Regional 1 North West is a level five league in the English rugby union system, with the twelve teams drawn from across North West England. The other level five leagues are Regional 1 Midlands, Regional 1 North East, Regional 1 South Central, Regional 1 South East and Regional 1 South West.
Huddersfield are the 2025–26 champions and will be promoted to National League 2 North.
Format The twelve teams in this league are drawn from across North West England, with the league champions promoted to National League 2 North. The league's bottom two teams are relegated to either Regional 2 North or Regional 2 North West depending on their geographic location.
The season runs from September to April and comprises twenty-two rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league table as follows: 4 points are awarded for a win 2 points are awarded for a draw 0 points are awarded for a loss, however 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match
2026–27 Departing were Huddersfield, promoted to National League 2 North, whilst Manchester (9th - playoff losers) were relegated to Regional 2 North West as were Long Eaton (11th) and Derby (12th) both to Regional 2 Midlands North.
Also leaving were Burton (4th) who were originally allocated to the league but subsequently level transferred to Regional 1 Midlands having been displaced by Macclesfield who were involuntarily demoted into the league having declined their allocation to National League 2 West for the 2026-27 season.
Sandal were originally level transferred into the league from Regional 1 North East when the provisional lineup was announced before being switched back to R1NE. In their place came Dronfield, promoted as champions of Regional 2 North Midlands who had initially been allocated to R1NE.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Anselmians Malone Field Eastham, Wirral 2nd Blackburn Ramsgreave Drive Blackburn, Lancashire 6th Bowdon Clay Lane Timperley, Altrincham, Greater Manchester 7th Dronfield Gosforth Fields Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield, Derbyshire Promoted from Regional 2 North Midlands (champions) Kendal Mint Bridge Stadium 3,500 (258 seats) Kendal, Cumbria Level transfer from Regional 1 North East (8th) Leek Altrad Park Cheddleton, Staffordshire 5th Macclesfield Priory Park 1,250 (250 seats) Macclesfield, Cheshire Relegated from National League 2 North (3rd) Rochdale Moorgate Avenue Rochdale, Greater Manchester 8th Rossendale Marl Pits 1,100 (100 stand) Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire Relegated from National League 2 North (12th - play off losers) Stockport The Memorial Ground 500 Bramhall, Stockport, Greater Manchester 3rd Vale of Lune Powder House Lane 4,000 (50 seats) Lancaster, Lancashire Promoted from Regional 2NW (Runners-up) Wirral The Memorial Ground Clatterbridge, Wirral 10th
2025–26 Departing were Rossendale, promoted to National League 2 North, whilst Stoke-on-Trent (11th) and Birkenhead Park (12th) were relegated to Regional 2 Midlands North and Regional 2 North West respectively. Also leaving were Penrith (7th) and Kendal (9th) on a level transfer to Regional 1 North East; as were Newport (Salop) (6th) to Regional 1 Midlands.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Anselmians Malone Field Eastham, Wirral 2nd Blackburn Ramsgreave Drive Blackburn, Lancashire 8th Bowdon Clay Lane Timperley, Altrincham, Greater Manchester Promoted from Regional 2NW (1st) Burton Battlestead Croft, Tatenhill 5,500 (600 seats Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire Level transfer from Regional 1 Midlands (4th) Derby Haslams Lane Derby, Derbyshire Level transfer from Regional 1 Midlands (9th) Huddersfield Lockwood Park 1,500 (500 seats) Huddersfield, South Yorkshire Level transfer from Regional 1 North East (2nd) Leek Altrad Park Cheddleton, Staffordshire 10th Long Eaton West Park 1,000 Long Eaton, Derbyshire Level transfer from Regional 1 Midlands (8th) Manchester Grove Park 4,000 (250 seats) Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Greater Manchester 3rd Rochdale Moorgate Avenue Rochdale, Greater Manchester Promoted from Regional 2 North East Stockport The Memorial Ground 500 Bramhall, Stockport, Greater Manchester 5th Wirral The Memorial Ground Clatterbridge, Wirral 4th
League table Regional 1 North West 2025–26TeamPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPointsPts amended 1 Huddersfield (P) 22 21 0 1 1021 570 432 22 0 106 2 Anselmians 22 19 1 2 952 410 542 21 1 100 3 Stockport 22 15 0 7 661 458 203 13 2 75 4 Burton 22 12 1 9 617 655 −38 18 3 71 5 Leek 22 11 0 11 641 646 −5 15 6 65 6 Blackburn 22 12 0 10 598 690 −92 13 1 62 7 Bowdon 22 10 0 12 550 598 −48 9 5 54 8 Rochdale 22 8 1 13 583 796 −213 13 5 52 9 Manchester (R) 22 8 1 13 616 754 138 13 1 48 10 Wirral 22 8 1 13 575 642 −67 8 4 46 11 Long Eaton (R) 22 4 0 18 521 815 −294 11 4 31 12 Derby (R) 22 1 1 20 429 867 −439 7 5 13 −5If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Team with most draws Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settledMint background is the promotion place. (1st) Green background is the promotion play-off places. (2nd-3rd) Pink background are the relegation play-off places (9th-10th) Salmon background are the relegation places (subject to confirmation by the RFU). (11th-12th) Updated: 19 April 2026 Source:
Play-offs The champions, Huddersfield, are automatically promoted to next seasons National League 2 North. Second-placed Anselmians won the Regional 1 North West play-off against third-placed Stockport, while Alnwick (2nd) lost to Harrogate (3rd) in the Regional 1 North East play-off. In the second round Harrogate won at Anselmians for the right to play in the National League 2 North Accession Final against Rossendale. Harrogate won the final and will play in next seasons National League 2 North. In each match the highest placed team play at home.
