Division One.

Level of men's rugby  | Name of competition in 2008–09  | Name of competition in 2009–10  | Number of teams in 2008–09  | Number of teams in 2009–10

|
|
|
|

Level 1  | Guinness Premiership | Guinness Premiership | 12  | 12
Level 2  | National Division One | RFU Championship | 16  | 12
Level 3  | National Division 2 | National League 1 | 14  | 16

To enable Level 2 to transition from 16 teams to 12, the RFU proposal called for five teams to be relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season. The relegated teams would play in the third level of rugby, known as 'National Division 2' in 2008–09 and to be known as 'National League 1' in 2009–10.

Additionally, one team would be relegated from the Premiership (Level 1 to Level 2), one team would be promoted to the Premiership (Level 2 to Level 1), and one team would be promoted from National Division 2 (Level 3 to Level 2).

The RFU Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new proposal, and the first Championship season started the following year, in 2009.

### RFU Championship (2009–present)

[edit]

#### Promotion to the Premiership

[edit]

Automatic promotion to the Premiership has not been a consistent feature of the RFU Championship. A playoff tournament was used to decide promotion between the 2009–10 and 2016–17 seasons, as well as in the 2020–21 season.

In seasons without a promotion playoff (2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20), the team at the top of the league was automatically promoted to the Premiership.[13]

Season  | Number of playoff teams

|

2009–10 | 8
2010–11
2011–12
2012–13 | 4
2013–14
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17
2017–18 | No play-offs
2018–19
2019–20
2020–21 | 2
2021–22 | No play-offs
2022–23
2023–24
2024–25 | 2

The RFU plans to reintroduce possible promotion at the end of the 2023–24 season, by means of a play-off between the top placed team in the Championship and the bottom placed side in the Premiership.[14]

#### COVID-19

[edit]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2019–20 season to be prematurely ended. Final standings were based on a "best playing record formula" and promotion and relegation remained for the 1st and 12th placed clubs respectively.[15]

The 2020–21 season was impacted by the aforementioned pandemic and as a consequence, a shorter season kicked off in spring 2021. The reduced season saw each team play each other once only with the top two teams entering a two-legged promotion playoff. There was no relegation due to cancellation of National League 1.[16]

In February 2021, a moratorium on relegation from the Premiership into the Championship was approved and it was confirmed that the RFU were working on a review of the minimum standards criteria for promotion and the league structure from 2021–22.[17] The moratorium was extended for a further two years in June 2021 and also could include promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2022–23 season if there was promotion in the previous season. There was also no relegation from the Championship in 2021–22.

#### Competition funding

[edit]

The RFU Championship clubs were in dispute with the RFU over funding for the competition and claimed that each club was owed £77,000 for the past three seasons, and will be owed a further £120,000 over the next four seasons. The clubs believed they should have received £295,000 in 2009–10, rising to £400,000 by 2015–16 and further believe there was a breach of contract on the part of the RFU. The RFU stated that the original funding was an estimate and by 2015–16 the figure will be £359,400.[18] When the RFU announced the hiatus of promotion play-offs, it also announced funding increases from both itself and the Premiership, including a new system which ties some of the new funding to each Championship side's performance in the league season.[13] The extra funding provided prior to 2016–17 was removed prior to the 2020–21 season.[19][20]

#### Sponsorship

[edit]

For sponsorship reasons, the competition was officially known as the Greene King IPA Championship between the 2013–14 and 2020–21 seasons.[21]

## Historic results

[edit]

### Courage League National Division Two (1987–1997)

[edit]

Season  | Matches  | Champions  | Runners–up  | Relegated teams

|
|
|
|

1987–88 | 11 | Rosslyn Park | Liverpool St Helens | No relegation
1988–89 | 11 | Saracens | Bedford | London Scottish and London Welsh
1989–90 | 11 | Northampton | Liverpool St Helens | No relegation[a 1]
1990–91 | 12 | Rugby | London Irish | Richmond and Headingley
1991–92 | 12 | London Scottish | West Hartlepool | Plymouth Albion, Liverpool St Helens
1992–93 | 12 | Newcastle Gosforth | Waterloo | Bedford, Rosslyn Park, Richmond, Blackheath, Coventry, Fylde, Morley
1993–94 | 18 | Sale | West Hartlepool | Rugby, Otley
1994–95 | 18 | Saracens | Wakefield | Fylde, Coventry
1995–96 | 18 | Northampton | London Irish | No relegation[a 2]
1996–97 | 22 | Richmond | Newcastle | Rugby, Nottingham
Green background are promotion places.

