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
*Super Cup — Canada, Japan, Russia and United States (formerly called the Super Powers Cup)
* see also: Rugby union at the Summer Olympics
*Women's international rugby
*Under 19 Rugby World Championship — Worldwide (defunct)
*IRB Under-21 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.

Club and provincial tournaments

International

*Super 14 — teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (previously known as Super 12)

Africa

*Currie Cup — South African provincial tournament
*Vodacom Cup

America

*North America 4 - Franchise teams from the USA and Canada
*Rugby Canada Super League
*Nacional de Clubes - Club competition in Argentina
*Campeonato Brasileiro de Rugby - Club competition in Brazil
*Rugby Super League - USA club competition

Asia

*Top League - Japanese club teams
*Microsoft Cup

Europe

*Heineken Cup — European club, provincial and regional teams
*European Challenge Cup and European Shield — European club, provincial and regional teams knock-out tournament

England

*Guinness Premiership
*National Division One
*National Division Two
*National Division Three North
*National Division Three 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

Home nations

*Magners League — provincial/regional teams from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales
*EDF Energy Cup — English and Welsh clubs knock-out tournament

Ireland

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

Italy

*Super 10 (Italian premiership) — Italian clubs

Romania

*Romanian Rugby Championship

Russia

*Professional Rugby League - Russian club competition

pain

*División de Honor

oviet Union

*Soviet Championship
*Soviet Cup

Oceania

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

Australia

*Australian Rugby Championship - Only season in 2007
*Australian Provincial Championship - Offseason competition between Australia's Super 14 teams (started in 2006, but future in question due to creation of Australian Rugby Championship)
*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
*Sanyo Cup — Fiji's Local competition between 12 Districts

New Zealand

*Air New Zealand Cup — New Zealand professional provincial tournament
*Heartland Championship — New Zealand amateur provincial tournament
*Ranfurly Shield — New Zealand provincial challenge trophy

evens 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.
*IRB Sevens World Series — Annual IRB-sponsored series of tournaments for national Sevens teams. Since 2006-07, the events in the series have been:
**Dubai Sevens
**South Africa Sevens
**Wellington Sevens
**USA Sevens
**Hong Kong Sevens, traditionally the biggest annual event in Sevens
**Australia Sevens
**London Sevens
**Scotland Sevens
*The National Schools Sevens - held at Rosslyn Park, the biggest sevens competition in the world. News, photos and up to the minute results can be found on the official website [http://www.ns7.co.uk] . Results can also be seen on [http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/ The Schools' Rugby Website]
*Commonwealth Games - Rugby Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
* Other:
** Amsterdam Sevens
** Bangkok Sevens
** Benidorm Sevens
** Bogota Sevens
** Caldy Sevens
** Cape Fear Sevens
** Caribbean Sevens
** Cayman Sevens
** Cwmawe 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
*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

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 Tri Nations.

ix Nations Trophies

*Calcutta Cup — England and Scotland, since 1879
*Centenary Quaich - Ireland and Scotland, since 1989
*Le Crunch — England and France (traditional name), since 1906
*Millennium Trophy — England and Ireland, since 1988
*Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy — France and Italy, since 2007

Tri Nations Trophies

*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

Other Trophies

*Antim Cup — Georgia and Romania
*Cook Cup — Australia and England
*Dave Gallaher Trophy — France and New Zealand
*Elgon Cup — Kenya and Uganda
*Hopetoun Cup — Australia and Scotland
*Lansdowne Cup — Australia and Ireland
*Puma Trophy — Argentina and Australia
*Prince William Cup — South Africa and Wales
*Trophée des Bicentenaires — Australia and France
*Tom Richards Trophy— Australia and the British and Irish Lions

2008 rugby union schedule

2006/2007 rugby union schedule

Notes and references