Current season or competition: 2022–23 Counties 1 Cumbria | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Instituted | 1992 |
Number of teams | 13 |
Country | England |
Holders | Upper Eden (2nd title) (2021–22) |
Most titles | Keswick (5 titles) |
Website | England RFU |
Counties 1 Cumbria (formerly Cumbria League and Cumbria 1) is a competitive rugby union league at level 7 of the English rugby union system run by the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) for club sides based in Cumbria. [1] It was previously a tier 7 league but the creation of North 2 West demoted it to level 8. Promoted teams typically go up to North 2 West and since Cumbria 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2018–19 season there is no relegation. Each season a team from Cumbria 1 is picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a national competition for clubs at level 8. The original Cumbria league was formed at the start of the 1992–93 season when the North-West North 1 division was cancelled.
Until the end of the 2017–18 season the Cumbria League was a single division involving 10 clubs and ranked at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. The champions were automatically promoted to the now discontinued North Lancashire/Cumbria league and until the 2016–17 season the second placed team faced the runner-up from Lancashire (North) for the final promotion place until Lancashire (North) was cancelled. There was no relegation due to it having been the lowest competitive league for Rugby Union in Cumbria. It ran alongside the Cumbria 2 North & West and Cumbria 2 South & East Merit Leagues. [2] [3]
This changed for the 2018–19 season due to RFU having to restructure the northern leagues after 19 Lancashire based clubs withdrew from the league system to form their own competition. The result was that the Cumbrian clubs based in North Lancashire/Cumbria joined the top 3 Cumbria League sides in Cumbria 1, while the rest of the Cumbrian League sides along with a handful of 2nd XV teams formed Cumbria 2. [4] [5]
Another change to the structure from the 2018–19 season was that the division would play two stages - the first involving all eight teams to decide who would be contesting promotion and relegation during the second stage when the division was divided into two mini leagues (one promotion/one relegation). In 2022 the RFU further restructured the adult community leagues and the Cumbria League was renamed Counties 1 Cumbria from the 2022–23 season.
Departing were Carlisle promoted to Regional 2 North, Cockermouth were relegated from Regional 2 North while Ambleside re-joined the Cumbria league after an absence of twenty years, last having competed in 2003-04.
|
Departing were Upper Eden and Cockermouth, promoted to Regional 2 North. Silloth finished 9th in 2022-23 but did not return for the new season.
Joining were Windermere re-joined the Cumbria league last having competed in 2019-20 together with Aspatria II and Keswick II.
|
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The 2022–23 Counties 1 Cumbria league consists of 12 teams. Eight of these competed in the 2021–22 Cumbria 1 competition; Creighton, Egremont, Hawcoat Park, Millon, Upper Eden, Whitehaven, Wigton and Workington. Cockermouth and St. Benedict's dropped down from North 2 West having finished 7th and 12th respectively. Penrith II joined the league as a new team and Silloth returned to league rugby after not taking part in any competition since the 2019–20 season. A ninth member of the 2021–22 Cumbria 1 league, Furness, had also been assigned to Counties 1 Cumbria but withdrew before the start of the season.
|
The teams competing in 2021-22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019-20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020-21.
Outgoing teams St Benedicts and Cockermouth were promoted to North 2 West, and Windermere, who finished 12th but did not return, competed in the Cumbria 2 Shield (Group 1) instead. Silloth, who finished 11th, were initially due to compete but withdrew before the season began. [6] Consequently the league was reduced from 13 sides to 9.
|
On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced [7] that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Cumbria 1 was not contested.
|
When this division was introduced in 1992 it contained the following teams:
The Cumbria league was formed from teams from the old North-West North 1 division when it was disbanded at the end of the 1991–92 season. Promotion was to Cumbria/Lancs North and as the basement division for clubs in the region there was no relegation. Initially a tier 10 league, the creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Cumbria/Lancs North dropped to become a tier 11 league.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992–93 | 9 | Smith Brothers | British Steel | No relegation | ||||||||||
1993–94 | 9 | Keswick [a] | Creighton | No relegation | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 9 | Carnforth | Creighton | No relegation | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 9 | Ambleside | Whitehaven | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season. The cancellation of National 5 North and creation of North West 3 meant that Cumbria remained a tier 11 league, with promotion into North Lancs/Cumbria (formerly Cumbria/Lancs North).
