List of rugby union competitions

The following is a list of notable rugby union competitions that are still currently in existence. This includes both international tournaments played by national Test teams and also domestic club and provincial competitions.

International tournaments

Name	Participants	First played	Last played	Frequency	Notes
Rugby World Cup	Top 12 teams from previous World Cup (the top 3 in each group) plus 8 nations chosen from regional qualifying tournament.	1987	2015	Quadrennial
Women's Rugby World Cup	12 top national women's teams	1991	2014	Quadrennial[1]
Six Nations Championship	England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales	1883	2016	Annually	Originally the Home Nations Championship, then the Five Nations with France's entry into the competition in 1910. Became the Six Nations when Italy was added in 2000.
Women's Six Nations Championship	England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales	1996	2015	Annually	Originally the Home International Championship. Became the Five Nations in 1999 when France joined. Spain was added in 2000, but Ireland did not play all the other countries in 2000 or 2001, making the first true Women's Six Nations the 2002 competition. Spain were replaced by Italy effective in 2007 after the competition was taken over by the (men's) Six Nations committee.
The Rugby Championship	Argentina (since 2012), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa	1996	2015	Annually	From its inception through 2011, the competition involved only Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and was known as the Tri Nations.
Canada Cup	Canada, plus up to three other invitational teams.	1993	2005	Approximately biennial	International women's tournament generally including the USA (missing only in 2005), plus New Zealand and/or England.
Churchill Cup	Canada, England Saxons, United States and three invitational teams.	2003	2011	Annually	The England Saxons are England's "A" side. The invitational teams were a combination of "A" sides of top-tier nations and senior sides of lower-tier nations. The 2011 edition was the last, as Canada and the USA are now included in the global Test calendar.
FIRA Women's European Championship	Up to 16 European national teams	1988	2012	Annually	Tournament for European women's national teams. Number of participants varies from year to year. The tournament is often divided into two "pools", dependent on playing strength. France and England, when they take part, normally enter "A" teams.
European Nations Cup	36 European national teams	2000	2012-2014	Annually	Excludes European sides in the Six Nations Tournament. Played over two years on home and away basis with the competition split into three divisions. Including sub-divisions, the competition includes 7 levels, with promotion and relegation.
Pacific Nations Cup	Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga	2006	2013	Annually	Originally Pacific Five Nations — replaced the Pacific Tri-Nations.The original teams were Australia A, the Junior All Blacks (New Zealand's official "A" side), and the three Pacific Island nations. In 2008, the New Zealand Māori replaced the Junior All Blacks. From 2010-2012, only the Pacific Island nations and Japan participated who were then joined by Canada and USA. Due to their inclusion in the Quadrangular tournament in South Africa, Samoa did not feature in the 2013 edition of the Pacific Nations Cup.,[2] to the competition in 2014.
Nations Cup	Varies from year to year; the 2013 participants have been Argentina Jaguars, Italy AI, Romania, and Russia.	2006	2013	Annually	The Argentina Jaguars were formerly known as Argentina A, and the Emerging Springboks are South Africa's A side. The inaugural tournament in 2006 featured Argentina A, Italy A, Portugal and Russia.
Asian 5 Nations	Top five Asian sides	2008	2013	Annually	The inaugural tournament in 2008 featured Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and Arabian Gulf. Yearly promotion and relegation with three lower divisions.

• Four Nations Tournament — Belgium, Spain, Welsh club XV, France amateur
• Pan-American Championship — Uruguay, Canada, United States and Argentina
• South American Rugby Championship
• Super Cup — Canada, Japan, Russia and United States (formerly called the Super Powers Cup)
• Under 19 Rugby World Championship — Worldwide (defunct)
• Under 21 Rugby World Championship — Worldwide (defunct)
• IRB Junior World Championship — First-tier worldwide competition for under-20 men; replaces Under 19 and Under 21 World Championships starting in 2008
• IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy — Second-tier worldwide competition for under-20 men
• Autumn internationals — A name which refers to a series of Tests which take place usually in November each year in the Northern Hemisphere
• Africa Cup — The main tournament for African nations.
• CAR Super 16 — A regional tournament for African nations below the Africa Cup.
• Viking Tri-nations Rugby A rugby tournament Played by Norway, Denmark, and since 2011 Sweden.^[3]

See also:

• Rugby union at the Summer Olympics
• Rugby union tours
• Women's international rugby

Club and provincial tournaments

International

• Super Rugby — teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan (known originally as Super 10 then Super 12 and later as Super 14; "Super Rugby" officially adopted from 2011). Also informally known as "Super 15".

