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 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:
Birmingham Exeter Fylde Metropolitan Police Morley Nuneaton Plymouth Roundhay Sheffield Vale of Lune Wakefield West Hartlepool
Merit Table A Champions:Gloucester Relegated: Gosforth; Headingley Merit Table B Promoted: 1st Orrell; 2nd Coventry; Liverpool merge with non-league St Helens to become Liverpool-St Helens Merit Table C Champions (not promoted):
1986–87
Merit Table A Champions: Bath Relegated to National 2: London Scottish Merit Table B Promoted into National 1: Waterloo Merit Table C Champions (not promoted): Relegated to Area League North: Roundhay Admitted to National 3: Maidstone
Foundation of the national league system 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.
Initial composition of major leagues National 1
Bath Bristol Coventry Gloucester Harlequins Leicester Moseley Nottingham Orrell Sale Wasps Waterloo
National 2
Bedford Blackheath Gosforth Headingley Liverpool-St Helens London Irish London Scottish London Welsh Northampton Richmond Rosslyn Park Saracens
National 3
Birmingham Exeter Fylde Maidstone Metropolitan Police Morley Nuneaton Plymouth Sheffield Vale of Lune Wakefield West Hartlepool
Area League North
Birkenhead Park Broughton Park Derby Durham City Lichfield Northern Preston Grasshoppers Roundhay Rugby Solihull Stourbridge
Area League South
Askeans Camborne Cheltenham Havant Lydney Salisbury Sidcup Southend Streatham-Croydon Stroud Sudbury
1987–88 season
National 1
Champions: Leicester Relegated: Coventry; Sale National 2 Promoted: Liverpool-St Helens; Rosslyn Park National 3 Champions (not promoted): Wakefield Relegated: Birmingham; Morley (both to Area League North)
Area League North Promoted: Rugby Relegated: Birkenhead Park; Derby; Solihull Promoted into league: Stoke; Winnington Park Area League South Promoted: Askeans Relegated: Streatham-Croydon Promoted into league: Ealing; Redruth
1988–89 season
National 1
Champions: Bath Relegated: Liverpool-St Helens; Waterloo National 2 Promoted: Bedford; Saracens Relegated: London Scottish; London Welsh National 3 Promoted: Rugby; Plymouth Relegated: Maidstone; Metropolitan Police (both to Area League South)
Area League North Promoted: Roundhay Relegated: Birmingham Promoted into league: Kendal; Walsall Area League South Promoted: Lydney Relegated: Ealing; Sidcup; Stroud Promoted into league: Basingstoke; Clifton
1989–90 season
National 1
Champions: Wasps Relegated: Bedford National 2 Promoted: Liverpool-St Helens; Northampton National 3 Promoted: London Scottish; Wakefield Relegated to National 4 South: London Welsh
Area League North Promoted: Broughton Park; Morley Promoted into league: Birmingham-Solihull; Harrogate; Hereford; Otley Area League South Promoted: Clifton; Metropolitan Police Relegated: Salisbury Promoted into league: Ealing; Maidenhead; North Walsham; Weston-super-Mare
1990–91 season
For the 1990–91 season all divisions were increased to 13 teams and the Area Leagues were renamed National 4 North and National 4 South.
