I grew up in Rockford, which is nicknamed the "Forest City," so I was looking for a dark green as primary. I used the red and black because the original Rockford High School and three of its successors used those colors. (In fact, the high school I attended simply calls its teams the Red and Black (The East Red and Black, or E-Rabs for short).
Alternate rugby history: Rugby becomes professionalised in 1893?
- Thread starter kinnikuniverse
- Start date
Well, i found some cool kits for IRL NFL teams that could serve as their kits for their rugby counterparts here:
Green Bay:
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Dallas Cowboys:
Buffalo Rugby:
Green Bay:
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Dallas Cowboys:
Buffalo Rugby:
Rugby World Cup history part FINAL: 2011-2023
-2011: France (2)
Taking place in the United States for the third time, the 2011 Rugby World cup actually saw a more subdued tournament compared to the last two world cups. The only notable development ended up being Australia being eliminated in the group of death by the US and Georgia making its debut.
In the knockout stages, Wales, led by Alun Wyn Jones, crushed the young Irishmen 22-10, while France won a nailbiter against England 19-12. In a physical, defensive game, the US Pulled through against South Africa 11-9, while New Zealand easily dispatched of Argentina.
Wales and France took part in a physical, low-scoring game of their own, which the French pulled through 9-8, while the All Blacks eliminated the US to reach another defensive game agaisnt France in the final at the newly built West Side Stadium in New York City, where a try for New Zealand was canceled by the referee as France wins its second world cup 7-3 in the lowest scoring World Cup final since the 1960s.
2015: New Zealand (4)
In England to celebrate the 60t anniversary of the tournament, the 2015 rugby world cup would see plenty of surprises. In the group of death, the hosts would be eliminated by Wales and Australia, led by Jonathan Thurston. The biggest shock of the whole tournament, however, would be South Africa's defeat agaisnt Japan in the miracle of brighton, with the springboks and the US being shockingly eliminated, with Japan and Scotland going through.
New Zealand and Argentina went through, while Ireland would top pool D, but France would uncharacteristically crash out, letting Canada through.
The knockout stages would prove to be even more surprising. Japan would score yet another upset as they defeated Wales 23-19, while New Zealand would easily crush Canada. Argentina would crush the irish, to the shock of everyone, 42-20 while finally, in an epic game full of tries, Scotland would surprise Australia to go through.
From there, it would be a formality for New Zealand, for they would destroy Japan, while Argentina makes its second World Cup final, where the All Blacks made short work of them to win their record 4th world cup.
2019: Wales (2)
Japan became the first asian nation to host the tournament, and the national team made their citizens proud by topping group A, with wins agaisnt Scotland and Ireland. Pool B would see the cancellation of its last two fictures as a typhoon struck japan, with New Zealand and South Africa going through. England and the US went through at the expense of France, who leaves the group stages for the secodn consecutive world cup, while Australia and Wales easily topped group D.
In the knockouts, South Africa would trounce Japan, while Wales eliminated the young US Squad 20-19. New Zealand and England trounced Ireland and Australia, respectively.
The semis sees England and New Zealand battle for supremacy in an epic war of attrition won by Eddie Jones's England, while South Africa and Wales's forwards pummeled each other to submission, with the Welsh and Alun Wyn Jones overcomign the odds to make the final agaisnt England in the first all-european final in the World Cup's history.
In the final, yet another epic war of attrition would be won by Wales, who defeats England via a try by Dan Biggar 19-12 to win their second World Cup title.
2023: Ireland (1)
The 2023 Rugby World Cup, held in France amidst the context of the recent riots over police brutality, would see the tournament expand to 24 teams, with 4 groups of 6. In group A, France tops the group, while a brilliant new generation of Italians led by ange capuzzo cmae very close to eliminatign the All Blacks, but New Zealand held on to avoid being eliminated in the group stages for the secpnd tiem in its history. Meamwhile, in group B, Ireland tops the group, and South Africa survived a scare agaisnt an exciting young canadian team that unfortunately lacked experience, although they look dangerous for the next world cup in New Zealand.
Group C proved to be the group of massive upsets, as Fiji and the surprising Portugal made it through at the expense of the reigning champions and Australia. England and Argentina made it through in group D, though England got criticised for its very conservative kick-based game.
In the knockout stages, Argentina eliminated Portugal with little resistance, while in three epic games in a row, Ireland successfully completed the comeback against an aging and spent All Blacks side, France defeated South Africa in a thriller and Fiji stuns the world by making its first ever Semi-finals, defeating England.
In the semis, Ireland dispatched Argentina, but not without a fight from los pumas, while Fiji made a good showcase for fhemselves, but would eventually fall short against a motivated French team looking to win the World Cup at home. Considered the most complete team in the world, only a brick wall could stop them...
...and its name is Tadgh Furlong. The Irish prop played the game of his life, while Jonathan Sexton caps off his incredible career with a GOAT-level performance as he and Connor Murray outplayed Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack to bring Ireland its first ever World Cup triumph and silence all of France.
-2011: France (2)
Taking place in the United States for the third time, the 2011 Rugby World cup actually saw a more subdued tournament compared to the last two world cups. The only notable development ended up being Australia being eliminated in the group of death by the US and Georgia making its debut.
In the knockout stages, Wales, led by Alun Wyn Jones, crushed the young Irishmen 22-10, while France won a nailbiter against England 19-12. In a physical, defensive game, the US Pulled through against South Africa 11-9, while New Zealand easily dispatched of Argentina.
Wales and France took part in a physical, low-scoring game of their own, which the French pulled through 9-8, while the All Blacks eliminated the US to reach another defensive game agaisnt France in the final at the newly built West Side Stadium in New York City, where a try for New Zealand was canceled by the referee as France wins its second world cup 7-3 in the lowest scoring World Cup final since the 1960s.
2015: New Zealand (4)
In England to celebrate the 60t anniversary of the tournament, the 2015 rugby world cup would see plenty of surprises. In the group of death, the hosts would be eliminated by Wales and Australia, led by Jonathan Thurston. The biggest shock of the whole tournament, however, would be South Africa's defeat agaisnt Japan in the miracle of brighton, with the springboks and the US being shockingly eliminated, with Japan and Scotland going through.
New Zealand and Argentina went through, while Ireland would top pool D, but France would uncharacteristically crash out, letting Canada through.
The knockout stages would prove to be even more surprising. Japan would score yet another upset as they defeated Wales 23-19, while New Zealand would easily crush Canada. Argentina would crush the irish, to the shock of everyone, 42-20 while finally, in an epic game full of tries, Scotland would surprise Australia to go through.
From there, it would be a formality for New Zealand, for they would destroy Japan, while Argentina makes its second World Cup final, where the All Blacks made short work of them to win their record 4th world cup.
2019: Wales (2)
Japan became the first asian nation to host the tournament, and the national team made their citizens proud by topping group A, with wins agaisnt Scotland and Ireland. Pool B would see the cancellation of its last two fictures as a typhoon struck japan, with New Zealand and South Africa going through. England and the US went through at the expense of France, who leaves the group stages for the secodn consecutive world cup, while Australia and Wales easily topped group D.