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | 8 | Furness | Whitehaven | No relegation | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 8 | Ambleside | Moresby | No relegation | ||||||||||
1998–99 [8] | 8 | Millom | Moresby | No relegation | ||||||||||
1999–00 [9] | 8 | Moresby [b] | Silloth | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999–00 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 (tiers 7-9). This meant that Cumbria became a tier 8 league, with promotion continuing to North Lancs/Cumbria. As the lowest ranked league for clubs in the region there was no relegation until the introduction of Cumbria 2 at the end of the 2017–18 season.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 [10] | 13 | Hawcoat Park | St. Benedict's | No relegation | ||||||||||
2001–02 [11] | 13 | Hawcoat Park | Windermere | No relegation | ||||||||||
2002–03 [12] | 15 | Netherhall | Windermere | No relegation | ||||||||||
2003–04 [13] | 13 | Egremont [c] | Netherhall | No relegation | ||||||||||
2004–05 [15] | 12 | Netherhall | Moresby | No relegation | ||||||||||
2005–06 [16] | 14 | Whitehaven | Kirkby Lonsdale [d] | No relegation | ||||||||||
2006–07 [17] | 14 | Workington | Keswick | No relegation | ||||||||||
2007–08 [18] | 14 | Keswick | Netherhall | No relegation | ||||||||||
2008–09 [19] | 12 | Netherhall | St. Benedict's | No relegation | ||||||||||
2009–10 [20] | 10 | Whitehaven | Egremont | No relegation | ||||||||||
2010–11 [21] | 9 | Millom | Egremont | No relegation | ||||||||||
2011–12 [22] | 10 | Keswick | Whitehaven | No relegation | ||||||||||
2012–13 [23] | 10 | Hawcoat Park | Silloth | No relegation | ||||||||||
2013–14 [24] | 12 | Furness | Egremont | No relegation | ||||||||||
2014–15 [25] | 13 | Silloth | Workington | No relegation | ||||||||||
2015–16 [26] | 10 | Workington | Egremont | No relegation | ||||||||||
2016–17 [27] | 10 | Keswick | Whitehaven | No relegation | ||||||||||
2017–18 [28] | 10 | Upper Eden [e] | Whitehaven | Multiple teams [f] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Restructuring of the north-west leagues at the end of the 2017–18 season, including the cancellation of North Lancs/Cumbria and the introduction of Cumbria 2, meant that Cumbria was renamed to Cumbria and became a tier 7 league. Promotion was now up to North West 1 while relegation was to the new Cumbria 2.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 [29] [30] | 8 | Keswick | Aspatria | No relegation [31] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
After just one season Cumbria 2 was cancelled and Cumbria 1 reverted to being a single division named Cumbria, while the introduction of North 2 West for the 2019–20 season meant that Cumbria dropped back to being a tier 8 league with promotion into this new division and no relegation. Adult community leagues were cancelled for the 2020–21 season. In 2021–22 the league was contested by nine teams and the league restructure meant that no teams were promoted at the end of the season.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 [32] | 13 [g] | St. Benedict's | Cockermouth | No relegation | ||||||||||
2020–21 | 13 | |||||||||||||
2021-22 | 9 | Upper Eden | Whitehaven | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
From the 2018–19 season onwards there was a play-off between the runners-up of Cumbria 1 and North 2 West for the third and final promotion place to North 1 West. Previously Cumbria League sides had a play-off against Lancashire (North) for a place in the discontinued North Lancashire/Cumbria division (see following sub section). As of 2019–20 North 2 West sides have one win to Cumbria's zero; and the home side has one win to the away side's zero.
| ||||||||
Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 [33] | Bowdon (LC) | HWO [h] | Aspatria (C) [i] | Clay Lane, Timperley, Altrincham, Greater Manchester | N/A | |||
2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Both runners up - Cockermouth (C) and Glossop (NW) - promoted. | |||||||
Between the 2000–01 and 2016–17 seasons there was a play-off between the runners-up of the Cumbria League and Lancashire (North) for the third and final promotion place to North Lancashire/Cumbria. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2016–17 season the Lancashire (North) teams have been the most successful with eleven wins to the Cumbria League team's four; and the home team has won promotion on twelve occasions compared to the away team's three. Since the cancellation of Lancashire (North) the play-off has been discontinued.
