BUCS Super Rugby is the highest level of men's and women's university rugby union in the United Kingdom and a potential pathway for university players into professional rugby. It comprises ten teams from universities in England and Wales. The league is named after its governing body, British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).
History
Background
The Scottish Varsity match between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh is the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football, having been first played under rugby union rules in the 1860s. The first Varsity Match in rugby union between the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge was contested in 1872.
Unusually for British university sporting events, the Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Match was broadcast on television, along with The Boat Race. The Independent proposed in 2008 that Bath v Loughborough was "the real varsity match" on the basis that these were the top two rugby union teams (at that time) in British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) competitions. In 2015, British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), the successor to BUSA, organised fixtures between Loughborough and Durham (two of the top universities since 2011-12) to occur on the same day, which was referred to as the "BUCS Varsity".
Men's Men's BUCS Super Rugby was launched in 2016 as a new, top level of university rugby above the existing North A and South A leagues.
The eight teams in the inaugural 2016–17 season were those who finished in the top four of the North A and South A leagues in the preceding 2015–16 season.
The league expanded to nine teams in the 2017–18 season and ten teams in the 2018–19 season.
Women's Women's BUCS Super Rugby was launched ahead of the 2024–25 season.
The seven-team competition is a positive evolution of the Women's National League (WNL) and joins the top level of Men's rugby union as BUCS’ second ‘Super’ level of competition. Women's BUCS Super Rugby will provide an enhanced platform to aid female players at institutions in England, Wales, and Scotland in developing their game while pursuing higher education.
On 12 February 2025 Brunel University's Women secured their place in Women's BUCS Super Rugby (WBSR), for the first time in their history, defeating Newcastle 64–8 in the BSR North vs South Prem Playoff.
Men's BUCS Super Rugby
University Debut * 2016–17 7 2018–19 5 2016–17 7 2016–17 7 2016–17 7 † 2016–17 7 2016–17 7 2016–17 7 2022–23 2 2019–20 4
Excluding the 2020–21 season, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
Not to be confused with Hartpury University R.F.C., who play in the RFU Championship.
Season structure
The season has three phases: League - a double round-robin tournament, where teams play each other home and away. Championship - a knockout tournament featuring the top eight teams from the League. Playoff - a knockout tournament featuring the team at the bottom of the League and the teams at the top of North A and South A leagues. The Playoff determines whether relegation and promotion occur.
League The League season currently has 18 rounds and typically runs from September to March. League points are awarded in the following way:
4 points for winning a match 2 points for drawing a match 0 points for losing a match 1 losing bonus point for losing by 7 points (or less) 1 try bonus point for scoring (at least) 4 tries, regardless of the outcome. In this points system winning teams get 4 or 5 points, drawing teams 2 or 3 points, and losing teams between 0 and 2 points.
Championship
The Championship competition has three rounds and typically takes place in April. It features the teams who finished in the top eight of the league.
Men's BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championships Quarter Finals: 1st v 8th 2nd v 7th 4th v 5th 3rd v 6th Semi Finals: 1st or 8th v 4th or 5th 2nd or 7th v 3rd or 6th
Playoff
The team that finishes last in the league is not automatically relegated. Relegation from (and promotion to) BUCS Super Rugby is decided through a playoff in the format of a three-team, single-elimination tournament.
The playoff begins with a semi-final between the winners of the North A and South A leagues. The bottom placed BUCS Super Rugby team has a bye directly into the playoff game. The winner of the playoff game is the team that plays in the next season of BUCS Super Rugby. The home team in each game is decided by coin toss.
2025-26 Playoff Changes In August 2025, BUCS announced that from the 2025-26 Season the 10th placed team at the end of the season would be automatically relegated without a playoff. Their place would be taken by the winner of the Premier North vs Premier South playoff.
