Welsh rugby union system
Encyclopedia
The top level of competition in the Welsh rugby union system is the Magners League which is a league of professional teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy. Wales currently has four entries in the Magners League: Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Blues
and Newport Gwent Dragons
.
, the European Challenge Cup
and the LV= Cup.
is competed for by Wales' traditional club teams. Recently there have been talks about the potential founding of a regional rugby franchise in the north of Wales, starting with a semi-professional team in the Welsh Premier Division.
Below the Welsh Premier Division, there is Division One split geographically into an East, West and North league and Division Two split into an East, West, North N and North S league.
Division Three and Four are split into four: East, South East, South West and West.
Division Five is split into five leagues: East, South East, South Central, South West and West.
Division Six was created for the 2007-08 season, originally split into Central, East, and West divisions but due to the amount of teams qualifying for WRU status (2008–09) the Division has an extra league in place (South East) which will commence at the start of the 2009-10 season. Teams will not be promoted to Division 5 from these four leagues.
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
and Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
.
Magners League
This is a closed league with no promotion or relegation; teams are effectively franchises. The teams also compete in the Heineken CupHeineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
, the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
and the LV= Cup.
Teams 2009/10
The Welsh Premier DivisionWelsh Premier Division
The Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:...
is competed for by Wales' traditional club teams. Recently there have been talks about the potential founding of a regional rugby franchise in the north of Wales, starting with a semi-professional team in the Welsh Premier Division.
Below the Welsh Premier Division, there is Division One split geographically into an East, West and North league and Division Two split into an East, West, North N and North S league.
Division Three and Four are split into four: East, South East, South West and West.
Division Five is split into five leagues: East, South East, South Central, South West and West.
Division Six was created for the 2007-08 season, originally split into Central, East, and West divisions but due to the amount of teams qualifying for WRU status (2008–09) the Division has an extra league in place (South East) which will commence at the start of the 2009-10 season. Teams will not be promoted to Division 5 from these four leagues.