The English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 league pyramid is topped by the Premiership.

Below the Premiership are National 1, National 2 and two National 3 leagues, South and North. Below National 3, the structure is split geographically into four regions: London and South East, Midlands, South West and North.

The London and South East and South West promotion candidates go into National 3 South, and the Midlands and North promotion candidates go into National 3 North. Each of the geographical regions has either two or four divisions (e.g. London 1, London 2 South/North, London 3 South-East/North-East/South-West/North-West, London 4 South-East..etc) which may again be geographically separated.

Below these regional leagues are county leagues (e.g. Sussex, Kent, Hampshire). The county leagues are the lowest levels in the English game.

However, the Midlands region has phased out county leagues and instead have regionalisation down to division 6.

Changes for 2009–10

Starting with the 2009–10 season, several leagues changed names:

• National Division One became the RFU Championship.
• National Division Two became the new National League 1.
• National Division Three became the new National League 2.

Premiership

• Bath Rugby
  Bath Rugby
  Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
  
  
• Exeter Chiefs
  Exeter Chiefs
  Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....
  
  
• Gloucester
• Harlequins
  Harlequin F.C.
  The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
  
  
• Leeds Carnegie
• Leicester Tigers
  Leicester Tigers
  Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
  
  
• London Irish
  London Irish
  London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
  
  
• Newcastle Falcons
  Newcastle Falcons
  The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
  
   (formerly Gosforth)
• Northampton Saints
  Northampton Saints
  Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
  
  
• Sale Sharks
  Sale Sharks
  Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
  
  
• Saracens
  Saracens F.C.
  Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
  
  
• London Wasps
  London Wasps
  London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
  
   (Originally Wasps FC)

RFU Championship

• Bedford Blues
  Bedford Blues
  Bedford Blues is a rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in The RFU Championship. Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a league football club, and one of the few towns in England where the rugby club is better supported than the football team. The...
  
  
• Birmingham/Solihull Bees
  Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C.
  Birmingham and Solihull Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club representing Birmingham and Solihull. It was formed in 1989 by a merger of the original Birmingham and Solihull rugby clubs, which were both established over 60 years ago....
  
  
• Bristol
  Bristol Rugby
  Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
  
  
• Cornish Pirates
  Cornish Pirates
  The Cornish Pirates are an English professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn Pirates, the Cornish Pirates play their home games and train at their...
  
   (formerly Penzance and Newlyn)
• Doncaster
  Doncaster R.F.C.
  Doncaster Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club representing the town of Doncaster. The first XV are known as the Doncaster Knights, and play in the RFU Championship...
  
  
• Esher
  Esher RFC
  Esher Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Surrey, England. Esher RFC are currently playing in the second division of the English league system, The Championship. The club was formed in 1923 when four rugby enthusiasts agreed to start a club....
  
  
• London Welsh
• Moseley
  Moseley Rugby Football Club
  Moseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
  
  
• Nottingham
  Nottingham R.F.C.
  Nottingham Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based in Nottingham, England. The club's first team currently play in the Championship, the second tier of English Rugby....
  
  
• Plymouth Albion
  Plymouth Albion R.F.C.
  Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club who play in Plymouth, England. The club was founded around 1915 from a merger between Plymouth RFC and Devonport Albion RFC...
  
  
• Rotherham
  Rotherham R.U.F.C.
  Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club, or Rotherham Titans are a professional rugby union team from Rotherham, Yorkshire, currently playing in the English RFU Championship-History:...
  
  
• Worcester Warriors

National League 1

• Blackheath
  Blackheath R.C.
  Blackheath Football Club is a rugby football club based in Blackheath in south-east London, now playing at the Rectory Field . It was founded in 1858 and is the oldest open rugby club in the world...
  
  
• Blaydon
  Blaydon RFC
  Blaydon RFC are an English semi-professional rugby union team. They play in National League 1, having won previously National Division Three North. They play at Crow Trees, Swalwell, Tyne and Wear.- The Main Team :...
  
  
• Cambridge
  Cambridge R.U.F.C.
  Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club or CRUFC is a rugby union club representing the city of Cambridge, England. Formed in 1923 the club currently competes in National League 1...
  
  
• Cinderford
  Cinderford R.F.C.
  Cinderford R.F.C. is a rugby union club based in the county of Gloucestershire. The first team competes in National League One, the third tier of the English rugby union pyramid....
  
  
• Esher
  Esher RFC
  Esher Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Surrey, England. Esher RFC are currently playing in the second division of the English league system, The Championship. The club was formed in 1923 when four rugby enthusiasts agreed to start a club....
  
  
• Launceston
  Launceston RUFC
  Launceston Rugby Club are a Cornish rugby club who play in National League 2 South of the English rugby union leagues.-History:The club was founded in 1948 after an inaugural meeting chaired by the then Headmaster of Launceston College, Mr Spencer Toy with Gordon Reeve, Eric Smith and Arthur...
  
  
• London Scottish
  London Scottish F.C.
  London Scottish Football Club is a rugby union club in England. It is a member of both the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union.-History:...
  
  
• Manchester
  Manchester Rugby Club
  Manchester Rugby Club, formerly known as Manchester Football Club, are one of the oldest rugby union clubs in existence, having been founded in 1860, 11 years before the RFU....
  
  
• Newbury
  Newbury R.F.C.
  Newbury Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club representing Newbury. For season 2011/12 they will be playing in National League 3 South West.-Current standings:...
  