Playoff results
SeasonGame Winner Score! Runner-upVenuePromotedAttendanceRefHighlightsMen's BUCS Super Rugby 2016-17Game 1 - 05/04/2017 Nottingham Trent University57-0Bristol University Nottingham Trent UniversityGame 2 - 12/04/2017 Nottingham Trent University65-12Bristol University 2017-18Game 1 - 07/03/2018 Cardiff University59-17Newcastle UniversityCardiff UniversityGame 2 - 14/03/2018 Cardiff University28-17Newcastle University 2018-19 Prem Semi-Final - 03/04/2019 Swansea University27-18Newcastle University BSR Playoff - 10/04/2019 Swansea University32-28Nottingham Trent UniversitySwansea University 2019-20Prem Semi-Final - 01/04/2020 Nottingham Trent UniversityN/A Bristol University Season interrupted by COVID-19BSR Playoff - 08/04/2020 Semi-Final WinnerN/ANorthumbria University 2020-21 Season interrupted by COVID-19 2021-22 No Semi-Final BSR Playoff - 13/04/2022Nottingham University22-28Northumbria University'Nottingham University 2022-23 Prem Semi-Final - 29/03/2023Brunel University26-18Newcastle University BSR Playoff - 12/04/2023Leeds Beckett University23-17Brunel UniversityLeeds Beckett University 2023-24 Prem Semi-Final - 27/03/2024Newcastle University39-24Brunel University BSR Playoff - 10/04/2024Swansea University40-17Newcastle UniversitySwansea University 2024-25Prem Semi-Final - 26/03/2025Brunel University30-29Newcastle UniversityBSR Playoff - 09/04/2025Swansea University19-15Brunel UniversitySwansea UniversityEnd of BSR Relegation Play Off2025-26Prem North/South Promotion Playoff - Newcastle 25-29 Brunel Brunel University2026-27Prem North/South Promotion Playoff - 2027-28Prem North/South Promotion Playoff -
Gold background University that has been promoted to Men's BUCS Super Rugby. Cyan background Men's BUCS Super Rugby University that has successfully defended their place in the league after the Playoffs. Red background Playoff campaign was not completed due to suspension of competition due to Covid-19 Pandemic.
Results
League and championship
Final position SeasonSeasonSeasonSeasonSeasonSeasonSeasonSeasonSeason 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 1 Hartpury (CH) Exeter Exeter (SF) Durham Durham (RU) Loughborough (RU) Exeter (RU) Loughborough (RU) Bath 2 Exeter (RU) Northumbria Hartpury (CH) Exeter Exeter (CH) Exeter (CH) Loughborough (CH) Hartpury (CH) Loughborough 3 Loughborough (SF) Cardiff Met (RU) Bath (SF) Leeds Beckett Cardiff Met (SF) Durham Hartpury (SF) Bath Exeter 4 Durham Leeds Beckett (SF) Cardiff Met Cardiff Met Loughborough (SF) Bath (SF) Durham Durham Nottingham 5 Bath (SF) Hartpury (CH) Leeds Beckett (RU) Hartpury Swansea Hartpury Bath (SF) Exeter (SF) Durham 6 Northumbria Loughborough Northumbria Loughborough Cardiff Cardiff (SF) Cardiff Met Cardiff Met (SF) Cardiff Met 7 Cardiff Met Bath (SF) Durham Swansea Hartpury Cardiff Met Leeds Beckett Nottingham Hartpury 8 Leeds Beckett Durham Cardiff Bath Leeds Beckett Nottingham Nottingham Leeds Beckett Cardiff 9 - Nottingham Trent Loughborough Cardiff Bath Swansea Cardiff Cardiff Leeds Beckett 10 - - Nottingham Trent (R) Northumbria Northumbria (R) Leeds Beckett Swansea Swansea Swansea (R) Final position SeasonSeasonSeason 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 1 Bath 2 Brunel 3 Cardiff 4 Cardiff Met 5 Durham 6 Hartpury 7 Hartpury 8 Leeds Beckett 9 Loughborough 10 Nottingham