In the knockouts, South Africa would trounce Japan, while Wales eliminated the young US Squad 20-19. New Zealand and England trounced Ireland and Australia, respectively.
The semis sees England and New Zealand battle for supremacy in an epic war of attrition won by Eddie Jones's England, while South Africa and Wales's forwards pummeled each other to submission, with the Welsh and Alun Wyn Jones overcomign the odds to make the final agaisnt England in the first all-european final in the World Cup's history.
In the final, yet another epic war of attrition would be won by Wales, who defeats England via a try by Dan Biggar 19-12 to win their second World Cup title.
2023: Ireland (1)
The 2023 Rugby World Cup, held in France amidst the context of the recent riots over police brutality, would see the tournament expand to 24 teams, with 4 groups of 6. In group A, France tops the group, while a brilliant new generation of Italians led by ange capuzzo cmae very close to eliminatign the All Blacks, but New Zealand held on to avoid being eliminated in the group stages for the secpnd tiem in its history. Meamwhile, in group B, Ireland tops the group, and South Africa survived a scare agaisnt an exciting young canadian team that unfortunately lacked experience, although they look dangerous for the next world cup in New Zealand.
Group C proved to be the group of massive upsets, as Fiji and the surprising Portugal made it through at the expense of the reigning champions and Australia. England and Argentina made it through in group D, though England got criticised for its very conservative kick-based game.
In the knockout stages, Argentina eliminated Portugal with little resistance, while in three epic games in a row, Ireland successfully completed the comeback against an aging and spent All Blacks side, France defeated South Africa in a thriller and Fiji stuns the world by making its first ever Semi-finals, defeating England.
In the semis, Ireland dispatched Argentina, but not without a fight from los pumas, while Fiji made a good showcase for fhemselves, but would eventually fall short against a motivated French team looking to win the World Cup at home. Considered the most complete team in the world, only a brick wall could stop them...
...and its name is Tadgh Furlong. The Irish prop played the game of his life, while Jonathan Sexton caps off his incredible career with a GOAT-level performance as he and Connor Murray outplayed Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack to bring Ireland its first ever World Cup triumph and silence all of France.
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Here is a power rankings of the various first divisions across this rugby world:
THE BIG 4
1) National Football League - United States: the richest and most competitive league in the world, home of the top american stars and various prominent foreign players. TV Coverage spans all four major networks as well as streaming services and sports channels for the lower divisions.
2) English Premiership - England: the oldest professional league in the world, the Prem is battling with the French Top 14 as the most competitive domestic league in Europe. Shown on ITV and featuring historical powerhouses like Leicester, Wigan, Harlequins, St. Helens, Wasps, Northampton, Saracens and Leeds Rhinos, it is a strong competitor for foreign talents against America and France, and its playoffs, adopted in 1974 following the american and French model, is the source of plenty of drama and upsets, with the final at Twickenham among the most watched domestic sports game in Britain.
3) French Top 14 - France: considered to be the most competitive league in Europe equal to the Premiership, the French Top 14 has the benefits of having slightly bigger budgets than the English game due to its lucrative TV Deal with giants Canal +. They are the most successful league in terms of European trophies won, with prestigious clubs like Stade Toulousain, Perpignan, Clermont, Racing 92, Stade Français and Toulon running the league, although new boys La Rochelle, Bordeaux-Bègles, Montpellier and Lyon OU have recently challenged the established order.
4) Telstra Australian Premiership - Australia: the best league in the southern Hemisphere, the Australian Premiership features premier talents from both Australia, New Zealand and the pacific Islands. While in recent years, it has become a sort of feeder league to both America and Europe, the sheer depth of the Australasian talent pool meant that its clubs, such as South Sydney, Sydney Roosters (formerly eastern suburbs), Brisbane Brothers RFC, Port Adelaide, Canberra Raiders, St. George and Melbourne RFC, always field strong rosters, contributing to the parity in the league.
THE TOP 8
5) Celtic League - Ireland, Scotland and Wales: born in 2001 as an initiative of the Scottish, Irish nd Welsh RFUs to keep its clubs competitive in europe agaisnt the financial might of England, France and even Italy, it is the youngest league in the world. However, instead of the franchise model as IRL, it is still those countries's respective clubs that compete in the league. While not as strong financially as the english or french clubs, its top clubs are very well organised, and the success of Irish sides in recent years is enough for the league to be considered the 3rd best in Europe.
6) Lega Eccelenza - Italy: once considered among the best leagues in europe in its heyday in the 80s and 90s, Italy is home of former european champions US Milanese, Fortituto Roma and Benetton Treviso, along with other strong clubs in Torino Rugby, Pro Vercelli, Rugby Parma, Petrarca, Rovigo, Lazio Rugby and Illia Bagnolese of Napoli. In recent years, however, performances in Europe have not been up to par, and it has since been overtaken by the Celtic League in the standings
7) Canadian Rugby Football League - Canada: home to the oldest sporting competition in north America in the Grey Cup tournament, Canada's Rugby Football League was formed in 1963 following the merger of the two major unions of the country: the Inter-Provincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Rugby Football Union. Home to the heritage 9 (RC Montreal, Argonauts, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Hamilton Tigers and Regina Roughriders), as well as notable smaller clubs like James Bay, Halifax Tars, Saskatoon Wild Oats and Oshawa Vikings, Canada has a unique culture and identity in the Rugby World, and it has recently risen in profile with a few notable foreign players coming into the league in recent years.
8) Japan Top League - Japan: one of the fastest rising leagues in the world, Japan has massively invested in its domestic competitions, especially after the surge in popularity of the national team's success in recent world cups.
BEST OF THE REST
9) Currie Cup - South Africa: the premier competition in south Africa, featurign classic clubs like Western Province, Johannesburg Golden Lions, Natal Sharks, Freestate Cheetahs and Praetoria Blue Devils, it has, however, Become a feeder league to the richer northern countries.
10) PNC - New Zealand: once a close rival to Australia and South Africa in the southern hemisphere, the New Zealand doemstic competition has fallen hard with its stars either going to Australia or the northern hemisphere, with the Canterbury domination also hurting the league's competitiveness.
THE BIG 4
1) National Football League - United States: the richest and most competitive league in the world, home of the top american stars and various prominent foreign players. TV Coverage spans all four major networks as well as streaming services and sports channels for the lower divisions.
2) English Premiership - England: the oldest professional league in the world, the Prem is battling with the French Top 14 as the most competitive domestic league in Europe. Shown on ITV and featuring historical powerhouses like Leicester, Wigan, Harlequins, St. Helens, Wasps, Northampton, Saracens and Leeds Rhinos, it is a strong competitor for foreign talents against America and France, and its playoffs, adopted in 1974 following the american and French model, is the source of plenty of drama and upsets, with the final at Twickenham among the most watched domestic sports game in Britain.
3) French Top 14 - France: considered to be the most competitive league in Europe equal to the Premiership, the French Top 14 has the benefits of having slightly bigger budgets than the English game due to its lucrative TV Deal with giants Canal +. They are the most successful league in terms of European trophies won, with prestigious clubs like Stade Toulousain, Perpignan, Clermont, Racing 92, Stade Français and Toulon running the league, although new boys La Rochelle, Bordeaux-Bègles, Montpellier and Lyon OU have recently challenged the established order.