### Allied Dunbar Premiership Two (1997–2000)

[edit]

Season  | Matches  | Champions  | Runners–up  | Relegated teams

|
|
|
|

1997–98 | 22 | Bedford | West Hartlepool[a 3] | No relegation[a 4]
1998–99 | 26 | Bristol | Rotherham | Blackheath and Fylde
1999–00 | 26 | Rotherham | Leeds Tykes | Rugby and West Hartlepool
Green background are promotion places.

### National Division One (2000–2009)

[edit]

Season  | Matches  | Champions  | Runners–up  | Relegated teams

|
|
|
|

2000–01 | 26 | Leeds Tykes | Worcester | Orrell and Waterloo
2001–02 | 26 | Rotherham | Worcester | Henley and Bracknell
2002–03 | 26 | Rotherham | Worcester | Moseley, Rugby Lions
2003–04 | 26 | Worcester | Orrell | Wakefield, Manchester
2004–05 | 26 | Bristol | Exeter | Orrell, Henley
2005–06 | 26 | Harlequins | Bedford Blues | No relegation[a 5]
2006–07 | 30 | Leeds Tykes | Earth Titans | Otley, Waterloo
2007–08 | 30 | Northampton Saints | Exeter Chiefs | Pertemp Bees, Launceston
2008–09 | 30 | Leeds Tykes | Exeter Chiefs | Esher, Sedgley Park, Newbury, Otley, Manchester
Green background are promotion places.

### RFU Championship (2009–)

[edit]

Season  | Matches  | Champions  | Runners–up  | Relegated teams

|
|
|
|

2009–10 | 22  | Exeter Chiefs | Bristol | Coventry
2010–11 | 22  | Worcester Warriors | Bedford Blues | Doncaster Knights
2011–12 | 22  | London Welsh | Bristol | Ealing Trailfinders
2012–13 | 22  | Newcastle Falcons | Bristol | Plymouth Albion
2013–14 | 23  | London Welsh | Doncaster Knights | Moseley
2014–15 | 22  | Worcester Warriors | Yorkshire Carnegie | No relegation
2015–16 | 22  | Bristol | Ealing Trailfinders | Rotherham Titans
2016–17 | 22  | London Irish | Ealing Trailfinders | Richmond
2017–18 | 22  | Bristol | Ealing Trailfinders | Yorkshire Carnegie
2018–19 | 22  | London Irish | Ealing Trailfinders | No relegation
2019–20 | 15*  | Newcastle Falcons | Ealing Trailfinders | No relegation
2020–21 | 10**  | Saracens | Ealing Trailfinders | No relegation
2021–22 | 20  | Ealing Trailfinders | Doncaster Knights | No relegation
2022–23 | 22  | Jersey Reds | Ealing Trailfinders | Richmond
2023–24 | 20  | Ealing Trailfinders | Cornish Pirates | No relegation
2024–25 | 22  |  |  |
Green background are promotion places.
**2020–21 season started late due to the pandemic.

## See also

[edit]

