England has a comprehensive league structure in place, including national fully professional leagues to amateur regional leagues.
The format and competitiveness of the leagues have changed greatly since their beginnings in 1987. Likewise the leagues started off amateur but professionalism has since been permitted. However, it has always had three or four national leagues with various regional and county leagues below.
Sunday Telegraph Merit Tables
The Sunday Telegraph published Merit Tables for the leading English clubs from the 1960s to the 1980s. The position of the clubs was based on the percentage of matches won with only matches against other clubs in the table counting.
Sunday Telegraph English Champions 1964 to 1987:
1963-64 London Scottish
1964-65 London Scottish
1965-66 Bristol
1966-67 London Welsh
1967-68 London Welsh
1968-69 London Welsh
1969-70 Coventry
1970-71 London Welsh
1971-72 Bristol
1972-73 Coventry
1973-74 Bristol
1974-75 Rosslyn Park
1975-76 Northampton
1976-77 Moseley
1977-78 London Welsh
1978-79 London Welsh
1979-80 Leicester
1980-81 Leicester
1981-82 Gloucester
1982-83 Coventry
1983-84 Wasps
1984-85 Bath
1985-86 Leicester
1986-87 Bath
Precursor competitions
While there were experiments with county leagues in the north in the nineteenth century[1] for most of rugby union's history there have been no organised leagues. The 1970s saw the creation of a national cup and a series of regional and county merit leagues (the most important of which being the North, Midlands, South West and London merit league).
In 1984 this was taken one step further with the creation of two national merit leagues for the top twenty four clubs (based around playing a minimum of sixteen fixtures against each other, a factor which led to Exeter's exclusion after consideration). The top division had three clubs from each of the major merit leagues. In these clubs had to play a minimum of eight fixtures against the other clubs in their division but it was largely based around pre-existing fixtures. There was a system of promotion and relegation between the Merit Tables. 1985 saw the addition of a third national merit table, albeit without promotion and relegation to the top two.
1984–85 season
The initial lineups of the merit tables was as follows:
Merit Table A
Bath
Bristol
Coventry
Gloucester
Gosforth
Harlequins
Leicester
London Irish
London Scottish
Moseley
Orrell
Sale
Merit Table B
Bedford
Blackheath
Headingley
Liverpool
London Welsh
Northampton
Nottingham
Richmond
Rosslyn Park
Saracens
Wasps
Waterloo
Merit Table A
Champions: Sale
Relegated: Coventry; London Irish; Orrell
Merit Table B
Promoted: Headingley; Nottingham; Wasps
1985–86
This year saw the creation of Merit Table C with the following clubs:
In 1987 the merit tables formed the basis of the top three divisions of the national league system. For the first season there were no fixed fixtures so clubs had to arrange their own (to a minimum of ten out of eleven opponents, only one game against each club could count). For the initial season there was no promotion and relegation between National 2 and National 3 but this was created for the following season. National 3 had a minimum of two clubs per region (with the top four clubs in the previous season's Merit Table C getting a guaranteed spot outside this quota) thus Roundhay missed out on a spot to Maidstone.
In 1988 clubs had their fixtures set by the league for them though still only played each other once.
The 1993–94 season saw the reduction in size of the national divisions to 10 teams and the creation of a new National 4 division. It also saw the introduction of home and away fixtures. National 4 (North and South) kept its same format but were now renamed to National 5 (North and South).
This year saw the expansion of the top two divisions to 12 teams and the temporary expansion of National 3 to sixteen clubs. It also saw National 5 (North and South) revert to being National 4 (North and South), expanded to 14 teams, and for the first time, with home and away fixtures. The leagues became openly professional this year.
National 1
Champions: Wasps
Relegated: Orrell; West Hartlepool
National 2
Promoted: Newcastle; Richmond
Relegated: Nottingham; Rugby
National 3
Promoted: Exeter; Fylde
Relegated: Clifton; Havant; Redruth (all three to 2 South); Walsall (to 2 North)
National 4 North
Promoted: Worcester
Relegated: Hereford; Stoke
Promoted into league: Hinckley; Sedgley Park
National 4 South
Promoted: Newbury
Relegated: Askeans; Berry Hill; Charlton Park; High Wycombe
The 1997–98 season saw the addition of sponsorship by Allied Dunbar and as a result a rebranding of National 1 and 2 to Premiership 1 and 2, whereas National 3 became the new National 1, while National 4 (North and South) became National 2 (North and South) accordingly.
Premiership 1
Champions: Newcastle Falcons
Relegated: Bristol
Premiership 2
Promoted: Bedford; London Scottish; West Hartlepool
The 1999–2000 season saw the contraction of Premiership 1 to twelve teams with London Scottish and Richmond being absorbed into London Irish and reforming in county leagues.
Premiership 1
Champions: Leicester
Relegated: Bedford
Premiership 2
Promoted: Rotherham
Relegated: Rugby; West Hartlepool
National 1
Promoted: Birmingham-Solihull; Otley
Relegated: Blackheath; Reading (both to 3 South)
National 2 North
Promoted: Kendal
Relegated: Sheffield
Promoted into league: Dudley Kingswinford; Tynedale
The 2000–01 season saw Zurich take over the sponsorship of the top division with no interest in the second tier. This saw Premiership 2 rebranded National 1, with National 1 and 2 (North and South) becoming National 2 and 3 (North and South) respectively. It also saw the creation of a promotion play-off between the runners-up of the National 3 divisions with an extra relegation place from National 2. A new Championship competition for the top eight clubs was introduced this season. It was intended that the winners of the Championship would become champions [4] but this decision was revoked after outcry. This season also saw the introduction of the rugby union bonus points system.
Premiership
Champions: Leicester
Relegated: Rotherham
National 1
Promoted: Leeds
Relegated: Orrell; Waterloo
National 2
Promoted: Bracknell; Rugby
Relegated: Camberley; Lydney (both to 3 South); West Hartlepool (to 3 North)
National 3 North
Promoted: Sedgley Park; Stourbridge
Relegated: Aspatria; Walsall
Promoted into league: Blaydon; Darlington Mowden Park; Scunthorpe
Relegated: Esher; Manchester; Newbury; Otley; Sedgley Park
National 2
Promoted: Birmingham-Solihull
Relegated: Southend; Westcombe Park (both to 2 South); Waterloo (to 2 North)
Mounts Bay disband
National 3 North
Promoted: Nuneaton
Relegated: Darlington Mowden Park
Halifax disband
Promoted into league: Broadstreet; Hull; Westoe
National 3 South
Promoted: London Scottish
Relegated: Chinnor; Havant
Transferred to 2 North: Rugby
Promoted into league: Barnes; Clifton; Shelford
Additional National 3 divisions
The 2009–10 season saw the creation of several National 3 divisions. The North and South divisions were replaced with North, Midlands, South West and London divisions.
The 2009–10 season saw major changes to the league system below the Premiership. The second tier was reduced to twelve teams and rebranded the RFU Championship with a play-off system and only one relegation spot. National 2 and 3 (North and South) reverted to National 1 and National 2 (North and South), and were expanded to sixteen teams. Four National 3 divisions were created based around the top regional leagues with fourteen teams in each (see above). National play-offs for the title were created for the winners of the National 2 and National 3 divisions. A similar play-off series was created for the eight winners of the regional divisions.
Premiership
Champions: Leicester
Relegated: Worcester
Championship
Promoted: Exeter
Relegated: Coventry
National 1
Promoted: Esher
Relegated: Manchester; Nuneaton (both to National 2 North); Newbury (to National 2 South)