4) Telstra Australian Premiership - Australia: the best league in the southern Hemisphere, the Australian Premiership features premier talents from both Australia, New Zealand and the pacific Islands. While in recent years, it has become a sort of feeder league to both America and Europe, the sheer depth of the Australasian talent pool meant that its clubs, such as South Sydney, Sydney Roosters (formerly eastern suburbs), Brisbane Brothers RFC, Port Adelaide, Canberra Raiders, St. George and Melbourne RFC, always field strong rosters, contributing to the parity in the league.
THE TOP 8
5) Celtic League - Ireland, Scotland and Wales: born in 2001 as an initiative of the Scottish, Irish nd Welsh RFUs to keep its clubs competitive in europe agaisnt the financial might of England, France and even Italy, it is the youngest league in the world. However, instead of the franchise model as IRL, it is still those countries's respective clubs that compete in the league. While not as strong financially as the english or french clubs, its top clubs are very well organised, and the success of Irish sides in recent years is enough for the league to be considered the 3rd best in Europe.
6) Lega Eccelenza - Italy: once considered among the best leagues in europe in its heyday in the 80s and 90s, Italy is home of former european champions US Milanese, Fortituto Roma and Benetton Treviso, along with other strong clubs in Torino Rugby, Pro Vercelli, Rugby Parma, Petrarca, Rovigo, Lazio Rugby and Illia Bagnolese of Napoli. In recent years, however, performances in Europe have not been up to par, and it has since been overtaken by the Celtic League in the standings
7) Canadian Rugby Football League - Canada: home to the oldest sporting competition in north America in the Grey Cup tournament, Canada's Rugby Football League was formed in 1963 following the merger of the two major unions of the country: the Inter-Provincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Rugby Football Union. Home to the heritage 9 (RC Montreal, Argonauts, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Hamilton Tigers and Regina Roughriders), as well as notable smaller clubs like James Bay, Halifax Tars, Saskatoon Wild Oats and Oshawa Vikings, Canada has a unique culture and identity in the Rugby World, and it has recently risen in profile with a few notable foreign players coming into the league in recent years.
8) Japan Top League - Japan: one of the fastest rising leagues in the world, Japan has massively invested in its domestic competitions, especially after the surge in popularity of the national team's success in recent world cups.
BEST OF THE REST
9) Currie Cup - South Africa: the premier competition in south Africa, featurign classic clubs like Western Province, Johannesburg Golden Lions, Natal Sharks, Freestate Cheetahs and Praetoria Blue Devils, it has, however, Become a feeder league to the richer northern countries.
10) PNC - New Zealand: once a close rival to Australia and South Africa in the southern hemisphere, the New Zealand doemstic competition has fallen hard with its stars either going to Australia or the northern hemisphere, with the Canterbury domination also hurting the league's competitiveness.
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Name: Rugby Club de Montréal
year of founding: 1872 as Montreal Football Club, 1946 as RC Montréal
City: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nicknames: Les Alouettes (the Skylarks), Les Rouges et Verts (the red and Green)
Home grounds: Percival Molson Stadium
Capacity: 20,025
League: Canadian Premiership
HONORS
Canadian National Championship (16): 1884, 1907, 1931, 1933, 1954, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2023
Grey Cup (13): 1949, 1954, 1956, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010
Rugby in Montreal has a long history that dates before the formation of the RFU. The first written account of a game of Rugby in Canada was on October 15, 1862, at the Montreal Cricket Grounds, with two army teams competing in it.
Ten yers later, RC Montreal's predecessors, the Montreal Football Club, opened its doors, and two years later, Montreal's McGill University played a game against Harvard University.
The Montreal Football Club was founded on April 8, 1872 in one of the lower rooms of the Mechanics Hall buildings. Their first game played was also the first Rugby game to be played in the province of Quebec, on Saturday, October 12, 1872 against the Quebec City club (now RC Quebec) in Quebec City at the Esplanade. The two teams would meet again on Saturday, October 26, 1872 at McGill University where both games would be played to 0-0 ties.
Montreal was a founding member of the Quebec Rugby Football Union, which was formed on January 16, 1883, and became a dominant and influential force in that league. Games in the QRFU were played on a challenge system, meaning that teams would play an uneven number of games by challenging the top team. Since Montreal would frequently be a top team in the league, they would end up being challenged the most and subsequently would play the most games. Montreal repeated as QRFU champion in 1884, but this time would also play the Ontario Rugby Football Union champion after the newly formed Canadian Rugby Football Union decided to crown a national champion. Consequently, the Montreal Foot Ball Club would win the very first Canadian Dominion Rugby Football Championship against the Toronto Argonauts by a score of 30-0 on November 6, 1884.
The Montreal Club would continue their dominance over their QRFU rivals, winning the QRFU title 11 times in the 13 years since the union's inception. However, in the years that a Dominion Championship was held, the club would come home empty-handed when facing their ORFU opponent. In 1892, the QRFU switched to a balanced schedule, where all teams would face each other an equal number of times during the season, and after 1894, it would become a permanent feature of the league. Whether it was because of this or because of increased competition, Montreal lost its grip on its dominance over its opponents, and, as a result, would go ten years without a QRFU title.
It wasn't until 1906 that the Montreal Football Club would regain their prowess, with a first-place finish and an undefeated record in the QRFU and their first title since 1895. In order to play in the Dominion championship, the club would have to play the ORFU champion Hamilton Tigers in order to qualify for the national championship against the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union champion McGill University. Montreal would lose the game against the Tigers 11-6, who would go on to defeat McGill and win the Dominion Championship, extending Montreal's drought to 22 years.
In 1907, Canadian Rugby became professionalised when the Quebec and Ontario RFU combined to found the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union. Montreal immediately made up for the previous season's disappointment, finishing first in the IRFU, including a win over the Tigers who had eliminated the Montreal Club from the year before. Montreal then went on to defeat the Peterborough club 12-10 on December 1, 1907 to become the first Dominion Champions of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, winning their first national title in more than 2 decades.
However, Montreal would never regain that form as the club's fortunes waned severely in the following years. Montreal would finish last six times in the next eight years and finished third in the other two. In this stretch, they won only seven games, losing the other 41 games, including three winless seasons before the great war.
Once play resumed after the war in 1919 and after the restructuring of the IRFU into a one league pyramid, however, Montreal, led by star Scrum Half Frank McGill and under the ownership of Percival Molson, part of the wealthy Molson family, would win three consecutive promotions to get back into the IRFU's first division. It was under Percival Molson's ownership that the club would open its home stadium, which now carries his name, built on the hill behind McGill University so that the students could go watch the games after school.
With Molson's money and a talented roster featuring McGill and young players like Winger Cap Fear, Center Gordon Perry, fly half Jeff Russell and Fullback Huck Welch, the Montreal Football club would challenge the top dogs Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto and the anglophone teams of Westmount, Wanderers and Montreal Irish for the title, culminating in the club's first ever double in 1931, where they won the league title and their first ever Grey Cup tournament, followed by their third league title in 1933.
