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Rugby union inEngland is organised as a multi-tier league pyramid linking fully professional national divisions to regional community competitions, withpromotion and relegation connecting most levels.[1] Since 2022–23 theRFU has operated a revised competition framework across the community game,[2][3] and from 2023–24 promotion and relegation at the top has been conducted via a two-legged play-off between thePremiership’s bottom club and theRFU Championship winners, subject to minimum standards criteria.[4] In the women’s game,Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) sits at the top of a pyramid administered under RFU competition regulations.[5]
Men’srugby union operates a tiered system fromPremiership Rugby and the RFU Championship throughNational League 1 andNational League 2 (East/West/North) to regional divisions, with promotion and relegation linking the tiers. League sizes and formats are set in RFU Regulation 6 and reviewed on a multi-year cycle.[6][7]
Women’s rugby union follows a similar pyramid headed by Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), asemi-professionalnational competition run under RFU regulations. Entry and exit to PWR are managed by licence rather thanautomatic promotion andrelegation; below the top tier areChampionship 1North and South and regional leagues.[8][9]
Historically, there were no leagues allowed as these were seen as a sign of professionalism. In the 1970s the RFU allowed the creation of regional merit leagues with the most significant ones being the North, Midlands, South West and London merit leagues. In 1984 the RFU approved the creation of two national merit tables where clubs had to play a minimum of eight games against the clubs in their division. 1985 saw the creation of a third national merit league. In 1987 this was formed into a true national league system.
The format and competitiveness of the leagues has changed greatly since the leagues were first formed[10] and a widespread and global restructuring of the leagues was announced in November 2008, for implementation from the 2009–10 season. Under this new structure, the top league remained the 12-teamGallagher Premiership. The second tier league was rebranded and restructured as theRFU Championship which replaced the old National Division One. This league also had 12 teams, and like the Premiership, isprofessional. Beneath the two professional leagues, the National Leagues were restructured to include a new 16 teamNational League 1, 16 teamNational League 2 South and 16 teamNational League 2 North. The four top regional leagues became part of National League 3 at level five.
For the 2017-18 season, the National League 3 leagues were renamed to have Premier as part of their title in order to make a distinction between regional rugby union and the National Leagues above.[11] Other changes that season sawLondon 3 North East be replaced by two new leagues -London 3 Eastern Counties andLondon 3 Essex - with teams transferred depending on location.
In 2020, it was announced that a new league structure would be implemented in the community game from 2022–23. The new structure which was partly in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic will be reviewed every three years and saw the following changes:[12]
Below level 6 leagues sizes will depend on number of teams and geographical location.[13]
In February 2021, the RFU approved amoratorium on relegation from both the Premiership and Championship in response to uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also confirmed that league structure and minimum standards criteria for promotion were being reviewed.[14] The moratorium only covered relegation and did not include promotion from the Championship meaning the Premiership expanded to 13 teams with the Championship reduced to 11 in 2021–22 with the promotion ofSaracens.
In June 2021, as part of the wider review the moratorium was extended by a further two years in the Premiership and also included relegation from the Championship in 2021–22 and promotion from the Championship following the 2022–23 season. This means the Premiership may be further expanded to 14 teams in 2022–23 and the Championship may be reduced to 10.[15] A summary of changes is outlines below:
Promotion remains subject to minimum standards which have been reviewed and include several factors.
Premiership Rugby is the top level league in England, containing the best 10 professional clubs. The premiership still includes strict ground criteria and a salary cap that must be met by all participants. Promotion from the Championship remains (subject to eligibility), however the bottom side have not been relegated since the end of the 2019–20 season. The club seeking promotion must meet the minimum standards criteria. The champion is the top team in the RFU Championship after the league season. A play-off system was previously in place to decide which team were crowned champions. It was hoped this would bring to an end a select number of clubs bouncing between the leagues. (For example, each season between 2005–06 and 2008–09 saw the club relegated to National Division One earning promotion to the Premiership the following season, and also either the promotion or relegation ofLeeds Carnegie). Debate still continues over the question of promotion and relegation, but with the strict criteria fears are reduced. From 2023–24, the last placed team from the Premiership will playoff against the Championship winner (subject to promotion eligibility) for a place in the following season's Premiership.
The newRFU Championship was formed in2009–10 to provide a second tier of professional competition. The formerNational Division One was decreased from 16 clubs to 12 to accommodate the new fixture structure. For the first three seasons this included:
Starting with the2012–13 season, the second group stage was discontinued. The top four teams at the end of the home-and-away season entered play-offs to determine the league champion, which earned promotion providing Premiership entry standards were met. The bottom team at the end of home-and-away season was relegated to, and replaced by the champions of, the third tierNational League 1.
From2017–18 through to2019–20 and from2021–22, the championship play-off was eliminated. The league-season champions earned automatic promotion (again, assuming that they meet Premiership standards). Relegation criteria did not change. However, there was amoratorium placed on relegation in both2020–21 and2021–22. From 2023–24 the winner (subject to eligibility) will contest a playoff with the bottom placed team in the Premiership for a place in the next season's Premiership.
The new National League structure includes:
TheNational League 1 was decreased from 16 to 14 teams. This resulted in a 26-game season on a home and away basis. The champions are promoted to the level 2 RFU Championship, and the bottom three sides are relegated to the level 4National League 2 East,National League 2 West orNational League 2 North depending on geographical location.
The fourth tier is increased to three leagues of 14 teams each. The three league champions are promoted, with the bottom two in each league relegated to their respective regional division.
With the restructuring, levels 5–11 became the new regional system. There are now 6 Regional 1 leagues, which are connected to the national leagues by promotion and relegation.
The table below shows the current structure of the system. For each division, its official name, sponsorship name (which differs from its historic name) and number of clubs is given. At levels 1–3, each division promotes to the national division(s) that lie directly above it and relegates to the national division(s) that lie directly below it. Below that level, clubs relegate to the nearest local league.[16]
