English rugby union system

Rugby union in England is organised as a multi-tier league pyramid linking fully professional national divisions to regional community competitions, with promotion and relegation connecting most levels. Since 2022–23 the RFU has operated a revised competition framework across the community game, and from 2023–24 promotion and relegation at the top has been conducted via a two-legged play-off between the Premiership’s bottom club and the RFU Championship winners, subject to minimum standards criteria. In the women’s game, Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) sits at the top of a pyramid administered under RFU competition regulations.

Men’s rugby union operates a tiered system from Premiership Rugby and the RFU Championship through National League 1 and National 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.

Women’s rugby union follows a similar pyramid headed by Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), a semi-professional national competition run under RFU regulations. Entry and exit to PWR are managed by licence rather than automatic promotion and relegation; below the top tier are Championship 1 North and South and regional leagues.

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