Douglas Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Douglas on the Isle of Man. The club has two senior sides and age-range teams encompassing both mini and junior rugby. The men's 1st XV currently play in Regional Two North West, at the sixth tier of the English rugby union system, following their promotion from South Lancs/Cheshire 1 via the playoffs at the end of the 2016–17 season.
The Rugby Football Union Northern Division is the rugby union governing body for the North of England and is part of the Rugby Football Union.
The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England, and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881. In addition it is the county that has won the County Championship on most occasions
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.
Lancs/Cheshire Division 1 was a regional English Rugby Union league for teams from Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, ranked at tier 8 of the English league system. The top two clubs are promoted to North 2 West and the bottom two clubs are relegated to Lancs/Cheshire 2. Each season two teams from Lancs/Cheshire 1 are picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - one affiliated with the Cheshire RFU, the other with the Lancashire RFU.
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).
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.
South Lancs/Cheshire 5 was a regional English rugby union league for teams from the South Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester region and was at the tenth tier of national competition. Promoted teams moved up to South Lancs/Cheshire 4 and as the basement division in the local region there was no relegation. Dwindling numbers of teams led to the division being cancelled at the end of the 2001-02 season and teams would either move up to South Lancs/Cheshire 4 or drop out of the league altogether.
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.
Cheshire (South) was a regional league for teams from the Cheshire area which was ranked at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. The league had replaced South Lancs/Cheshire 2 and South Lancs/Cheshire 3. The league was contested for just one season and the following season South Lancs/Cheshire divisions 2 and 3 were restored.
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 Cheshire Plate is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Cheshire Rugby Football Union. It was introduced in 1981 for teams that were eliminated from the preliminary and 1st rounds of the Cheshire Cup, with Old Instonians being the first ever winners. Initially the secondary competition in the region, in recent years the Plate has become stand-alone competition open to club sides based in either Cheshire, Merseyside or the Isle of Man that are ranked at tier 8 and 9 of the English league system – although some teams that compete are invited come from outside the official league structure. It is currently the fourth most important club competition organised by the Cheshire RFU behind the Cheshire Bowl (3rd), Cheshire Vase (2nd) and Cheshire Cup (1st).
The Cheshire Vase is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Cheshire Rugby Football Union, and was introduced during the 2005-06 season with Anselmians being the first ever winners. The Vase is currently a stand-alone competition open to club sides based in either Cheshire, Merseyside or the Isle of Man that are ranked at tier 6 and 7 of the English league system. It is the second most important club competition organized by the Cheshire RFU behind the Cheshire Cup.
The Cheshire Bowl is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Cheshire Rugby Football Union, and was introduced during the 2009–10 season with Winnington Park being the first ever winners. The Bowl is currently a stand-alone competition that is open to club sides based in Cheshire, Merseyside or the Isle of Man that are ranked at tier 8 of the English league system - although some teams may be invited from outside the official leagues. It is the third most important competition organized by the Cheshire RFU behind the Cheshire Vase (2nd) and Cheshire Cup (1st).
Lancs/Cheshire Division Two was a regional English Rugby Union league for teams in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester at level 9 of the English rugby union system. Teams were promoted to Lancs/Cheshire 1 and after the cancellation of Lancs/Cheshire 3 at the end of the 2019–20 season there was no relegation.
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