League compositions confirmed for 2023/24 season
The RFU have released the league compositions for the 2023/24 National League Rugby season. (Photo Credit: Ian Clark)
In National One, Richmond are back in the third tier after relegation from the Championship while National Two North, East and West champions – Sedgley Park, Blackheath and Leicester Lions – will join from level four.
Following relegation from National One, Hull and Leeds Tykes are in National Two North while the division welcomes Billingham, who created history by clinching the Regional 1 North East title back in February and Lymm.
Esher have dropped into National Two East while Westcombe Park come in from Regional 1 South East and Wimbledon – who lost just one game throughout the 2022/23 Regional 1 South Central campaign – complete the division.
In National Two West, the three sides who have come up from level five are Camborne, Dudley Kingswinford and Chester.
The leagues have been produced by the RFU using the following principle
- Clubs are allocated to leagues at National level after promotion and relegation issues are finalised and in accordance with the principles set out by the Future Competitions Strategy prior to the 22/23 season. This means clubs are clustered using a mapping tool that minimises travel distance and time travelled. There will still be some outliers in this structure but it has been planned to ensure the majority of clubs are travelling less distance. It does mean that some clubs change leagues at the same level, and will play a number of different clubs to those they met last season.
Confirmed leagues for 2023/24
National One: Birmingham Moseley, Bishop’s Stortford, Blackheath, Chinnor, Cinderford, Darlington MP, Leicester Lions, Plymouth Albion, Rams, Richmond, Rosslyn Park, Sale FC, Sedgley Park, Taunton Titans
National Two North: Billingham, Fylde, Huddersfield, Hull, Hull Ionians, Leeds Tykes, Lymm, Otley, Preston Grasshoppers, Rotherham Titans, Sheffield, Sheffield Tigers, Tynedale, Wharfedale
National Two East: Barnes, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Dorking, Esher, Guernsey, Henley, North Walsham, Old Albanain, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge Juddians, Westcombe Park, Wimbledon, Worthing
National Two West: Bournville, Camborne, Chester, Clifton, Dings Crusaders, Dudley Kingswinford, Exeter University, Hinckley, Hornets, Loughborough Students, Luctonians, Newport (Salop), Old Redcliffians, Redruth