Green background (rows 1 to 8) are teams that progressed to the Championship tournament. Red background is a team that was relegated after losing a playoff to a North A / South A team. (CH) Champions. (RU) Runners-up. (SF) Losing semi-finalists. (R) Relegated* No Championship tournament was held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Championship finals Season Champion Score Runner-upVenueAttendanceRefHighlightsTitlePre-Men's BUCS Super Rugby 2012-13 Durham University26-17Cardiff MetTwickenham 2013-14 Hartpury University28-24Leeds MetTwickenham 2014-15 Leeds Beckett31-23LoughboroughTwickenham 2015-16 Exeter University21-19LoughboroughTwickenhamMen's BUCS Super Rugby 2016-17 Hartpury University27-24Exeter UniversityTwickenham 2017-18 Hartpury University27-24Cardiff MetTwickenham 2018-19 Hartpury University45-27Leeds BeckettTwickenham 2019-20 Season interrupted by COVID-19 2020-21 Season interrupted by COVID-19 2021-22 Exeter University14-13Durham UniversitySixways Stadium2022-23Exeter University48-44LoughboroughStoneX Stadium2023-24Loughborough35-31Exeter UniversityStoneX Stadium2024-25Hartpury University35-31LoughboroughRodney Parade2025-26Bath41-14LoughboroughRodney Parade https://www.youtube.com/live/NfCqy5tQCg4?si=53GwBgdZkoxOTeVX2026-27Rodney Parade2027-28Rodney Parade
Promotion and relegation
Season Club promoted at start of season Promoted from Club relegated at end of season Relegated to 2017-18 Nottingham Trent BUCS North A None N/A 2018-19 Cardiff BUCS South A Nottingham Trent BUCS North A 2019-20 Swansea BUCS South A None N/A 2020-21 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 2021-22 None N/A Northumbria BUCS North A 2022-23 Nottingham BUCS North A None N/A 2023-24 None N/A None N/A 2024-25 None N/A None N/A 2025-26 None N/A 2026-27 Brunel Premier South 1 Swansea Premier South 1 2027-28
Alumni with international caps The inclusion criteria are that the player played in a senior international test after playing in BUCS Super Rugby.
Player Year of first international cap University Year of last BUCS Super Rugby appearance Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi 2025 University of Bath 2025 Max Ojomoh 2025 University of Bath 2025 Tom Pittman 2024 University of Bath 2021 Archie Griffin 2024 University of Bath 2024 Ross Vintcent 2024 University of Exeter 2023 Dafydd Jenkins 2022 University of Exeter 2022 Thibaud Flament 2021 Loughborough University 2019 Christ Tshiunza 2021 University of Exeter 2021 Ben Thomas 2021 Cardiff University 2018 Dan Kelly 2021 Loughborough University 2020 Alex Dombrandt 2021 Cardiff Metropolitan University 2018 Freddie Steward 2021 Loughborough University 2019 Harry Randall 2021 Hartpury College 2018 Stephen Varney 2020 Hartpury College 2019 Sam Skinner 2018 University of Exeter 2016 Sebastian Negri 2016 Hartpury College 2017
Place in the BUCS Rugby Union pyramid
BUCS Super Rugby is the top division of men's university rugby in Britain. It sits in the Premier tier of the BUCS Rugby Union pyramid, along with North A, North B, South A and South B.
Premier BUCS Super Rugby North 1 South 1 North 2 South 2 Tier 1 Scottish 1A Northern 1A Midlands 1A Western 1A South Eastern 1A Tier 2 Scottish 2A Northern 2A Northern 2B Midlands 2A Midlands 2B Western 2A Western 2B South Eastern 2A South Eastern 2B Tier 3 Scottish 3A Northern 3A Northern 3B Midlands 3A Midlands 3B Western 3A Western 3B South Eastern 3A South Eastern 3B Tier 4 Scottish 4A Scottish 4B Northern 4A Northern 4B Midlands 4A Midlands 4B Western 4A Western 4B South Eastern 4A South Eastern 4C South Eastern 4B Tier 5 Northern 5A Northern 5B Midlands 5A Western 5A South Eastern 5A South Eastern 5B Tier 6 South Eastern 6A
Women's BUCS Super Rugby