What would follow would be a barren period, where despite the club competing in the top 6 of the IRFU first division, they struggled to win titles, with the successful Montreal clubs in that time being Irish and Wanderers, as they each brought 2 league titles and 1 Grey cup to the city. Not only that, but Percival Molson, getting on with age, sought to sell the club to enjoy his retirement.
In 1943, former Montreal Canadiens owner Leo Dandurand bought the club from Molson in what was esentially a trade, with the Molsons becoming owners of the Habs in exchange for Dandurand owning Montreal FC.
Inheriting a club that were in financial turmoil and in danger of being relegated, Dandurand opted for an ambitious project to save the club. After careful negotiations, Dandurand and Wanderers RFC owner Eric Cradock agreed to merge the two clubs together in 1946, with the express goal of becoming the club of both Francophones and Anglophones, as well as the club that will knock the Toronto Argonauts off their perch. And thus, Rugby Club Montreal was born
Already, the newly-formed club made huge splashes. First, by hiring Toronto Argonauts's all-conquering manager Lew Hayman following a bitter contract dispute between him and Toronto, and also signing two talented americans that would become legends of the club: Fullback Virgil Wagner from Detroit RFC and the club's first ever black player, Prop Herb Trawick.
The new club would immediately make its mark, finishing 1st in its first season in 1946, but losing to Toronto in the IRFU Final, then winning the Grey Cup in 1949 and constantly finishing in the top 3 of the IRFU. Hayman and his knowledge of the American Collegiate landscape allowed him to sign two more americans that would end up becoming cornerstones of the club: Winger Hal Patterson from Kansas and Scrum Half Sam Etcheverry from Denver College. To complete the foreign player quota, the expsensive signing of Chicago Lions winger Red O'Quinn was made.
With this team, RC Montreal would go through its first golden age, winning three consecutive IFRUs championships and winning the national title in 1954 and 1956 for two doubles, narrowly losing the Grey Cup final to Edmonton Clansmen in 1954 to prevent a historic treble.
When the CRFL was formed after the fusion between the IRFU and the Western provinces RFU, RC Montreal would gradually fall down the standings, with Hayman, Echeverry and Patterson all leaving, until they bottomed out in 1969, being relegated to the second division.
In came local quebecois businessman Samuel Berger, who bought the remaining shares that Hayman had in the club to become majority owner. A major shakeup would follow, with the roster containing many newcomers, such as backs Moses Denson and Gary Lefevbre, lock Peter Dalla Riva, local quebecois talents like Flanker Jacques Dussault and veteran fly half George Springate and american scrum half Sonny Wade, with Sam Etcheverry and Red O'Quinn returning to the club as manager and director of Rugby, respectively.
With this rag tag bunch, RC Montreal would manage to come back to the first division in the first try, finishing 2nd and, most importantly, they would defeat Halifax Tars, the Calgary Hornets and the Hamilton Tigers on the way to the Grey Cup final in Toronto, where they would cause a massive surprise and defeat Lew Hayman's Argonauts to lift their second Grey Cup as RC Montreal and the club's third Grey Cup overall, becoming the first ever lower division team to win the Grey Cup since the creation of the CRFL pyramid.
This victory in 1970 proved to be the catalyst of the club's greatest ever period of success. Over its first three seasons of the 70s, RC Montreal would assemble a strong squad, with locals like centers Larry Smith and Ian Mofford, prop Pat Bonnett, Lock/number 8 Gabriel Gregoire, number 8 Wally Buono and Scrum Half Gerry Datillio, whose emergence in 1973 forced Sonny Wade to play Fly Half, a position where he would thrive as one of Canadian Rugby's premier playmakers.
To complete the roster, the Als signed Winnipeg flanker Tony Proudfoot, electrifying American winger Johnny Rodgers and their first non-north American player (not counting Buono and Peter Dalla Riva, who were both born in Italy before moving to Canada) in Samoan prop Junior Ah You.
With future hall of fame coach Marv Levy behind the sidelines, RC Montreal would win 6 consecutive Premiership titles from 1974 to 1979, including two doubles in 1974 and 1979 and a historic treble in 1977 (regular season premiers, premeirship champions and grey cup winners).
The 80s would start well, with Smith, Mofford, Datillio and Grégoire still potent and now joined by other local talents like fly half Luc Toussignant, Winger Jacques Chapdelaine, Egyptian-born Nick Arakgi and promising prop and future fan favorite Pierre Vercheval. However, expensive transfer busts and new owner Charles Bronfman focusing more on baseball menat that the club was often in dire straits, and the inevitable would eventually happen, as 1987 would see RC Montreal go down the second division and almsot out of money, with all their players, including Chapdelaine and Vercheval, being sold to other clubs to keep the books in check.
A long period in the second division would follow, with coaches and ownership changes a plenty and high roster turnovers. However, beneath the bleakness, the boom of Rugby academies and the rise of the university programs in Quebec meant that RC Montreal had a promising batch of youngsters emerging through their youth ranks, such as locks Steve Charbonneau and Didier Orméjuste, winger Sylvain Girard and centers Éric Lapointe and Bruno Heppel.
In 1993, a consortium led by former player Larry Smith and the Wetenhall family from New York bought the club and invested heavily into its youth setup. Combined with very shrewd scouting leading to inspired signings like Shreveport Pirates Nigerian flanker Uzooma Okeke, Ottawa FC reserve prop Mike Sutherland, veteran american fly half and former Edmonton Grey Cup winner Tracy Ham, whom many at his former club, the St. Louis Bombers, thought was finished after an injury, and especially former Atlanta Renegades and Baltimore Brumbies winger Mike Pringle and Utah State bowl winning scrum half Anthony Calvillo, who was inexplicably starting in the reservesat NFL side Austin Huns.
With a young and exciting squad, and the emergence of Mike Pringle as a deadly finisher, scoring a record 30 tries, RC Montreal in 1995 would record one of their best seasons in history, going undefeated in the second division. Their dominance was so noteworthy, that canadian sports media outlets nicknamed that swaud "the 13th Premiership team".
The crowning achievement of that sqaud, however, was winning the Grey Cup that year, its first major honor since 1979 and a massive exploit, defeating Toronto, Winnipeg and the powerful Calgary Hornets in the final at Taylor Field in Regina, becoming the 5th lower division side in Canadian history to win the tournament.
The hype was massive in Montreal after that legendary season and the return to the top Flight, especially after the good start to the season, defeating Toronto 22-12 in the season opener. The hype was even more pronounced when Smith announced the club's biggest signing ever: Bayonne's young maestro Christophe Lamaison, who joined the club in the summer looking for a new challenge in a new environnement.
with Lamaison's late addition, RC Montreal would sneak into the playoffs, Lamaison, Pringle and Calvillo inspiring the club to the 6th and final playoff spot, even winning against Saskatoon in the first round before being thrashed by the eventual champions Toronto Argonauts in the semi-finals.