Promotion play-offs Round 1
Round 2
National League 2 North Accession Final The 12th-placed team in the National League 2 North played the winner of the Regional 1 North East and Regional 1 North West promotion play-off to decide who would be the final side in next seasons National League 2 North.
Harrogate promoted.
Relegation play-off The 9th and 10th placed teams held a play-off, with the losing team playing in the Regional 1 Accession Final, against Vale of Lune, the winner of the Regional 2 North West promotion play-off. Vale of Lune are promoted to Regional 1 North West and Manchester are relegated to Regional 2 North West.
Regional 1 Accession Final
2024–25 Departing were Macclesfield, promoted to National League 2 West, whilst Sandbach and Northwich were relegated to Regional 2 North West.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Anselmians Malone Field Eastham, Wirral 9th Birkenhead Park Upper Park 2,000 Birkenhead, Wirral Promoted from Regional 2NW (1st) Blackburn Ramsgreave Drive Blackburn, Lancashire 3rd Kendal Mint Bridge Stadium 3,500 (258 seats) Kendal, Cumbria 6th Leek Altrad Park Cheddleton, Staffordshire 10th Manchester Grove Park 4,000 (250 seats) Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Greater Manchester 5th Newport (Salop) The Old Showground Newport, Shropshire Relegated from Nat 2 West (13th) Penrith Winters Park Penrith, Cumbria 8th Rossendale Marl Pits 1,100 (100 stand) Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire 2nd Stockport The Memorial Ground 500 Bramhall, Stockport, Greater Manchester 7th Stoke-on-Trent Hartwell Lane 2,000 Barlaston, Staffordshire Level transfer from Regional 1 Midlands (5th) Wirral The Memorial Ground Clatterbridge, Wirral 4th
League table Regional 1 North West 2024–25TeamPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPoints C Rossendale 22 18 1 3 994 570 424 19 1 94 2 Anselmians 22 18 0 4 702 458 244 14 2 88 3 Manchester 22 17 0 5 835 502 333 18 1 87 4 Wirral 22 16 0 6 627 529 98 15 2 81 5 Stockport 22 14 0 8 778 562 216 16 3 75 6 Newport (Salop) 22 11 0 11 661 633 28 13 5 62 7 Penrith 22 8 3 11 723 679 49 15 5 58 8 Blackburn 22 7 1 14 594 805 −211 10 3 43 9 Kendal 22 6 1 15 564 649 −85 12 5 43 10 Leek 22 7 0 15 588 836 −248 10 4 42 R Stoke-on-Trent 22 4 0 18 602 915 −313 15 3 34 R Birkenhead Park 22 3 0 19 447 977 −530 7 2 21If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Team with most draws Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
2023–24 Departing were Lymm, promoted to National League 2 North whilst Kirkby Lonsdale and Burnage were relegated to Regional 2 North West.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Anselmians Malone Field Eastham, Merseyside Promoted from Regional 2 North West (1st) Blackburn Ramsgreave Drive Blackburn, Lancashire 2nd Kendal Mint Bridge Stadium 3,500 (258 seats) Kendal, Cumbria 10th Leek Esterchem Park Cheddleton, Staffordshire Promoted from Regional 2 North Midlands (1st) Macclesfield Priory Park 1,250 (250 seats) Macclesfield, Cheshire 5th Manchester Grove Park 4,000 (250 seats) Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Greater Manchester 8th Northwich Moss Farm Northwich, Cheshire 9th Penrith Winters Park Penrith, Cumbria Promoted from Regional 2 North (1st) Rossendale Marl Pits 1,100 (100 stand) Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire 3rd Sandbach Bradwall Road Sandbach, Cheshire 4th Stockport The Memorial Ground 500 Bramhall, Stockport, Greater Manchester 6th Wirral The Memorial Ground Clatterbridge, Wirral 7th
League table Regional 1 North West 2023–24TeamPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPoints C Macclesfield 22 20 1 1 908 378 +530 22 0 104 2 Rossendale 22 19 1 2 1081 402 +679 21 2 101 3 Blackburn 22 16 1 5 877 435 +442 19 2 87 4 Wirral 22 14 0 8 550 514 +36 14 3 73 5 Manchester 22 13 1 8 528 519 +9 11 2 67 6 Kendal 22 9 1 12 488 627 −139 8 3 49 7 Stockport 22 8 0 14 448 611 −163 9 4 45 8 Penrith 22 7 0 15 504 751 −247 10 4 42 9 Anselmians 22 7 2 13 382 653 −271 6 3 41 10 Leek 22 5 1 16 483 658 −175 4 7 33 R Sandbach 22 5 0 17 395 680 −285 5 5 30 R Northwich 22 5 0 17 390 806 −416 5 1 26If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Team with most draws Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Green background is the promotion place. Pink background are relegation places.Updated: 12 May 2024Source:
Results
2022–23 This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review.
Eight of the twelve teams were drawn from the 2021–22 North Premier league sides with four promoted or transferred in. Of the remaining six North Premier clubs, four went to Regional 1 North East and the top two were promoted to National League 2 North.
Participating teams and locations