Promotion and Relegation for Men’s and Women’s Grassroots Rugby 2022/2023 season
How promotion and relegation will work for Men's National 1 and below and Women's Championship and below.
Monday 13 June saw the release of the Men’s (National 1 and below) and Women’s (Championship and below) fixtures which all clubs should have received. Today we can announce how promotion and relegation will work for these leagues.
By sharing this information now, following Council’s vote and approval today, 17 June, this will hopefully provide clarity to clubs’ planning for the 2022-23 season.
Principles for promotion and relegation are detailed below. Promotion and relegation for the men’s game is linked to the biggest change to the league structure for 30 years as part of the Future Competition Structure.
At the conclusion of the 2022-23 season the following principles of promotion and relegation shall apply:
Men’s Promotion and Relegation
National 1 will see the top club promoted to the Championship (subject to Regulation 5), while the bottom side three (3) clubs will be relegated or such other number as notified by the RFU to the clubs.
National 2 and Regional Leagues will see the top clubs in each league promoted to a league above, with the bottom two (2) clubs in each League relegated. Clubs who are relegated from Regional 2, will return to their Constituent Bodies Counties league.
Promotion for Counties and below
Counties 1 will see the top club in each League promoted a League above. Any remaining spaces in the higher league that are needed to be populated will be determined at the end of the season.
Counties 2 and below will see the following apply:
i. where one League feeds into one higher League: the top two clubs in the supporting Leagues at the end of the season will be promoted to the Level above.
ii. where two Leagues feed into one higher League: the top club in each of the supporting Leagues at the end of the season will be promoted to the Level above.
iii. in respect of all cases, any remaining spaces in the higher league will be determined at the end of the season by such applicable criteria as notified by the RFU to the clubs
N.B. The position of the team(s) not eligible for promotion shall be disregarded in the event that a team would be promoted into a League in which another team of the same club plays, as prohibited by Regulation[ 13.2.4(b)(iv)].
Relegation for Counties and below
At Counties 1 and below, the number of clubs relegated will vary and be determined based on such number of Constituent Body based leagues. After promotion has taken place in accordance with these regulations the requisite number of clubs or teams shall be relegated at the end of the season. This will ensure that in the following season there are in all Leagues, Counties 1 and below, the same number of clubs or teams as in the season before or such other number of clubs or teams as the Committee may decide.
N.B. At Counties 1 and below if a first XV is relegated into a League in which the Lower XV from the same clubs plays, that Lower XV shall automatically be relegated as one of the requisite number of Clubs to be relegated.
Women’s Promotion and Relegation
Promotion
All league winners (with the exception of Championship 1) will be automatically promoted unless they inform the Organising Committee that they wish to decline promotion.
Relegation
At Levels 2 and 3 (Championship 1 & 2), the bottom two teams will be relegated at the end of the season, subject to whether or not teams have already withdrawn/been removed during the season.
At Level 4 (National Challenge 1), there will be a minimum of 1 side and a maximum of 2 sides relegated at the end of the season, subject to whether or not teams have already withdrawn/been removed during the season. Please note that the worst (as per Best Playing Record) 2nd bottom placed team may also be relegated.
At Level 5 (National Challenge 2), there may be a minimum of 1 side and a maximum of 2 sides relegated at the end of the season, subject to whether or not teams have already withdrawn/been removed during the season. Please note that the worst (as per Best Playing Record) 2nd bottom placed team may also be relegated. This will be determined by RFU Governance Standing Committee upon entries for the following season.