Africa

• Currie Cup — South African provincial tournament
• Vodacom Cup — South African provincial tournament for developmental sides. Has also included a team from Namibia at two different times in the past, most recently in 2010 and 2011, and also featured a team from Argentina from 2010 to 2013.

America

• Americas Rugby Championship – Four franchised Canadian teams, the Argentina Jaguars, and a "USA Select XV" (effectively the USA A national team)
  • North America 4 - Predecessor to the Americas Rugby Championship; featured franchise teams from the USA and Canada

Argentina

• Nacional de Clubes - Club competition in Argentina

Brazil

• Campeonato Brasileiro de Rugby - Club competition in Brazil

Canada

• Canadian Rugby Championship - Successor to the (now defunct) Rugby Canada Super League

United States

• Rugby Super League - USA club competition

Uruguay

• Club Championship - Club competition in Uruguay

Asia

India

• All India & South Asia Rugby Tournament - Indian club knockout tournament

Japan

• Top League Champions Cup - Japanese club teams (end of season knockout tournament)
• Top League - Japanese club teams

Malaysia

• MRU Super League - Malaysian club teams
• MRU Super Cup - Malaysian club knockout tournament

Sri Lanka

• Clifford Cup - Sri Lanka Division 'A' teams (end of season knockout tournament)
• Sri Lanka Rugby Championship (Dialog Rugby League) - Sri Lanka Division 'A' club teams

Europe

Current competitions

• European Rugby Champions Cup — To be launched in the 2014–15 season. European club, provincial and regional teams, currently from the countries that participate in the Six Nations.
• European Rugby Challenge Cup — Also to be launched in 2014–15. Second-tier European club, provincial and regional teams knock-out tournament, also involving all of the Six Nations countries, with possible involvement from lower-tier countries (see below).
• European Rugby Qualifying Competition – Third-tier competition involving teams from Italy's National Championship of Excellence, plus clubs from lower-tier countries; will determine two places in each year's Challenge Cup.
• Copa Ibérica de Rugby — Annual competition between Spanish and Portuguese clubs.

Defunct competitions

• Heineken Cup — Top-tier competition replaced by the European Rugby Champions Cup after the 2013–14 season.
• European Challenge Cup — Second-tier competition replaced by the European Rugby Challenge Cup after the 2013–14 season.
• European Shield (defunct) — Knock-out tournament involving teams eliminated in the first round of the Challenge Cup. Scrapped after the 2004–05 season.

England

• Aviva Premiership
• RFU Championship
• National League 1
• National League 2 North
• National League 2 South
• Northern Division - North 2 East
• Midlands 6 East (NW)

France

• Top 14 — French clubs
• Rugby Pro D2
• Fédérale 1
• Fédérale 2
• Fédérale 3
• Challenge Yves du Manoir
• Coupe de l'Espérance
• Coupe de France

United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy

• Pro12 — now Guinness Pro12, because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness: provincial/regional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. Two Italian teams joined in 2010–11.
• Anglo-Welsh Cup — English and Welsh clubs knock-out tournament. From 1971–2005, open to all English clubs with no involvement from any other nation; from the 2005–06 season, has featured the 12 Premiership clubs and the four Welsh regional sides competing in the Celtic League.
• British and Irish Cup — Tournament launched in 2009 featuring sides from second-level leagues in England and Wales, plus second-tier sides from Ireland and Scotland.

Ireland

• All Ireland League (AIL/AIB League) — Irish clubs from all 32 counties.

Italy

• National Championship of Excellence — Italian clubs, top tier
• A Series — Italian clubs, second-level championship where winners can jump up to Excellence Championship.
• B Series — Italian clubs, third-level league, winners can play on A Series.
• C Series — Italian clubs, the lowest-tier for local teams. Winners are promoted to B Series.

Georgia

• Georgia Championship

Portugal

• Divisão de Honra — Portuguese clubs
• 1a Divisão
• 2a Divisão

Romania

• Romanian Rugby Championship

Russia

• Professional Rugby League - Russian club competition

Spain

• División de Honor

Former Soviet Union

• Soviet Championship
• Soviet Cup

Oceania

• Pacific Rugby Cup - Franchise teams from Fiji, Tonga & Samoa

Australia

• National Rugby Championship - Inaugural season in 2014
• Australian Rugby Championship - Only season in 2007
• Australian Provincial Championship - Offseason competition between Australia's Super Rugby teams; only season in 2006
• Shute Shield - Sydney and regional NSW club teams
• Tooheys New Cup - Sydney club teams
• New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union - lower level suburban rugby in Sydney, the largest centrally administered rugby competition in the world.
• Queensland Premier Rugby - Queensland club competition