The following season would see two huge pieces come into the squad, with hooker Bryan Chiu signing after graduating from Washington State and, taking advantage if a dispute for the starting fullback position with Scott Stewart in Calgary, the Als signed Ben Cahoon, who would form an incredible backline with Mike Pringle and Sylvain Girard.
1997 would be even better. With Lamaison now back at his prefered fly half spot near an exploding Calvillo, RC Montreal would form a formidable side, finishing 3rd in the regular season and comfortably defeating Hamilton in the 1st round, but sadly, they would again lose in the semi-finals to Toronto.
Tired of being defeated by Toronto, Larry Smith splashed the cash in 1998 to poach Toronto's coach Don Matthews and bring Pierre Vercheval back home, followed by signing promising number 8 from Regina Dan Baugh and young flanker Davis Sanchez from James Bay. This resulted in the club becoming the team to beat in 1998, dominanting in all defensive categories and the multi-faceted attack terrorized opposing team defenses, especially Mike Pringle and his league leading 22 tries as the club finished 1st three years after promotion.
In the playoffs, Montreal defeated Hamilton in the semi-finals and would win a nailbiter against Cahoon's firmer team Calgary to win their first premiership title in almost 20 years. This success would be followed by a grey cup win in 2000 and a double in 2002. The club would benefit from more young quebecois talents coming to the first team such as Danny Desriveaux, Étienne Boulay, Samuel Giguere and Matthieu Proulx, while the now naturalised citizen Calvillo, Baugh, Chiu and Cahoon would lead Canada to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2003. More shrewd signings in american wingers Jeremaine Copeland and Kerry Watkins, young halfback Jesse Palmer to replace Lamaison in 2003 and south african prop Marius Hurter led the club to another Grey Cup in 2003 and another league title in 2005. Two more grey cup triumphs in 2009 and 2010, with the quebecois generation of Boulay, Desriveaux, Proulx and Giguere and the veterans Calvillo, Cahoon and Palmer joined by foreigners Watkins, Chip Cox, south african prop Guthro Steenkamp and Fijian Vereneki Goneva.
Alas, that fun team would be the last time RC Montreal would achieve any success, for the 2010s would be marked by under performances in the palyoffs and the cup, along with players levaing because of financial trouble, with star quebecois Laurent Duvernay Tardiff achieving great success for Kansas City Blues in the American top division. It gotten so bad that the club was almost put on administration in 2022 despite a great run to the Grey Cup semi-final.
later that year, the richest man in Quebec, media mogul Pierre-Karl Péladeau, bought the club and made it his mission to make Montreal a great Rugby city again, with Duvernay Tardiff returning from his NFL stint and renowned Quebecois coach Danny Maciocia as manager, and with a promising squad featuring LDT, William Stanbach, Austin Mack, Robbie Povey, former Toulon scrum half Éric Escande and a young Quebecois core, RC Montreal finally has some semblance of a bright future ahead.
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Damn, after last night, a bright future, indeed
Name: Rugby Club de Montréal
year of founding: 1872 as Montreal Football Club, 1946 as RC Montréal
City: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nicknames: Les Alouettes (the Skylarks), Les Rouges et Verts (the red and Green)
Home grounds: Percival Molson Stadium
Capacity: 20,025
League: Canadian Premiership
HONORS
Canadian National Championship (15): 1884, 1907, 1931, 1933, 1954, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1998, 2002, 2005
Grey Cup (13): 1949, 1954, 1956, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010
Rugby in Montreal has a long history that dates before the formation of the RFU. The first written account of a game of Rugby in Canada was on October 15, 1862, at the Montreal Cricket Grounds, with two army teams competing in it.
Ten yers later, RC Montreal's predecessors, the Montreal Football Club, opened its doors, and two years later, Montreal's McGill University played a game against Harvard University.
The Montreal Football Club was founded on April 8, 1872 in one of the lower rooms of the Mechanics Hall buildings. Their first game played was also the first Rugby game to be played in the province of Quebec, on Saturday, October 12, 1872 against the Quebec City club (now RC Quebec) in Quebec City at the Esplanade. The two teams would meet again on Saturday, October 26, 1872 at McGill University where both games would be played to 0-0 ties.
Montreal was a founding member of the Quebec Rugby Football Union, which was formed on January 16, 1883, and became a dominant and influential force in that league. Games in the QRFU were played on a challenge system, meaning that teams would play an uneven number of games by challenging the top team. Since Montreal would frequently be a top team in the league, they would end up being challenged the most and subsequently would play the most games. Montreal repeated as QRFU champion in 1884, but this time would also play the Ontario Rugby Football Union champion after the newly formed Canadian Rugby Football Union decided to crown a national champion. Consequently, the Montreal Foot Ball Club would win the very first Canadian Dominion Rugby Football Championship against the Toronto Argonauts by a score of 30-0 on November 6, 1884.
The Montreal Club would continue their dominance over their QRFU rivals, winning the QRFU title 11 times in the 13 years since the union's inception. However, in the years that a Dominion Championship was held, the club would come home empty-handed when facing their ORFU opponent. In 1892, the QRFU switched to a balanced schedule, where all teams would face each other an equal number of times during the season, and after 1894, it would become a permanent feature of the league. Whether it was because of this or because of increased competition, Montreal lost its grip on its dominance over its opponents, and, as a result, would go ten years without a QRFU title.
It wasn't until 1906 that the Montreal Football Club would regain their prowess, with a first-place finish and an undefeated record in the QRFU and their first title since 1895. In order to play in the Dominion championship, the club would have to play the ORFU champion Hamilton Tigers in order to qualify for the national championship against the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union champion McGill University. Montreal would lose the game against the Tigers 11-6, who would go on to defeat McGill and win the Dominion Championship, extending Montreal's drought to 22 years.
In 1907, Canadian Rugby became professionalised when the Quebec and Ontario RFU combined to found the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union. Montreal immediately made up for the previous season's disappointment, finishing first in the IRFU, including a win over the Tigers who had eliminated the Montreal Club from the year before. Montreal then went on to defeat the Peterborough club 12-10 on December 1, 1907 to become the first Dominion Champions of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, winning their first national title in more than 2 decades.
However, Montreal would never regain that form as the club's fortunes waned severely in the following years. Montreal would finish last six times in the next eight years and finished third in the other two. In this stretch, they won only seven games, losing the other 41 games, including three winless seasons before the great war.
Once play resumed after the war in 1919 and after the restructuring of the IRFU into a one league pyramid, however, Montreal, led by star Scrum Half Frank McGill and under the ownership of Percival Molson, part of the wealthy Molson family, would win three consecutive promotions to get back into the IRFU's first division. It was under Percival Molson's ownership that the club would open its home stadium, which now carries his name, built on the hill behind McGill University so that the students could go watch the games after school.
With Molson's money and a talented roster featuring McGill and young players like Winger Cap Fear, Center Gordon Perry, fly half Jeff Russell and Fullback Huck Welch, the Montreal Football club would challenge the top dogs Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto and the anglophone teams of Westmount, Wanderers and Montreal Irish for the title, culminating in the club's first ever double in 1931, where they won the league title and their first ever Grey Cup tournament, followed by their third league title in 1933.
