The English rugby union league pyramid is topped by the Premiership. Below this are the Championship and National Leagues 1 to 3. Below this, the structure is split geographically into four regions: Midlands, North, London and South East, and South West. With the exception of the Midlands leagues, which only has regional splits, below these regional leagues are county leagues (e.g. Sussex, Kent, Hampshire). The county leagues are the lowest levels in the English game.
Structure
|
Level |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Premiership Rugby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2 |
RFU Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3 |
National League 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4 |
National League 2 North |
National League 2 East |
National League 2 West | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
5 |
Regional 1 North East |
Regional 1 North West |
Regional 1 South East |
Regional 1 South Central |
Regional 1 South West |
Regional 1 Midlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
6 |
Regional 2 North |
Regional 2 North East |
Regional 2 North West |
Regional 2 Anglia |
Regional 2 South East |
Regional 2 Thames |
Regional 2 South Central |
Regional 2 South West |
Regional 2 Severn |
Regional 2 West Midlands |
Regional 2 North Midlands |
Regional 2 East Midlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
7 |
Counties 1 Cumbria |
Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland |
Counties 1 Yorkshire |
Counties 1 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire |
Counties 1 Eastern Counties |
Counties 1 Essex |
Counties 1 Kent |
Counties 1 Hampshire |
Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex |
Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex |
Counties 1 Southern North |
Counties 1 Southern South |
Counties 1 Western West |
Counties 1 Western North |
Counties 1 Midlands West (South) |
Counties 1 Midlands West (North) |
Counties 1 Midlands East (North) |
Counties 1 Midlands East (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
8 |
Counties 2 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire |
Counties 2 Eastern Counties |
Counties 2 Cornwall |
Counties 2 Midlands West (North) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
9 |
Counties 3 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire |
Counties 3 Kent |
Counties 3 Cornwall |
Counties 3 Midlands West (North) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
10 |
Counties 4 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire |
Counties 4 Kent |
Counties 4 Gloucestershire North |
Counties 4 Midlands West (North) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
11 |
n/a |
Counties 5 Kent |
n/a |
n/a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Premiership
RFU Championship
- Ampthill
- Bedford Blues
- Caldy
- Cambridge
- Cornish Pirates (formerly Penzance and Newlyn)
- Coventry
- Doncaster Knights
- Ealing Trailfinders
- Hartpury University
- London Scottish
- Nottingham
National League 1
National League 2
National League 2 North
National League 2 East
National League 2 West
Regional 1
Regional 1 North East
Regional 1 North West
Regional 1 Midlands
Regional 1 South West
- Barnstaple
- Brixham
- Chew Valley
- Devonport Services
- Exmouth
- Ivybridge
- Launceston
- Lydney
- Matson
- Okehampton
- St Austell
- Weston-super-Mare
Regional 1 South Central
- Bournemouth
- Bracknell
- Brighton
- Camberley
- CS Rugby 1863
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Havant
- Horsham
- London Welsh
- Marlborough
- Tunbridge Wells