Fiji

• Colonial Cup — Fiji club competition
• Sukuna Bowl — Fiji Police vs Fiji Military
• Digicel Cup — Fiji's Local competition between 12 Districts

New Zealand

• ITM Cup — New Zealand professional provincial tournament
• Heartland Championship — New Zealand amateur provincial tournament
• Ranfurly Shield — New Zealand provincial challenge trophy

Sevens tournaments

• Rugby World Cup Sevens — Sponsored by the IRB, and held every four years, this is the highest prize in the Sevens version of the game. However, due to the upcoming introduction of sevens to the Olympics in 2016, the next edition in 2013 will be the last.
• IRB Sevens World Series — Annual IRB-sponsored series of tournaments for men's national Sevens teams. As of the most recent 2013–14 series, the events in the series are:
  • Australia Sevens
  • Dubai Sevens
  • South Africa Sevens
  • Wellington Sevens
  • USA Sevens
  • Hong Kong Sevens, traditionally the biggest annual event in Sevens
  • Japan Sevens
  • Scotland Sevens
  • London Sevens
• IRB Women's Sevens World Series — Annual IRB-sponsored series of tournaments for women's national Sevens teams. As of the most recent 2013–14 series, the events are::
  • Dubai Women's Sevens
  • USA Women's Sevens
  • São Paulo Women's Sevens
  • China Women's Sevens
  • Amsterdam Women's Sevens
• The National Schools Sevens - held at Rosslyn Park, in England, the biggest sevens competition in the world. News, photos and up to the minute results can be found on the official website . Results can also be seen on The Schools' Rugby Website
• Commonwealth Games — Quadrennial; most recent tournament in 2006
• Other:
  • Amsterdam Sevens
  • Bangkok Sevens
  • Benidorm Sevens
  • Bogota Sevens
  • Caldy Sevens
  • Cape Fear Sevens
  • Caribbean Sevens
  • Cayman Sevens
  • Cwmtawe Sevens
  • Heidelberg Sevens
  • Henley Sevens
  • Kinsale Sevens
  • Kiama Sevens
  • Lisbon Sevens
  • Melrose Sevens
  • Middlesex Sevens
  • Neuchatel Sevens
  • New York Sevens
  • Northern Sevens
  • Punta del Este Sevens
  • Rome Sevens
  • Safari Sevens
  • Scandinavian Sevens
  • Singapore Sevens
  • Sofia Sevens
  • Santa Teresa Sevens
  • Sri Lanka Sevens

Other tournaments

• Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament held annually in Japan
• English Colts Club Knockout Cup — Held annually
• Ulster Schools Cup — Annual schools competition
• Munster Schools Senior Cup — Annual schools competition
• Craven Week — Annual South Africa schools competition
• Bingham Cup — Held every two years, this is the largest international gay rugby tournament and honours 9/11 hero, Mark Bingham
• Rugby union at the Maccabiah Games: representative XVs from various countries have been taking part in the Maccabiah Games since 1981.

International trophies

The trophies in this list are regularly contested between two nations. Some of the competitions for these trophies form part of other international tournaments, such as the Six Nations and The Rugby Championship.

Six Nations Trophies

• Six Nations Championship Trophy, since 1993
• Triple Crown Trophy, since 2006
• Calcutta Cup — England and Scotland, since 1879
• Centenary Quaich - Ireland and Scotland, since 1989
• Millennium Trophy — England and Ireland, since 1988
• Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy — France and Italy, since 2007

Trophies in The Rugby Championship

• Bledisloe Cup — Australia and New Zealand, since 1931
• Mandela Challenge Plate — Australia and South Africa, since 2000
• Freedom Cup — New Zealand and South Africa, since 2004
• Puma Trophy — Argentina and Australia

Other Trophies

• Anexartisias Cup (Independence Cup) — Cyprus and Greece
• Antim Cup — Georgia and Romania
• Cook Cup — Australia and England
• Dave Gallaher Trophy — France and New Zealand
• Elgon Cup — Kenya and Uganda
• Hillary Shield — England and New Zealand
• Hopetoun Cup — Australia and Scotland
• James Bevan Trophy — Australia and Wales
• Lansdowne Cup — Australia and Ireland
• Prince William Cup — South Africa and Wales
• Trophée des Bicentenaires — Australia and France
• Tom Richards Trophy— Australia and the British and Irish Lions
• Raeburn Shield— Hypothetical World Title Shield

rugby union schedule by year

Notes and references

1. Since second tournament in 1994
2. http://www.espn.co.uk/southafrica/rugby/story/174220.html