What would follow would be a barren period, where despite the club competing in the top 6 of the IRFU first division, they struggled to win titles, with the successful Montreal clubs in that time being Irish and Wanderers, as they each brought 2 league titles and 1 Grey cup to the city. Not only that, but Percival Molson, getting on with age, sought to sell the club to enjoy his retirement.
In 1943, former Montreal Canadiens owner Leo Dandurand bought the club from Molson in what was esentially a trade, with the Molsons becoming owners of the Habs in exchange for Dandurand owning Montreal FC.
Inheriting a club that were in financial turmoil and in danger of being relegated, Dandurand opted for an ambitious project to save the club. After careful negotiations, Dandurand and Wanderers RFC owner Eric Cradock agreed to merge the two clubs together in 1946, with the express goal of becoming the club of both Francophones and Anglophones, as well as the club that will knock the Toronto Argonauts off their perch. And thus, Rugby Club Montreal was born
Already, the newly-formed club made huge splashes. First, by hiring Toronto Argonauts's all-conquering manager Lew Hayman following a bitter contract dispute between him and Toronto, and also signing two talented americans that would become legends of the club: Fullback Virgil Wagner from Detroit RFC and the club's first ever black player, Prop Herb Trawick.
The new club would immediately make its mark, finishing 1st in its first season in 1946, but losing to Toronto in the IRFU Final, then winning the Grey Cup in 1949 and constantly finishing in the top 3 of the IRFU. Hayman and his knowledge of the American Collegiate landscape allowed him to sign two more americans that would end up becoming cornerstones of the club: Winger Hal Patterson from Kansas and Scrum Half Sam Etcheverry from Denver College. To complete the foreign player quota, the expsensive signing of Chicago Lions winger Red O'Quinn was made.
With this team, RC Montreal would go through its first golden age, winning three consecutive IFRUs championships and winning the national title in 1954 and 1956 for two doubles, narrowly losing the Grey Cup final to Edmonton Clansmen in 1954 to prevent a historic treble.
When the CRFL was formed after the fusion between the IRFU and the Western provinces RFU, RC Montreal would gradually fall down the standings, with Hayman, Echeverry and Patterson all leaving, until they bottomed out in 1969, being relegated to the second division.
In came local quebecois businessman Samuel Berger, who bought the remaining shares that Hayman had in the club to become majority owner. A major shakeup would follow, with the roster containing many newcomers, such as backs Moses Denson and Gary Lefevbre, lock Peter Dalla Riva, local quebecois talents like Flanker Jacques Dussault and veteran fly half George Springate and american scrum half Sonny Wade, with Sam Etcheverry and Red O'Quinn returning to the club as manager and director of Rugby, respectively.
With this rag tag bunch, RC Montreal would manage to come back to the first division in the first try, finishing 2nd and, most importantly, they would defeat Halifax Tars, the Calgary Hornets and the Hamilton Tigers on the way to the Grey Cup final in Toronto, where they would cause a massive surprise and defeat Lew Hayman's Argonauts to lift their second Grey Cup as RC Montreal and the club's third Grey Cup overall, becoming the first ever lower division team to win the Grey Cup since the creation of the CRFL pyramid.
This victory in 1970 proved to be the catalyst of the club's greatest ever period of success. Over its first three seasons of the 70s, RC Montreal would assemble a strong squad, with locals like centers Larry Smith and Ian Mofford, prop Pat Bonnett, Lock/number 8 Gabriel Gregoire, number 8 Wally Buono and Scrum Half Gerry Datillio, whose emergence in 1973 forced Sonny Wade to play Fly Half, a position where he would thrive as one of Canadian Rugby's premier playmakers.
To complete the roster, the Als signed Winnipeg flanker Tony Proudfoot, electrifying American winger Johnny Rodgers and their first non-north American player (not counting Buono and Peter Dalla Riva, who were both born in Italy before moving to Canada) in Samoan prop Junior Ah You.
With future hall of fame coach Marv Levy behind the sidelines, RC Montreal would win 6 consecutive Premiership titles from 1974 to 1979, including two doubles in 1974 and 1979 and a historic treble in 1977 (regular season premiers, premeirship champions and grey cup winners).
The 80s would start well, with Smith, Mofford, Datillio and Grégoire still potent and now joined by other local talents like fly half Luc Toussignant, Winger Jacques Chapdelaine, Egyptian-born Nick Arakgi and promising prop and future fan favorite Pierre Vercheval. However, expensive transfer busts and new owner Charles Bronfman focusing more on baseball menat that the club was often in dire straits, and the inevitable would eventually happen, as 1987 would see RC Montreal go down the second division and almsot out of money, with all their players, including Chapdelaine and Vercheval, being sold to other clubs to keep the books in check.
A long period in the second division would follow, with coaches and ownership changes a plenty and high roster turnovers. However, beneath the bleakness, the boom of Rugby academies and the rise of the university programs in Quebec meant that RC Montreal had a promising batch of youngsters emerging through their youth ranks, such as locks Steve Charbonneau and Didier Orméjuste, winger Sylvain Girard and centers Éric Lapointe and Bruno Heppel.
In 1993, a consortium led by former player Larry Smith and the Wetenhall family from New York bought the club and invested heavily into its youth setup. Combined with very shrewd scouting leading to inspired signings like Shreveport Pirates Nigerian flanker Uzooma Okeke, Ottawa FC reserve prop Mike Sutherland, veteran american fly half and former Edmonton Grey Cup winner Tracy Ham, whom many at his former club, the St. Louis Bombers, thought was finished after an injury, and especially former Atlanta Renegades and Baltimore Brumbies winger Mike Pringle and Utah State bowl winning scrum half Anthony Calvillo, who was inexplicably starting in the reservesat NFL side Austin Huns.
With a young and exciting squad, and the emergence of Mike Pringle as a deadly finisher, scoring a record 30 tries, RC Montreal in 1995 would record one of their best seasons in history, going undefeated in the second division. Their dominance was so noteworthy, that canadian sports media outlets nicknamed that swaud "the 13th Premiership team".
The crowning achievement of that sqaud, however, was winning the Grey Cup that year, its first major honor since 1979 and a massive exploit, defeating Toronto, Winnipeg and the powerful Calgary Hornets in the final at Taylor Field in Regina, becoming the 5th lower division side in Canadian history to win the tournament.
The hype was massive in Montreal after that legendary season and the return to the top Flight, especially after the good start to the season, defeating Toronto 22-12 in the season opener. The hype was even more pronounced when Smith announced the club's biggest signing ever: Bayonne's young maestro Christophe Lamaison, who joined the club in the summer looking for a new challenge in a new environnement.
with Lamaison's late addition, RC Montreal would sneak into the playoffs, Lamaison, Pringle and Calvillo inspiring the club to the 6th and final playoff spot, even winning against Saskatoon in the first round before being thrashed by the eventual champions Toronto Argonauts in the semi-finals.
The following season would see two huge pieces come into the squad, with hooker Bryan Chiu signing after graduating from Washington State and, taking advantage if a dispute for the starting fullback position with Scott Stewart in Calgary, the Als signed Ben Cahoon, who would form an incredible backline with Mike Pringle and Sylvain Girard.
