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
- 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
- World Rugby Under 20 Championship — First-tier worldwide competition for under-20 men; replaced Under 19 and Under 21 World Championships starting in 2008
- World Rugby Under 20 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.
- Rugby union at the Summer Olympics
- Rugby union tours
- Women's international rugby
Club and provincial tournaments
Intercontinental
- Super Rugby — teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan. Also informally known as "Super 15".
- Pro14 — now Guinness Pro14, because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness: provincial/regional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. The competition began as the Celtic League, restricted to the three Celtic nations; became Pro12 when two Italian teams joined in 2010–11 and Pro14 when two South African teams joined in 2017–18.
- Global Rapid Rugby — established in 2019 involving six professional teams from Australia, Asia and the Pacific.
Africa
South Africa
- Currie Cup — South African provincial tournament, also featuring an invitational team from Namibia
- Rugby Challenge — Launched in 2017 as the replacement for the Vodacom Cup, also featuring an invitational team from Namibia
- Varsity Rugby — a two-tier annual South African inter-university competition
- Gold Cup — an annual South African inter-club competition, also featuring invitational teams from Namibia and Zimbabwe
Ghana
- Ghana Rugby Club Championship — The top tier rugby union competition in Ghana since 2014.
Kenya
- Kenya Cup — The top tier rugby union competition in Kenya since 1970.
Americas
- Americas Rugby Championship – Originated with four franchised Canadian teams, the Argentina Jaguars, and a "USA Select XV". Relaunched in 2016 as the Western Hemisphere's equivalent to the Six Nations Championship; see the table of international competitions for more details.
Argentina
- Nacional de Clubes - Club competition in Argentina
Brazil
- Campeonato Brasileiro de Rugby - Club competition in Brazil
Canada
- Major League Rugby
- Canadian Rugby Championship - Successor to the Rugby Canada Super League
United States
- Major League Rugby - Men's club competition in the United States
- USA Rugby Women's Premier League - Women's club competition in the United States
Uruguay
- Club Championship - Club competition in Uruguay
Asia
India
- All India & South Asia Rugby Tournament - Indian club knockout tournament
Japan
- Top League – League for Japanese corporate teams
- Top Challenge League – Second-tier league for Japanese corporate teams
- All-Japan Rugby Football Championship
Malaysia
- MRU Super League - Malaysian club teams
- MRU Super Cup - Malaysian club knockout tournament
Sri Lanka
- Clifford Cup - Sri Lanka Division 'A' teams
- Sri Lanka Rugby Championship - Sri Lanka Division 'A' club teams
Europe
- European Rugby Champions Cup — Replaced the Heineken Cup effective with the 2014–15 season, although it claims the history of the former competition as its own. European club, provincial and regional teams, currently from the countries that participate in the Six Nations.
- European Rugby Challenge Cup — Replaced the original European Challenge Cup in 2014–15; also claims the history of its predecessor as its own. 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.
- European Rugby Continental Shield – Third-tier competition involving teams from Italy's Top12, plus clubs from lower-tier countries; determines two places in each year's Challenge Cup. Originally known as the European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition; current name adopted in 2016–17.
- Copa Ibérica de Rugby — Annual competition between Spanish and Portuguese clubs.
- 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 Pro12.
- 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.
- Regional Rugby Championship — Tournament launched in 2007 involving teams from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia.
England
Men
- Gallagher Premiership - English clubs, top tier
- RFU Championship - English clubs, second tier
- National League 1
- National League 2 North
- National League 2 South
- Northern Division - North 2 East
- Midlands 6 East
Women
- Premier 15s – top flight
France
- Top 14 — French clubs, top tier
- Rugby Pro D2 - French clubs, second tier
- Fédérale 1
- Fédérale 2
- Fédérale 3
- Challenge Yves du Manoir
- Coupe de l'Espérance
- Coupe de France
Ireland
- All Ireland League — Irish clubs from all 32 counties.
Italy
- Top12 — Italian clubs, top tier
- :it:Serie A |A Series — Italian clubs, second-level championship where winners can jump up to Top12.
- — Italian clubs, third-level league, winners can play on :it:Serie A |A Series.
- — Italian clubs, the lowest-tier for local teams. Winners are promoted to.
Scotland
- Scottish Premiership
- Scottish National League Division One
- Scottish National League Division Two
- Scottish National League Division Three
- Caledonia Regional League
- East Regional League
- West Regional League
- Border League
- Scottish Cup
Wales
- Welsh Premier Division
- WRU Division One East
- WRU Division One West
- WRU Division Two East
- WRU Division Two West
- WRU Division Three East
- WRU Division Three South East
- WRU Division Three South West
- WRU Division Three West
- WRU Division Four East
- WRU Division Four South East
- WRU Division Four South West
- WRU Division Four West
- WRU Division Five East
- WRU Division Five South Central
- WRU Division Five South East
- WRU Division Five South West
- WRU Division Five West
- WRU Division Six East
- WRU Division Six South East
- WRU Division Six Central
- WRU Division Six West
- WRU Division One North
- WRU Division Two North
Austria
- 1. Rugby Bundesliga
Belgium
- Belgian Elite League
Czech Republic
- Extraliga
Denmark
- DRU Superliga
Finland
- Finnish Championship League
Georgia
- Didi 10
Germany
- Rugby-Bundesliga
Malta
- Malta Rugby Union National Championship
Netherlands
- Ereklasse
Norway
- Norway Rugby Championship
Poland
- Ekstraliga
Portugal
- Campeonato Português de Rugby — Portuguese clubs
- Campeonato Nacional de Rugby I Divisão
- Campeonato Nacional de Rugby II Divisão
- Taça de Portugal
- Supertaça de Portugal
Romania
- SuperLiga
Russia
- Professional Rugby League - Russian club competition
Spain
- División de Honor
Sweden
- Allsvenskan
Ukraine
- Superliga
Oceania
- Pacific Rugby Cup - Franchise teams from Fiji, Tonga & Samoa
Australia
- National Rugby Championship - Inaugural season in 2014. Also featuring an invitational side from Fiji.
- 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
- Mitre 10 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 World Rugby, and held every four years, this was the highest prize in the Sevens version of the game before the introduction of sevens to the Olympics in 2016. It was initially planned for the 2013 edition to be the last, but it was later decided to retain the World Cup Sevens and establish a new four-year cycle starting in 2018.
- World Rugby Sevens Series — Annual WR-sponsored series of tournaments for men's national Sevens teams. As of the upcoming 2017–18 series, the events in the series are :
- *Dubai Sevens
- *South Africa Sevens
- *Australian Sevens
- *New Zealand Sevens
- *USA Sevens
- *Canada Sevens
- *Hong Kong Sevens, traditionally the biggest annual event in Sevens
- *Singapore Sevens
- *France Sevens
- *London Sevens
- World Rugby Women's Sevens Series — Annual WR-sponsored series of tournaments for women's national Sevens teams. As of the most recent 2016–17 series, the events are :
- *Dubai Women's Sevens
- *Australian Women's Sevens
- *USA Women's Sevens
- *Japan Women's Sevens
- *Canada Women's Sevens
- *France 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
- Commonwealth Games — Quadrennial; most recent tournament in 2014. Men only through 2014; first women's event to be held in 2018.
- 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
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
- Auld Alliance Trophy - Scotland and France, since 2018
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 — 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