* Rugby union in England
* Premiership Rugby
* List of English rugby union teams

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Due to the expansion of the Courage National Leagues for the following season there was no relegation from the 1989–90 Courage League National Division Two.[22]
2. ^ Due to the expansion of the division from 10 to 12 teams for the following season there was no relegation from the 1995-96 Courage League National Division Two.[23]
3. ^ 3rd place London Scottish were also promoted.
4. ^ Due to the expansion of the top two divisions for the following season there was no relegation from the 1997-98 Dunbar Premiership Two.[24]
5. ^ Due to the RFU expanding the league from 14 to 16 teams for the following season there was no relegation from the 2005-06 National Division One.[25]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "What next for rugby's Championship?". BBC Sport.
2. ^ "RFU cuts turn London Scottish semi-pro but Championship could become development league | SWLondoner". 2 April 2020.
3. ^ Williams, Peter (2012). "Any given Saturday: Competitive balance in elite English rugby union". Managing Leisure. 17 (2–3): 88–105. doi:10.1080/13606719.2012.674388. S2CID 154035466.
4. ^ "Regulation 2013" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2020.
5. ^ "RFU".
6. ^ "RFU Championship". England Rugby.
7. ^ "Champions! Chinnor celebrate in fine style". The RugbyPaper. No. 813\. 14 April 2024. pp. 28–29.
8. ^ "Jersey Reds' financial challenges lead to club ceasing trading". Jersey Reds. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
9. ^ "A right mess entirely of the RFU's making". The RugbyPaper. No. 703\. 6 March 2022. p. 11.
10. ^ Williams, P. J. (2000). Professionalism and Change in English Rugby Union: An Inside View - ProQuest. University of Manchester. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
11. ^ "Annual Meeting of County Secretaries – the programme for 1890". Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game. ACS. 1889. pp. 478–479. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
12. ^ Williams, P. (December 2002). "Battle Lines on Three Fronts: The RFU and the Lost War Against Professionalism". The International Journal of the History of Sport. 19 (4): 114–136. doi:10.1080/714001793. S2CID 145705183. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
13. ^ a b "Play-off system removed from Greene King IPA Championship from next season" (Press release). Premiership Rugby Limited. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
14. ^ "RFU Council Vote in Favour of Covid Recovery Plan and Temporary Pause on Relegation". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
15. ^ "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
16. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship Fixtures Confirmed". www.championshiprugby.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
17. ^ "RFU Council Votes in Favour of No Relegation". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
18. ^ Straughan, Dick (5 July 2012). "Falcons relegated as Welsh win RFU promotion appleal". The Cornishman. p. 80.
19. ^ "Update on RFU Funding of Greene King IPA Championship". Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
20. ^ "Update on RFU Funding of Greene King IPA Championship". Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
21. ^ "Greene King IPA to sponsor RFU Championship" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 26 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
22. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd.
23. ^ Mick Cleary and John Griffiths, ed. (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996–97. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7472-7771-2.
24. ^ "Leagues 1997/98". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
25. ^ "RFU council approves expansion of National League One". ESPN. 17 March 2006.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* RFU Championship table at BBC Sport

* v
* t
* e

RFU Championship

2024–25 teams|

* Ampthill
* Bedford Blues
* Caldy
* Cambridge
* Chinnor
* Cornish Pirates
* Coventry
* Doncaster Knights
* Ealing Trailfinders
* Hartpury University
* London Scottish
* Nottingham

Former clubs|

* Birmingham-Solihull
* Blackheath
* Bracknell
* Bristol Bears
* Cornish All Blacks
* Esher
* Exeter Chiefs
* Fylde
* Gosforth
* Harlequins
* Henley
* Jersey Reds
* Liverpool St Helens
* London Irish
* London Welsh
* Manchester
* Morley
* Moseley
* Newbury
* Newcastle Falcons
* Northampton Saints
* Orrell
* Otley
* Plymouth Albion
* Richmond
* Rosslyn Park
* Rotherham Titans
* Rugby Lions
* Sale Sharks
* Saracens
* Sedgley Park
* Wakefield
* Waterloo
* West Hartlepool
* Worcester Warriors
* Yorkshire Carnegie

Seasons|

| National Division Two|

* 1987–88
* 1988–89
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97

|

Premiership Two|

* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–00

National Division One|

* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09

Championship|

* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

RFU Championship Cup|

* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* ~~2020–21~~
* 2021–22
* 2022–23

Premiership Rugby Cup|

* 2023–24
* 2024–25

Representative team|

* RFU Championship XV

* v
* t
* e

RFU Championship Venues 2024–25

Current grounds|

* ALPAS Arena
* Athletic Ground, Richmond
* Butts Park Arena
* Castle Park
* Dillingham Park
* Kingsey Road
* Goldington Road
* Grantchester Road
* Lady Bay Sports Ground
* The Menaye
* Paton Field
* Trailfinders Sports Ground