1997 would be even better. With Lamaison now back at his prefered fly half spot near an exploding Calvillo, RC Montreal would form a formidable side, finishing 3rd in the regular season and comfortably defeating Hamilton in the 1st round, but sadly, they would again lose in the semi-finals to Toronto.
Tired of being defeated by Toronto, Larry Smith splashed the cash in 1998 to poach Toronto's coach Don Matthews and bring Pierre Vercheval back home, followed by signing promising number 8 from Regina Dan Baugh and young flanker Davis Sanchez from James Bay. This resulted in the club becoming the team to beat in 1998, dominanting in all defensive categories and the multi-faceted attack terrorized opposing team defenses, especially Mike Pringle and his league leading 22 tries as the club finished 1st three years after promotion.
In the playoffs, Montreal defeated Hamilton in the semi-finals and would win a nailbiter against Cahoon's firmer team Calgary to win their first premiership title in almost 20 years. This success would be followed by a grey cup win in 2000 and a double in 2002. The club would benefit from more young quebecois talents coming to the first team such as Danny Desriveaux, Étienne Boulay, Samuel Giguere and Matthieu Proulx, while the now naturalised citizen Calvillo, Baugh, Chiu and Cahoon would lead Canada to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2003. More shrewd signings in american wingers Jeremaine Copeland and Kerry Watkins, young halfback Jesse Palmer to replace Lamaison in 2003 and south african prop Marius Hurter led the club to another Grey Cup in 2003 and another league title in 2005. Two more grey cup triumphs in 2009 and 2010, with the quebecois generation of Boulay, Desriveaux, Proulx and Giguere and the veterans Calvillo, Cahoon and Palmer joined by foreigners Watkins, Chip Cox, south african prop Guthro Steenkamp and Fijian Vereneki Goneva.
Alas, that fun team would be the last time RC Montreal would achieve any success, for the 2010s would be marked by under performances in the palyoffs and the cup, along with players levaing because of financial trouble, with star quebecois Laurent Duvernay Tardiff achieving great success for Kansas City Blues in the American top division. It gotten so bad that the club was almost put on administration in 2022 despite a great run to the Grey Cup semi-final.
later that year, the richest man in Quebec, media mogul Pierre-Karl Péladeau, bought the club and made it his mission to make Montreal a great Rugby city again, with Duvernay Tardiff returning from his NFL stint and renowned Quebecois coach Danny Maciocia as manager, and with a promising squad featuring LDT, William Stanbach, Austin Mack, Robbie Povey, former Toulon scrum half Éric Escande and a young Quebecois core, RC Montreal finally has some semblance of a bright future ahead.
Man, i have trouble really imagining how real life NFL players would fare and how the clubs would be, like, composed. Because in the NFL, every team always have a superstar, or at least, a guy they build their marketing around. And also because there are 32 teams in the NFL, but now, all that talent will not play in the top division, since there is naturally few teams in a promotion-relegation system. Those players would either have to play in the lower divisions or go abroad to Europe or Australia to play in top flight leagues...
Which leads to the next problem...without football, would the rugby world instead have too many american players instead of having too many new zealanders? Cause if you add all the american football players in there, both NFL and CFL/spring leagues players, the player pool would dwarf that of New Zealand and South Africa.
So yeah, i dunno...maybe most of these players would pursue other sports, instead, i guess...like soccer or basketball or baseball...i dunno.
Which leads to the next problem...without football, would the rugby world instead have too many american players instead of having too many new zealanders? Cause if you add all the american football players in there, both NFL and CFL/spring leagues players, the player pool would dwarf that of New Zealand and South Africa.
So yeah, i dunno...maybe most of these players would pursue other sports, instead, i guess...like soccer or basketball or baseball...i dunno.
American football was already pulling away from rugby by 1893; you would need an earlier PoD, I think, to keep the Americans in the fold...
Like what? English college students bringing the game to the American colleges?
Well, that's how American football started IOTL.
Honestly, I don't think you'll be able to keep the Americans in the fold without a drastically different PoD - yeah, something like you mentioned if Oxford and Cambridge did tours to the USA potentially...but even then, it might stay popular in the Ivy League, but America is a big country and it changes things that come to its shores.
For one thing, the modern NFL field (53 yards by 120 yards, including end zones) is the exact size of Harvard common. The size of the field and number of players were changed to accommodate this. So right from 1869, if Harvard wants to play Rugby, they will have to find a new ground. Not a huge ask, of course, but it does bring up the question of popularity. There is a reason that gridiron took off in the Ivy League - and if students had to travel to practice or watch the games, maybe they wouldn't?
That's not the only thing that changed almost immediately...the Americans limited the number of tackles to a possession to 15 in 1876. They eliminated scrums and introduced the line of "scrummage" in 1880, followed in the next few years by down-and-distance rules. For comparison, Canadian rugby football didn't make these similar changes until 1903/1904 (and kept 15 men and the larger field even later than that).
As for Rugby...professionalization lead IOTL to a split in the Rugby clubs in Britain, some playing union, some playing league. When this occurred, the colonial Rugby Unions were required to make a decision one way or the other - which organization in the homeland will they be officially affiliated with? With the USA, they were always on their own. If rules change in England, the USA is not required to follow suit. (And in fact, because of the rule changes that had already taken place, by 1893, Gridiron already would've been considered "not proper Rugby"). At the end of the day, the Americans care far more about beating other American colleges than being crowned "Champions of the Empire" or anything like that.
This isn't to say that Rugby couldn't remain a popular sport in the USA...just that the catalyst for the creation of American Football was...Americans playing rugby, not professionalization in England. It seems to me that American Football evolving from Rugby was quite a likely development, and that the American colleges will always focus on their homegrown Americanized sport over a "world game". Just my two cents.
There will be a difference between high-level American Gridiron players and Rugby players. To my perception (from having watched two of my boys train for multiple sports), Gridiron focuses more on strength while Rugby focuses more on endurance. Some of the current NFL players would do well at Rugby, although I would expect the big guys to be somewhat lighter. There are some whom I do not think would make the higher levels of Rugby; I cannot envision Peyton Manning as a top-tier Rugby player, although his brother Eli seems to have a better build.
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I've also played both. A couple of years back, the All Blacks head coach attend the NFL combine. The American press enthusiastically asked him what he'd be taking back to the ABs.
His response was enthusiastically reported in NZ - nothing.
He observed that American NFL athletes are all incredibly specialised - like, offensive linemen benching amounts that no All Black would be able to.
Or receivers jumping 40"
Or guys running the 40 in barely over 4 seconds
But none of them could play high-level rugby, where by comparison, everyone is an all-arounder.
I guess if the platoon system doesn't develop and every player needs to have an offensive and defensive position, it could be a bit different.
I always described fullback (in rugby) as being like a combo Punter/Kicker/Punter Returner/Kick Returner/Free Safety. So, yeah. Probably not many guys with that specific skill set. But it doesn't mean you couldnt train them
Thr only NFL player that comes to mind tbat would be good at Rugby would be Deion Sanders because he played both offense and defense, as well as the very early NFL players back when two-way players were the norm. The rest? Nada. Almost all of them always end up being too static. You can't have a scrum half just stay put in the pocket, for example.
