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| Full name | Stoke-on-Trent Rugby Union Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | Staffordshire Rugby Union | |
| Location | Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England | |
| Ground(s) | Hartwell Lane | |
| League(s) | Regional 1 Midlands | |
| 2023–24 | 5th | |
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| Official website | ||
| www | ||
Stoke-on-Trent Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union club located to the east of Barlaston near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The first XV currently play in Regional 1 Midlands, a fifth tier league in the English rugby union system.
When league rugby was introduced in 1987, Stoke-on-Trent was placed in Midlands Division 1 and won promotion to Area 4 North in their first season. However, after two seasons they were relegated back to tier 5, having narrowly escaped relegation the previous season and in their relegation season of 1989–90 they lost every league game. [1] They won immediate promotion back to Area 4 North and stayed there until they were placed in a new fifth tier – Courage League Division 5 – following a league structure by the RFU. They remained in the North Division until another restructure in 1996 saw them move back to the fourth tier - National 4 North - but after just a single season they were relegated to Midlands Division 1.
Regional 2 East Midlands is an English level 6 rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in the eastern region of the Midlands, including sides from Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and occasionally Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Midlands 2 East, and has been restructured several times, most notably as a single division known as Midlands 2 between 1992 and 2000, and Midlands 1 East before regionalising again to its present format as part of England Rugby's Future Competition Structure change at the start of the 2022-23 season.
Midlands 3 West (South) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and sometimes Oxfordshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 West (North) and Midlands 4 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 West (South).
Midlands 3 West (North) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 West (North) and Midlands 4 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 West (North).
Midlands 3 East (North) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the occasional team from Leicestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 East (North).
Midlands 5 West (South) is a level 10 English Rugby Union league and level 5 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and even (on occasion) Cheshire and Oxfordshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
North Premier was a level five league in the English rugby union system, with the fourteen teams drawn from across Northern England. The other leagues at this level were London & South East Premier, Midlands Premier and South West Premier. The RFU reorganised the level five leagues for season 2022–23, with an increase from four to six and reducing the teams in each from fourteen to twelve. The teams in this league now play in either Regional 1 North East or Regional 1 North West.
Regional 1 Midlands is a level five semi-professional 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 Midlands Division 1. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following a reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and the name change from National League 3 to Premier was introduced for the 2017–18 season by the RFU in order to lessen confusion for what is a series of regional leagues. Regional 1 Midlands is the highest regional rugby union league in the English Midlands.
Midlands 2 West (South) is a level seven English rugby union league and level two of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the West Midlands region including Herefordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, lead to the current name of Midlands 2 West (South).
Regional 2 West Midlands is an English level 6 rugby union league for rugby clubs in the western region of the Midlands. It includes sides from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands, Worcestershire and occasionally Cheshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Oxfordshire. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Midlands 2 West, and has been restructured several times, most notably as a single division known as Midlands 2 between 1992 and 2000. It has been called Regional 2 West Midlands since 2022–23.
Midlands 2 West (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of clubs from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, lead to the current name of Midlands 2 West (North).
Counties Midlands 1 East (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the occasional team from Leicestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 2 East (North).
The Staffordshire Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Staffordshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Staffordshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Staffordshire county rugby representative teams.
Walsall Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Walsall in the West Midlands, playing home games at the Broadway Ground, Delves Road. The club operates four senior men's teams, a colts side as well as a full range of junior teams. The men's 1st XV currently plays in Regional 2 West Midlands.
Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league, with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands West 2 and relegated teams dropped to either Staffordshire 1 or Warwickshire 1. The division was cancelled at the end of the 1999–00 campaign due to nationwide league restructuring by the RFU, with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 4 West (North) or Midlands 4 West (South).
Staffordshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 5 West (North) and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire 2 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season. Staffordshire 1 was itself cancelled one year later at the end of the 2004–05 campaign, with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (North).
Warwickshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 West (South) and relegated sides dropped to Warwickshire 2. Warwickshire 1 was cancelled at the end of the 2005–06 season with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 5 West (South).
Warwickshire 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Warwickshire 1 and there was no relegation since the cancellation of Warwickshire 3 back in 1992. Warwickshire 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2005–06 season with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (South-East) or Midlands 6 West (South-West).
North Midlands (South) 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 West (South) and relegated teams dropped to North Midlands (South) 2.
North Midlands (South) 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to North Midlands 1 and since the cancellation of North Midlands 3 at the end of the 2003–04 season there was no relegation. North Midlands (South) 2 was itself cancelled at the end of the 2005–06 campaign and the majority of teams transferred to the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (South-West).
Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3. Restructuring of the Staffordshire/Warwickshire leagues at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that the division was cancelled and all teams transferred into Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1.