Previous grounds|

* Abbeydale Park
* Ashton Gate
* The Avenue
* Beacon Park (Plymouth)
* Billesley Common
* Bramley Sports Ground (Southgate)
* Brantingham Park (Hull Ionians R.U.F.C.)
* Brickfields
* Bridge Road (Headingley)
* Brierton Lane (Hartlepool)
* Bournbrook
* Clifton Lane
* College Grove
* Copthall Stadium
* Coundon Road
* County Ground (Exeter)
* Cross Green
* Damson Park
* Dry Leas
* Franklin's Gardens
* Grove Park
* Headingley
* Heywood Road
* Ireland Avenue
* Kassam Stadium
* Kingston Park
* Kenwyn
* Lily Hill Park
* Madejski Stadium
* Meadow Lane
* Memorial Stadium
* Molesey Road
* Moss Lane (St Helens)
* New Ground (Gosforth)
* Old Deer Park
* Priory Lane (Roehampton)
* Recreation Ground (Camborne)
* The Reddings
* Rectory Field
* Sandy Park
* Scatcherd Lane (Morley)
* Sharmans Cross
* Sixways Stadium
* St Anthony's Road (Blundellsands)
* Stade Santander International
* The Sycamores (West Park Leeds RUFC)
* Twickenham Stoop
* Webb Ellis Road
* Wharfeside Avenue (Threshfield)

* v
* t
* e

Rugby union in England

Governing body|

* Rugby Football Union
* Rugby Football Union for Women (merged into the RFU)

National teams|

| Men's|

* England
* England A
* 7's
* U-21
* U-20
* U-18
* British & Irish Lions
* England Counties XV

|

Women's|

* Women's
* 7's

International competitions|

| Men's|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* Rugby World Cup Sevens
* Sevens World Series
* Sevens Grand Prix Series
* Commonwealth Games

|

Women's|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* World Series Sevens

Competition divisions|

| Men's|

* Premiership
* Championship
* National Leagues
* London and SE Division
* Northern Division
* Midland Division
* South West Division
* United Hospitals Cup

|

Women's|

* Premiership Women's Rugby

European competitions|

* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup

National competitions|

* Premiership Rugby
* Premiership Cup
* RFU Championship
* Championship Cup
* National League 1
* National League 2 East
* National League 2 North
* National League 2 West
* RFU Intermediate Cup
* RFU Senior Vase
* RFU Junior Vase
* Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
* Women's Premiership
* Premier 15s

London and South East
competitions|

* Regional 1 South East
* Regional 1 South Central
* Regional 2 Anglia
* Regional 2 South Central
* Regional 2 South East
* Regional 2 Thames
* London 1 North
* London 2 North East
* London 2 North West
* London 2 South East
* London 2 South West
* London 3 North West
* London 3 South East
* London 3 South West
* London 3 Eastern Counties
* London 3 Essex
* Eastern Counties 1
* Eastern Counties 2
* Eastern Counties 3
* Essex 1
* Hampshire Premier
* Hampshire 1
* Hampshire Cups
* Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex
* Herts/Middlesex 2
* Hertfordshire Cups
* Middlesex Cups
* Kent 1
* Kent 2
* Kent Cups
* Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex
* Counties 2 Surrey
* Counties 3 Surrey
* Counties 4 Surrey
* Counties 5 Surrey
* Surrey Cups
* Counties 2 Sussex
* Sussex 1
* Sussex Cups

Midland competitions|

* Regional 1 Midlands
* Regional 2 North Midlands
* Regional 2 West Midlands
* Regional 2 East Midlands
* Midlands 2 West (North)
* Midlands 2 West (South)
* Midlands 2 East (North)
* Midlands 2 East (South)
* Midlands 3 West (North)
* Midlands 3 West (South)
* Midlands 3 East (North)
* Midlands 3 East (South)
* Midlands 4 West (North)
* Midlands 4 West (South)
* Midlands 4 East (North)
* Midlands 4 East (South)
* Midlands 5 West (South)
* Leicestershire Cups
* North Midlands Cups
* Staffordshire Cups
* Warwickshire Cups