National 1
Champions: Bath Relegated: Liverpool-St Helens; Moseley National 2 Promoted: London Irish; Rugby Relegated: Headingley; Richmond National 3 Promoted: Morley; West Hartlepool Relegated: Metropolitan Police (to 4 South); Vale of Lune (to 4 North)
National 4 North Promoted: Otley Relegated: Birmingham-Solihull; Stoke Promoted into league: Aspatria; Towcestrians National 4 South Promoted: Redruth Relegated: Cheltenham; Maidenhead Promoted into league: High Wycombe; Sidcup
1991–92 season
National 1
Champions: Bath Relegated: Nottingham; Rosslyn Park National 2 Promoted: London Scottish; West Hartlepool Relegated: Liverpool-St Helens; Plymouth National 3 Promoted: Fylde; Richmond Relegated: Lydney (to 4 South); Nuneaton (to 4 North) Headingley and Roundhay merged to form Leeds
National 4 North Promoted: Aspatria Relegated: Northern; Vale of Lune Promoted into league: Rotherham; Stoke National 4 South Promoted: Havant Relegated: Ealing; Sidcup Promoted into league: Berry Hill; Thurrock
1992–93 season
National 1 Champions: Bath Relegated: London Scottish; Rugby; Saracens; West Hartlepool National 2 Promoted: Newcastle-Gosforth Relegated: Bedford; Blackheath; Coventry; Fylde; Morley; Richmond; Rosslyn Park National 3 Promoted: Otley Relegated to National 4: Askeans; Aspatria; Broughton Park; Clifton; Leeds; Liverpool-St Helens; Plymouth; Sheffield
National 4 North Promoted into National 4: Harrogate Relegated: Towcestrians Promoted into league: Birmingham-Solihull; Bradford & Bingley National 4 South Promoted: Sudbury Relegated: Thurrock Promoted into league: Reading; Tabard
Introduction of home and away fixtures
1993–94 season
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).
National 1
Champions: Bath Relegated: London Irish; Newcastle-Gosforth National 2 Promoted: Sale; West Hartlepool Relegated: Otley; Rugby National 3 Promoted: Coventry; Fylde Relegated: Havant; Redruth National 4 Promoted: Clifton; Harrogate Relegated: Sheffield (to 5 North); Sudbury (to 5 South)
National 5 North Promoted: Rotherham Relegated: Bradford & Bingley; Durham City Promoted into league: Barkers Butts; Wharfedale National 5 South Promoted: Reading Relegated: Maidstone; Southend Promoted into league: Barking; Henley
1994–95 season
National 1
Champions: Leicester Relegated: Northampton National 2 Promoted: Saracens Relegated: Coventry; Fylde National 3 Promoted: Bedford; Blackheath Relegated: Clifton; Exeter National 4 Promoted: Reading; Rotherham Relegated: Askeans (to 5 South); Broughton Park (to 5 North)
National 5 North Promoted: Walsall Relegated: Barkers Butts; Hereford Promoted into league: Sandal; Worcester National 5 South Promoted: London Welsh Relegated: Basingstoke; Sudbury Promoted into league: Camberley; Cheltenham
1995–96 season
National 1
Champions: Bath National 2 Promoted: London Irish; Northampton National 3 Promoted: Coventry; Richmond, Rotherham; Rugby National 4 No promotion as merged into National 3 Relegated: Aspatria (to 4 North); Plymouth (to 4 South)
National 5 North Promoted: Wharfedale Relegated: Broughton Park Promoted into league: Hereford; Manchester National 5 South Promoted: Lydney Relegated: Camborne Promoted into league: Charlton Park; Newbury
Advent of professionalism
1996–97 season
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 Promoted into league: Bridgwater; Esher
Two premierships era
1997–98 season
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 National 1 Promoted: Leeds; London Welsh; Rugby; Worcester
National 2 North Promoted: Birmingham-Solihull; Manchester Promoted into league: New Brighton; Whitchurch National 2 South Promoted: Camberley; Henley Promoted into league: Bracknell; Norwich
1998–99 season
The 1998–99 season saw the expansion of the two premiership divisions to fourteen teams.
Premiership 1
Champions: Leicester Relegated: West Hartlepool London Scottish and Richmond disband Premiership 2 Promoted: Bristol Relegated: Blackheath; Fylde National 1 Promoted: Henley; Manchester Relegated: Liverpool-St Helens; Morley (both to 2 North)
National 2 North Promoted: Preston Grasshoppers Relegated: Hinckley; Lichfield; Winnington Park Promoted into league: Bedford Athletic; Doncaster