Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the reigning RFU Championship champions of 2023–24 but were considered ineligible for promotion to Premiership Rugby as their home ground's capacity is too small. They were promoted to the league after they won National League 1 in 2014–15.
North 1 East was a sixth tier league in the English rugby union domestic competition, formed in 1987 using the name North Division 2, involving clubs from the north of the country. There was also a division known as North East 1 that began in 1987 for clubs based in the north-east but this was a seventh tier league. North Division 2 would later split into two regional divisions, known as North 1 East and North 1 West. North 1 East was made up of teams from around the North East and Yorkshire, playing home and away matches throughout a winter season.
Regional 1 South East is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London Division 1. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following re-organisation by the Rugby Football Union while the name change from National League 3 to Premier was introduced for the 2017–18 season to make it more obvious that it is a regional league. London & South East Premier was the highest regional rugby union league covering London and south east England. Following the RFU Adult Competition Review the league was decreased from 14 to 12 and the name changed to Regional 1 South East. Part of the area formerly covered by London & South East Premier is now covered by a new league Regional 1 South Central.
Caldy Rugby Club is an English rugby union club which play in the RFU Championship, the second tier of English rugby, following their promotion from National League 1 at the end of 2021–22. Their home stadium is Paton Field in Thurstaston on the Wirral Peninsula.
Counties 1 Southern North is a division at level 7 of the English rugby union system. When league rugby first began in 1987 it was known as Southern Counties but since 1996 the division was split into two regional leagues – Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South. Counties 1 Southern North currently sits at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and features teams based in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The league champions at the end of each season are automatically promoted to Regional 2 South Central. Relegated teams usually drop to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon North or Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon South.
National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage League National Division Three when founded in 1987. Chinnor are the current champions.
London 1 North was an English level 6, rugby union league for clubs in London and the south-east of England including sides from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, north Greater London, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 2 North, changing to its final name ahead of the 2009–10 season.
Counties 1 Eastern Counties is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 North East, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 1 Eastern Counties.
Eastern Counties 1 was an English level 9 Rugby Union League. From the 2017-18 promoted teams move up to the newly created London 3 Eastern Counties with the league champions going up automatically, while relegated teams drop down to Eastern Counties 2. Teams in this league tend to be based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. In the past teams from Essex used to take part until the 2003–04 season when they formed a new league - with Essex 1 being the top division.
Eastern Counties 2 is an English level 10 Rugby Union League - currently divided into 3 regional divisions. Promoted teams move up to Eastern Counties 1 with teams in this league tending to be from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. Currently a three divisions, Eastern Counties 2 has previously been divided into North and South divisions with teams from Essex taking part, and had relegation to Eastern Counties 3. In 2003-04 the Essex teams broke away, forming a new league - with Essex 2 being the equivalent division to Eastern Counties 2.
Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club runs four senior sides. The first team play in National League 2 North, a tier 4 league, following their promotion from Regional 1 North East at the end of the 2023–24 season. The second team, Harrogate Georgians, play in the Yorkshire RFU Merit Premiership and the third team play in the Yorkshire RFU 2 Central/North Merit League. The club also fields a ladies' team completing the four senior teams in the RFUW Championship, and eight junior teams.
Shelford Rugby Club is an English rugby union football club based in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire. The club currently play in Regional 1 South East – at the fifth tier of the English rugby union league system – following their promotion from London 1 North at the end of the 2021–22 season. Shelford run five men's sides, two women's sides and fifteen junior teams for boys and girls. They are members of the Eastern Counties Rugby Football Union.
Ampthill Rugby Club is an English rugby union team based in Ampthill, Bedfordshire. The club runs six senior teams and the full range of junior sides. The first XV play in the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English rugby union system.
Bury St Edmunds RUFC is a rugby union club based in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. Founded in 1925 as Bury and West Suffolk Rugby Football Club, the men's 1st XV currently play in the fourth tier of the English league system, National League 2 East. The club has four senior men's sides, and a women's side as well who play in the 3rd tier of the RFU system, Championship Midlands 2.
Eastern Counties 3 is an English level 11 Rugby Union league, currently divided into 3 regional leagues. Promoted teams moved up to the relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 2 while since the abolition of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 2016–17 season there has been no relegation. For most of its history, Eastern Counties 3 was divided into two regional divisions – north and south – with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. A breakaway of Essex teams at the end of the 2002–03 to form a new league would lead to Eastern Counties 3 being abolished by the end of 2003–04 only to return due to a league restructure to cater for more 2nd and 3rd teams.
The Eastern Counties Rugby Union (ECRU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in England. Clubs in the old Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough are affiliated to the East Midlands Rugby Football Union. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for those counties. The ECRU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in those three counties and administers the Eastern Counties county rugby representative teams.
Chris Johnson is an English rugby union footballer, currently playing at Fly-half or Centre for Sale in National League 1. An outstanding player who can kick points, drop goals, and score tries, he is one of the most prolific scorers of all time in both National League 2 North and National League 1, with over 3,000 points spread across the two divisions from his time with Huddersfield, Fylde and Sale. Johnson has also had a very successful representative career, winning the Bill Beaumont Cup five times with Lancashire, and captaining the England Counties XV.
Richard Vasey is an English rugby union player, currently playing at Fly-half for Caldy in National League 2 North. A talented player who has experience of playing at a higher level with clubs such as Leeds Carnegie and Moseley, Vasey is a reliable points kicker who has become one of the most prolific in National League 2 North history with over 1,400 points for Caldy. He has also been capped by England Students.
Counties 2 Eastern Counties is an English rugby union league that is at the eighth level of the English rugby union system and is available to club sides based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The Essex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Essex in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Essex, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Essex county rugby representative teams.