Northern competitions|

* Regional 1 North East
* Regional 1 North West
* Regional 2 North
* Regional 2 North East
* Regional 2 North West
* North 1 East
* North 1 West
* North 2 West
* Counties 1 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire
* Lancs/Cheshire 1
* Lancs/Cheshire 2
* Cheshire Cups
* Lancashire Cups
* Counties 1 Cumbria
* Cumbria Cups
* Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland
* Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
* Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland
* Durham Cups
* Northumberland Cups
* Counties 1 Yorkshire
* Counties 2 Yorkshire
* Counties 3 Yorkshire
* Counties 4 Yorkshire
* Yorkshire Cups

South West competitions|

* Regional 1 South West
* Regional 2 Severn
* Regional 2 South West
* Counties 1 Southern North
* Counties 1 Southern South
* Counties 1 Western North
* Counties 1 Western West
* Counties 2 Cornwall
* Counties 3 Cornwall
* Cornwall Cups
* Counties 2 Devon
* Counties 3 Devon East
* Counties 3 Devon West
* Devon Cups
* Gloucester Premier
* Gloucester 1
* Gloucester 2 North
* Gloucester 2 South
* Gloucestershire Cups
* Somerset Premier
* Somerset 1
* Somerset 2 North
* Somerset 2 South
* Somerset 3 North
* Somerset 3 South
* Somerset Cups
* Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier
* Oxfordshire Cups
* Dorset & Wilts 1 North
* Dorset & Wilts 1 South
* Dorset & Wilts 2 North
* Dorset & Wilts 2 South
* Dorset & Wilts 3 North

County competitions|

* Division 1
* Division 2
* Division 3

Discontinued competitions|

* Anglo-Welsh Cup
* Cornwall/Devon League
* Divisional Championship
* National League 2 South
* North Premier
* RFU Knockout Cup
* South West 1 East

Related articles|

* International players
* Clubs
* Churchill Cup
* Calcutta Cup
* Millennium Trophy
* Ella-Mobbs Trophy
* Hillary Shield

Other|

* English rugby union system
* Timeline of rugby union on UK television

* v
* t
* e

Top-level rugby union club competitions

Tier 1 nations|

| European cups|

* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup
* Rugby Europe Super Cup

|

International|

* Super Rugby Americas
* Super Rugby Pacific
* United Rugby Championship

Domestic|

* Argentina
* Nacional de Clubes
* Torneo de la URBA
* Torneo del Interior
* Australia
* Australian Club Championship
* Provincial Club Competitions
* England
* Premiership
* Championship
* Premiership Rugby Cup
* RFU Championship Cup
* France
* Top 14
* Pro D2
* Championnat Fédéral Nationale
* Ireland
* All-Ireland League
* All-Ireland Cup
* Italy
* Serie A Elite
* Serie A Elite Cup
* Japan
* Japan Rugby League One
* Top Challenge League
* Top League Champions Cup
* All-Japan Rugby Football Championship
* New Zealand
* National Provincial Championship
* Heartland Championship
* Scotland
* Super 6
* Scottish Premiership
* 1872 Cup
* South Africa
* Currie Cup
* SA Cup
* Gold Cup
* Varsity Cup
* Wales
* Welsh Premier Division
* WRU Challenge Cup

Defunct|

* Anglo-Welsh Cup
* Australian Provincial Championship
* British and Irish Cup
* Campeonato Argentino
* Celtic Cup
* Challenge Yves du Manoir
* Continental Club Rugby League
* Coppa Italia
* European Rugby Continental Shield
* Global Rapid Rugby
* Irish Interprovincial Championship
* Japan Company Rugby Football Championship
* National Rugby Championship
* Pro14 Rainbow Cup
* RFU Knockout Cup
* Rugby Challenge
* Scottish Inter-District Championship
* South Pacific Championship
* Welsh–Scottish League

Other nations|

| Africa|

* Kenya

|

Americas|

* United States
* Brazil
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Asia|

* Hong Kong
* India
* Malaysia
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka

Europe|

* Austria
* Belgium
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Finland
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Ukraine
* Central East Europe
* Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia

Oceania|

* Fiji
* Samoa
* Tonga

*[Pos]: Position
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Pld]: Matches played
*[W]: Matches won
*[D]: Matches drawn
*[L]: Matches lost
*[PF]: Match points for
*[PA]: Match points against
*[PD]: Match points difference
*[TB]: Try bonus competition points
*[LB]: Losing bonus competition points
*[Pts]: Total competition points