| ||||||||
Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 [35] | Tyldesley (L) | 47-26 | Hawcoat Park (C) [j] | St George's Park, Tyldesley, Manchester | ||||
2001–02 [36] | Bury (L) | 20-3 | Windermere (C) | Bury Sports Club, Bury, Greater Manchester | ||||
2002–03 [37] | Didsbury Toc H (L) | 17-29 | Upper Eden (C) [k] | Ford Lane, Didsbury, Manchester | ||||
2003–04 [38] | Egremont (C) [l] | 27-19 | Didsbury Toc H (L) | Bleach Green, Egremont, Cumbria | ||||
2004–05 [39] | Burnage (L) | 60-0 | Moresby (C) | Varley Park, Stockport, Greater Manchester | ||||
2005–06 [40] | Kirkby Lonsdale (C) | 20-23 | Didsbury Toc H (L) | Raygarth, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria | ||||
2006–07 [41] | Tarleton (L) | 28-7 | Keswick (C) | Carr Lane, Tarleton, Lancashire | ||||
2007–08 [42] | Netherhall (C) | 0-20 | Burnley (L) | Netherhall Road, Maryport, Cumbria | ||||
2008–09 [43] | No promotion playoff [m] | |||||||
2009–10 [44] | Didsbury Toc H (L) | 42-10 | Millom (C) [n] | Ford Lane, Didsbury, Manchester | ||||
2010–11 [45] | Egremont (C) | 19-18 | Trafford MV (L) | Bleach Green, Egremont, Cumbria | ||||
2011–12 [46] | Whitehaven (C) | 33-22 | Trafford MV (L) | The Playground, Whitehaven, Cumbria | ||||
2012–13 [47] | Bolton (L) | 27-7 | Silloth (C) | Avenue Street, Bolton, Greater Manchester | ||||
2013–14 [48] | No promotion playoff [o] | |||||||
2014–15 [49] | Ashton-under-Lyne (L) | 17-5 | Workington (C) | Gambrel Bank, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester | ||||
2015–16 [50] | Littleborough (L) | 37-3 | Egremont (C) | Rakewood Road, Littleborough, Rochdale, Greater Manchester | ||||
2016–17 [51] | Burnley (L) | 94-0 | Whitehaven (C) | Holden Road, Burnley, Lancashire | ||||
Green background is the promoted team. C = Cumbria League and L = Lancashire (North) (formerly North Lancashire 1) | ||||||||
Bolton RUFC are an amateur rugby union team who play in the North 2 West league of the English rugby union league system.
Burnley Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union club that currently plays in the South Lancs/Cheshire 2 league following their relegation from North Lancashire/Cumbria at the end of the 2017–18 season. The club was founded in 1926 as Calder Vale Rugby Club but the 2002 - 03 season saw the name of 75 years changed to help raise Burnley's rugby profile locally and beyond. The club plays from Holden Road, the site of Belvedere and Calder Vale Sports Club in the Reedley area of Burnley. The club's motto is "Nil Nisi Optimum Sufficiet".
North 1 West is a rugby union league at the sixth level within the English league system. The league is made up of teams from north west England and the Isle of Man; principally consisting of the English counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The league was known as North Division 2 when it was first created back in 1987 and was a single division. It has since split into two regional leagues, with North West 1 and its compatriot North 1 East being the longest running versions of the division.
North 2 West is a regional English rugby union league at the seventh tier of club rugby union for teams from Cheshire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The division was introduced for the 2019-20 season to form a new league at tier 7 - meaning that Lancs/Cheshire 1 would drop to being a tier 8 league.
Counties 2 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire is a regional English Rugby Union league for teams from Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, ranked at tier 8 of the English league system.
Lancs/Cheshire 3 was an English rugby union league. Promoted teams entered South Lancs/Cheshire 2, ranked at tier 9 of the English league system. This was the basement level for club rugby union for teams in the South Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire areas and any team from this area wanting to begin in club rugby union had to join this league. Up until 2008–09 there was relegation with teams dropping down and coming up from South Lancs/Cheshire 4.
