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The Zurich Premiership is the present name for the leading rugby union league competition for English clubs. From 1987/88 until 1996/97 it was known as the Courage League, and from 1997/98 until 1999/2000 as the Allied Dunbar Premiership. From 2005/6 season it will be known as the Guinness Premiership. The league has traditionally been dominated by two clubs, Bath and Leicester. Two Austrailian players make a heavy tackle on an England player Rugby union is a team sport that was (according to legend) developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby School in England. ...
Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
The RFU long resisted leagues as they believed that they would increase 'dirty' play and put pressure on clubs to pay their players (thus breaking the amateur ethos). Instead clubs arranged their own friendlies and had traditional games. The only 'competition' that existed was a county championship that was not very popular outside Cornwall. Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is a county of England, the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ...
In 1972 the RFU sanctioned a knock-out cup now known as the Powergen Cup and this was followed in the late 80s by merit tables. One of the casualties of the move to competitive leagues was the loss of traditional games as the new fixture lists did not allow enough time for them. For the Rugby League Powergen Challenge Cup see Challenge Cup The Powergen Cup (centre) seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ...
Clubs in the Zurich Premiership are allocated a £2m wage bill to pay their players in a season. This cap is being raised to £2.25m next season, but many argue it should be higher. The RFU pay clubs £30,000 compensation a year per England player on the understanding they are released for international duty. The trouble is, it is hard to replace players of such calibre even with £30,000. It means many clubs are forced to play large chunks of the season without their best players.
Debate rages over whether promotion and relegation should exist. Benefactors of Premiership clubs are reluctant, in some cases, to add further investment with the fear of relegation looming. Some believe removing that uncertainty would enable more investment, allowing the sport to grow.
Teams
The following twelve teams will play in the league during the 2005-06 season: Bristol earned promotion from National Division One, while Harlequins were relegated. Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Bristol Shoguns are the first class rugby club in Bristol, England. ...
Gloucester RFC is an English rugby union team which plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Leeds Tykes is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, that currently competes in the Zurich Premiership, the highest level of the sport in England. ...
For the British Army regiment see London Irish Rifles London Irish are a rugby union team in England. ...
The Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team currently playing in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Northampton Saints rugby union club were established in 1880 under the original title of Northampton St. ...
Sale Sharks are a professional Rugby Union team who play in England in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Saracens Rugby Club is an English Rugby Union team located in Watford, Hertfordshire. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Worcester are an English rugby union team who play in the Zurich Premiership. ...
National Division One is the second tier of the English Rugby Union leagues. ...
The Harlequin Football Club (The Harlequins or Quins for short) is an English rugby union team who play in National Division One. ...
Winners
By year
Courage League Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Allied Dunbar Premiership The Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team currently playing in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Zurich Premiership Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Gloucester RFC is an English rugby union team which plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Championship Finals on all occasions at Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Rugby Ground, from the North Stand Twickenham Stadium, located in the Twickenham district of London, is currently the largest sporting venue in the United Kingdom with a capacity of 75,000. ...
In 2000/01 an 8-team-play-off system was implemented, but the regular season champion was still considered English champion ("Zurich Premiership title") with the playoff champion claiming the "Zurich Championship title". Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Gloucester RFC is an English rugby union team which plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Bristol Shoguns are the first class rugby club in Bristol, England. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Gloucester RFC is an English rugby union team which plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
In the 2001/02 season a controversial knock-out cup style play-off system was introduced. Half-way through the season, with Leicester odds-on to win their fourth title in succession, the league decided that the winners of the playoffs would be crowned champions. There was an outcry from fans and this proposal was dropped, but the next year a similar proposal was adopted under which the winner of the league had to play the winner of a match between the second- and third-placed teams for the title. Although Gloucester won the league by a clear margin, second-placed Wasps (who had defeated third-placed Northampton) beat them easily in the play-offs. Fans do not generally recognise the winner of this play-off competition as the English champion club.
Since the implementation of the playoff system, only one team has won both the regular season and playoffs in the same year—Leicester in 2000/01 (the first year of the playoffs).
By total wins Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Gloucester RFC is an English rugby union team which plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
The Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team currently playing in the Zurich Premiership. ...
See also The English Rugby Union league is divided up into five divisions - the Premiership, Divisions One and Two, and Divisions Three South and North. ...
For the Rugby League Powergen Challenge Cup see Challenge Cup The Powergen Cup (centre) seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ...
The Heineken Cup sponsored by Heineken (known as the H Cup in France due to alcohol advertising laws) is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Italy. ...
The European Challenge Cup in rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003, is the sister competition to the Heineken Cup. ...
In 2004/5 the twelve teams who failed to progress from the qualifying round of the European Challenge Cup were joined in the draw for the European Shield by Bucuresti (Romania), UCM Madrid (Spain), Bera Bera (Spain) and Lisboa Rugby Club (Portugal). ...
External links - Official site (http://www.zurichrugby.co.uk/)
- English rugby union news from the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/default.stm)
- News from Planet Rugby (http://www.planet-rugby.com/Tournaments/Zurich_Premiership/index.shtml)
- English league from itsrugby (in English and in French) (http://www.itsrugby.com/modules/site/quickview_html.php?id_season=233)
| English Zurich Premiership rugby union clubs: | | Bath | Bristol Shoguns | Gloucester | Leeds Tykes | Leicester Tigers | London Irish | Newcastle Falcons | Northampton Saints | Sale Sharks | Saracens | London Wasps | Worcester Warriors Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion...
Two Austrailian players make a heavy tackle on an England player Rugby union is a team sport that was (according to legend) developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby School in England. ...
Bath Rugby is an English rugby union team. ...
Bristol Shoguns are the first class rugby club in Bristol, England. ...
Gloucester RFC is an English rugby union team which plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Leeds Tykes is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, that currently competes in the Zurich Premiership, the highest level of the sport in England. ...
Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby Union club that plays in the Zurich Premiership. ...
For the British Army regiment see London Irish Rifles London Irish are a rugby union team in England. ...
The Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team currently playing in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Northampton Saints rugby union club were established in 1880 under the original title of Northampton St. ...
Sale Sharks are a professional Rugby Union team who play in England in the Zurich Premiership. ...
Saracens Rugby Club is an English Rugby Union team located in Watford, Hertfordshire. ...
London Wasps is an English rugby union team. ...
Worcester are an English rugby union team who play in the Zurich Premiership. ...
| | RFU | National team The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the rugby union governing body in England. ...
England Rugby is the name of the English national rugby union team. ...
| | Zurich Premiership | Heineken Cup | European Challenge Cup | European Shield | Powergen Cup The Heineken Cup sponsored by Heineken (known as the H Cup in France due to alcohol advertising laws) is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Italy. ...
The European Challenge Cup in rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003, is the sister competition to the Heineken Cup. ...
In 2004/5 the twelve teams who failed to progress from the qualifying round of the European Challenge Cup were joined in the draw for the European Shield by Bucuresti (Romania), UCM Madrid (Spain), Bera Bera (Spain) and Lisboa Rugby Club (Portugal). ...
For the Rugby League Powergen Challenge Cup see Challenge Cup The Powergen Cup (centre) seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ...
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