  
• Nuneaton
  Nuneaton R.F.C.
  Nuneaton RFC is an English rugby union club. They were founded in 1879 and play at Liberty Way in Nuneaton. They currently play in National League 2 North.-History:...
  
  
• Otley
  Otley R.U.F.C.
  Otley Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club representing Otley in the City of Leeds district of West Yorkshire. Founded in 1865 it broke away from the RU in 1895...
  
  
• Redruth
  Redruth R.F.C.
  Redruth RFC is a Rugby union team from Cornwall.- History:Redruth RFC was founded in 1875 by Henry Grylls and W.H. Willimot. By the 1900s, the club was the most successful in Cornwall, a position they were to hold for much of the twentieth century. In 1908, the club defeated Durham to win the...
  
  
• Sedgley Park
  Sedgley Park R.U.F.C.
  Sedgley Park Rugby Union Football Club, the 1st XV team of which play under the name of Sedgley Tigers, are a rugby union club based in Whitefield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester. They currently play in National Division One, the third tier of the English rugby union league...
  
  
• Stourbridge
  Stourbridge R.F.C.
  Stourbridge RFC are a Rugby Union side based in Stourbridge, West Midlands.They play their home games at Stourton Park, which was redeveloped in 2003 to provide a larger clubhouse and social area which can also be used for weddings and other functions...
  
  
• Tynedale
  Tynedale R.F.C.
  Tynedale R.F.C. is a rugby union team that is situated in the North East of England and currently playing in National League 1. It was founded in 1876. Their first match was against Elswick at Hexham on 30 December 1876...
  
  
• Wharfedale
  Wharfedale RUFC
  Wharfedale RUFC is a rugby union team that plays in National League One, part of the English league system. One of the smallest teams in the league, it is situated in the village of Threshfield.-External links:*...
  
  

National League 2 North

see National League 2 North

National League 2 North

National League 2 North, is the 4th tier of the English rugby union system and provides mostly amateur competition for teams in the Northern half of England....

• Broadstreet
• Bradford & Bingley
• Caldy
• Harrogate
• Hull
• Fylde
• Huddersfield
• Hull Ionians
• Kendal
• Leicester Lions
• Loughborough Students
• Macclesfield
• Preston Grasshoppers
  Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C.
  Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Preston, Lancashire. It was founded on 28 September 1869 at a meeting held at the Bull Hotel, Preston making one of the oldest 'northern' rugby union teams....
  
  
• Rugby Lions
• Waterloo
• Westoe

National League 2 South

see National League 2 South

National League 2 South

National League 2 South, known before September 2009 as National Division Three South, is a league at level 4 in the English rugby union system. The league is one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart covering the north of England...

• Barking
  Barking RFC
  Barking RFC is an English rugby union team currently playing in National League 1.- Park Modern Old Boys:The club was founded in 1930, under the name of Park Modern Old Boys. In 1926 the Park Modern School in Barking was founded and the headmaster decided that the school would play rugby, despite...
  
  
• Barnes
• Bridgwater & Albion
• Canterbury
• Clifton
• Dings Crusaders
  Dings Crusaders R.F.C.
  Dings Crusaders R.F.C. is a rugby union team based in the Bristol suburb of Lockleaze. It competes in National Division Two South, the fourth tier of English rugby union competition, the 2007–08 season being the club's fifth as a National League club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Bristol, with...
  
  
• Ealing
• Henley
• Lydney
  Lydney R.F.C.
  Lydney Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Lydney, Gloucestershire, England. The club is currently in National Division Two South.-History:...
  
  
• Mounts Bay
• Richmond
  Richmond F.C.
  Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
  
  
• Rosslyn Park
  Rosslyn Park F.C.
  Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
  
  
• Shelford
• Southend
• Westcombe Park
• Worthing
  Worthing Rugby Football Club
  Worthing Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team. The first XV, nicknamed the Worthing Raiders currently plays in National Division Two South, the fourth tier of English rugby union competition...
  
  

Former league teams

A number of former league teams have rejoined the thousands of clubs in the regional structure below

• Chinnor
  Chinnor R.F.C.
  Chinnor Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club founded in Thame, Oxfordshire, England in 1963. They are currently playing in the National Division Three South.-History:...
  
  
• Cleckheaton
• Darlington
• Darlington Mowden Park
  Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C.
  Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C are a rugby union team in the town of Darlington, County Durham. They currently play in the National Division Three North...
  
  
• Halifax R.U.F.C.
  Halifax RUFC
  Halifax RUFC is a rugby union club founded in 1919, after the 1st World War, when the British Expeditionary Force returned home victorious from France. Halifax RUFC holds the record for the most wins in the Yorkshire Challenge Cup, having carried off the ancient trophy thirteen times including...
  
  
• Havant
• Hertford
• North Walsham
  North Walsham R.F.C.
  North Walsham R.F.C. is a rugby union club representing the market town of North Walsham in Norfolk. Between 1990 and 2008 it competed in National Division Three South, making it Norfolk's only National League rugby team, but the team were relegated to London Division One for the 2008-09 season...
  
  
• Morley
• Old Patesians
  Old Patesians R.F.C.
  Old Patesians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The club is currently in National Three South West.-History:...
  
  
• Orrell
  Orrell R.U.F.C.
  Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997.-1927–1939:...
  
   (2007)
• Wakefield RFC
  Wakefield RFC
  Wakefield RFC was an English rugby union club, founded in 1901, and which dropped out of the English leagues in 2004 as a result of the effects of professionalism...
  
   (Closed down in 2004, on relegation from National Division 1)
• West Park St Helens
• Tabard RFC