North Lancashire/Cumbria was an English Rugby Union League at the seventh tier of club rugby union for teams from North Lancashire and Cumbria that ran until the end of 2017–18 season. Promotion from this division used to be into North 1 West with the champions going straight up and the league runners up facing the league runners up from South Lancs/Cheshire 1 for their place. Clubs at the bottom of the table were relegated either to North Lancashire 1, South Lancs/Cheshire 2 or the Cumbria League depending on their geographical location.
North Lancashire Division 2 was an English Rugby Union league for teams from North Lancashire. The division was initially known as North-West East 2 when it was created in 1987, and had a number of different names since with North Lancashire 2 being the longest running. Promotion from this division was into North Lancashire 1 but there was no relegation as this is the basement division of club rugby union in North Lancashire. This league, and the three other lowest level north west leagues, were replaced in 2015 by three county-specific leagues - Cheshire (South), Merseyside (West) and Lancashire (North).
Penrith Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Penrith, Cumbria. The club runs two senior male sides, a senior ladies team, a colts team, ex-players team and has a thriving junior section boasting both boys and girls teams through all ages. The first XV currently play in Regional 1 North West following their promotion from Regional 2 North at the end of the 2022–23 season.
Rossendale Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire. The club runs three senior sides, a colts team, and eleven junior sides. The first XV currently play in the Regional 1 North West.
Rochdale Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union, non-professional team and RFU accredited club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The first XV currently play in Regional 2 North East, a level 6 league in the English league system, following the club's promotion from North 2 West at the end of the 2021–22 season. The first XV are the most successful club in the Lancashire Trophy competition, winning the competition five times.
North West 1 was an English Rugby Union league which was at the seventh tier of the domestic competition and was available to teams in North West England. Promoted teams moved up to North 2 West while relegated teams dropped to North West 2. The division was abolished at the end of the 1999–00 season due to RFU restructuring with teams being transferred to either North 2 West or their relevant regional leagues such as South Lancs/Cheshire 1 or North Lancs/Cumbria.
North West 2 was an English Rugby Union league which was at the eighth tier of the domestic competition and was available to teams in North West England. Promoted teams moved up to North West 1 while relegated teams dropped to North West 3. The division was abolished at the end of the 1999–00 season due to RFU restructuring with teams being transferred to their relevant regional leagues such as South Lancs/Cheshire 1 or North Lancs/Cumbria.
North West 3 was an English Rugby Union league which was at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and was available to teams in North West England. Promoted teams moved up to North West 2 while relegated teams dropped to either South Lancs/Cheshire 1 or North Lancs/Cumbria depending on their location.
South Lancs/Cheshire 4 was a regional English rugby union league at the ninth tier of national competition for teams from the South Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester area. Teams were promoted to South Lancs/Cheshire 3 and generally there was no relegation - although there was up until 2002 when South Lancs/Cheshire 5 was still active. Despite retaining healthy numbers of teams South Lancs/Cheshire 4 was abolished by the end of the 2008-09 season with most teams moving automatically up into South Lancs/Cheshire 3.
Lancashire (North), formerly known as North Lancashire 1 was a regional (tier 8) English Rugby Union league for teams from the South Lancashire and Manchester area. The league champions were promoted to North Lancashire/Cumbria while the runners had a playoff against the runners up from the Cumbria League for the final promotion spot.
The Cheshire Rugby Football Union (CRFU) is a rugby union governing body in the historic county of Cheshire and the Isle of Man. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Cheshire. The CRFU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county and administers the Cheshire county rugby representative teams.
The Cumbria Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Cumbria in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Cumbria, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Cumbria rugby representative teams.
Counties 3 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire is a regional English Rugby Union league for teams in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester at level 9 of the English rugby union system.
Cumbria 2 was a short-lived competitive rugby union league at tier 8 of the English rugby union system run by the English Rugby Football Union for club sides based in Cumbria. Teams were promoted to Cumbria 1 and as it was the lowest ranked RFU league in the county there is no relegation. Each season a team from Cumbria 2 was picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a national competition for clubs at level 8.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) [Last Accessed 17:00 16 April 2012]