So yeah, i guess i made a mistake making this thread
Short profiles for the top clubs in England
Leicester Tigers: the most successful English club overall, Leicester were among the early adopters of spending money once Rugby turned pro in 1893. This led to them establishing themselves as a leadign club in the early 20th century, winning 6 titles in a row (a feat still unmatched more than a 100 years later) in the 1900s. World War 1 put an end to Leicester's dominance, and the club would spend through a long rebuilding phase, even flirting with relegation many times. The 60s would see the club get back to prominence, starting the win titles and competing in the higher halves of the premiership tables in the following decade.
The club's best period were in the 90s and 2000s. The club were regular contenders for titles domestically and in europe, winning two european champions cup, and were competitive all the way to the 2010s, where change in ownership and management led to the club now being a shadow of its former self, now having missed the playoffs for 5 consecutive seasons.
Wigan Warriors: The 2nd most successful club domestically, with 15 premiership titles and 15 challenge cups, but in the european champiosn cup, they only won it once during their golden 90s period. Known as the emblematic working class club of England, Wigan became a symbol of the northern rugby culture, being one of the most successful clubs in a historically upper class sport. Constantly making the playoffs and europe, though European success still eludes them.
Saracens: Based in Southgate, the middle class Saracens, while enjoying a period of success in the 70s, are the nouveau riche in English Rugby, with Nigel Wray's finances, expensive yet smart transfers and their excellent youth facilities leading to the club becoming the dominant club of the 2010s, becoming England's most successful club on the european stage with 3 champions cup in their name. However, their free spending way saw them breach the salary cap of the league, forcing relegation in 2020.
Since then, Saracens quickly went back to.the premiership, but the loss of significant depth, Wray's departure following the scandal, the aging core of the squad and losing in the quarter-finals of the playoffs more regularly meant that Saracens are in danger of decline.
Wasps: one of the oldest clubs in England, based in Finchley Road, Waps easily became the most popular club in London, even getting fans outside of their middle-to-upper middle class roots. Easily the most successful london club with 11 Premiership titles and 3 european trophies (one European Challenge, two Champions Cup), Wasps used to be regular playoff contenders throughout the years. In recent years, they flirted with bankruptcy, only being saved by Jim Ratcliffe, who rebuild the club's facilities to modern standards and focused on building around their promising young core from the academy along with shrewd veteran transfers, including Siya Kolisi, Kotaro Matsushima and Anthony Milford.
Harlequins: the high class club of London, born out of the ashes of Hampstead RFC, Harlequins are the most traditional club in the scene. While they don't have the same number of trophies as Wasps or the prestigious titles and dominance of Saracens, Quins still have achieved a good amount of success, with their most recent triumph being the incredible comeback extra time win over Bristol in the 2021 premiership final to win their 6th league title.
Northampton Saints: Leicester's main rivals, while way less successful than their east midlands rivals, are nonetheless a darkhorse favorite among neutrals for their relatively working class aura, passionate fans and punching above their financial weight throughout their history. Their last title occured in 2014, but the side have quietly rebuilt back into a serious title contender a decade later, with longtime club captain Dan Biggar leading the charge.
Leeds Rhinos: starting as Leeds St. John's, the club is known for its rowdy fans and its signature Leeds way playstyle, as well as their history being somewaht linked with their football counterparts Leeds United. Both clubs had their best years in the 60s and 70s, winning domestic and a european title, as well as a ressurgence in the new millenium, with the 2007 premiership title and going back to back in 2011 and 2012. Nowadays, they are comfortably middle of the road, often fighting for the last 2 playoff spots.
St. Helens: Merseyside's main Rugby club, with a fanbase spilling over to Liverpool and other cities near St. Helens. Their big years were during the 50s and 60s, where Tom Van Hollenoven delighted the fans in their former home of Knowsley road. Their 10th and most recent premiership title was in 2022.
Sale Sharks; the new kid on the block. For the longest time, Sale were considered the red-haired stepchild of Greater Manchester Rugby, constantly overshadowed by the much more successful Wigan and Salford. All of that changed in the 2000s, where Phillipe St-André became coach and brought a few french internationals to the club as they won their first ever premiership title in 2006. However, relegation a few years later in 2012 started a long stay in the second division for the club. This led tot he appointment of former player Steve Diamond as chairman and, later, Saracens forwards coach Alex Sanderson as director of Rugby to plan for the return to the first division, achieved in 2018-2019. With the star free agent signings of Faf de Klerk in 2019 and Manu Tuilagi in 2020, as well as smart, under-the-radar transfers and some youth products, Sale became a playoff regular, finally winning their 2nd title in 2023, defeating both Wigan in a memorable manchester derby semi-final and London Irish in the final. With De Klerk and Tuilagi surrounded by a talented young squad, they look to contend in England and Europe for years to come.
Leicester Tigers: the most successful English club overall, Leicester were among the early adopters of spending money once Rugby turned pro in 1893. This led to them establishing themselves as a leadign club in the early 20th century, winning 6 titles in a row (a feat still unmatched more than a 100 years later) in the 1900s. World War 1 put an end to Leicester's dominance, and the club would spend through a long rebuilding phase, even flirting with relegation many times. The 60s would see the club get back to prominence, starting the win titles and competing in the higher halves of the premiership tables in the following decade.
The club's best period were in the 90s and 2000s. The club were regular contenders for titles domestically and in europe, winning two european champions cup, and were competitive all the way to the 2010s, where change in ownership and management led to the club now being a shadow of its former self, now having missed the playoffs for 5 consecutive seasons.
Wigan Warriors: The 2nd most successful club domestically, with 15 premiership titles and 15 challenge cups, but in the european champiosn cup, they only won it once during their golden 90s period. Known as the emblematic working class club of England, Wigan became a symbol of the northern rugby culture, being one of the most successful clubs in a historically upper class sport. Constantly making the playoffs and europe, though European success still eludes them.
Saracens: Based in Southgate, the middle class Saracens, while enjoying a period of success in the 70s, are the nouveau riche in English Rugby, with Nigel Wray's finances, expensive yet smart transfers and their excellent youth facilities leading to the club becoming the dominant club of the 2010s, becoming England's most successful club on the european stage with 3 champions cup in their name. However, their free spending way saw them breach the salary cap of the league, forcing relegation in 2020.
Since then, Saracens quickly went back to.the premiership, but the loss of significant depth, Wray's departure following the scandal, the aging core of the squad and losing in the quarter-finals of the playoffs more regularly meant that Saracens are in danger of decline.
Wasps: one of the oldest clubs in England, based in Finchley Road, Waps easily became the most popular club in London, even getting fans outside of their middle-to-upper middle class roots. Easily the most successful london club with 11 Premiership titles and 3 european trophies (one European Challenge, two Champions Cup), Wasps used to be regular playoff contenders throughout the years. In recent years, they flirted with bankruptcy, only being saved by Jim Ratcliffe, who rebuild the club's facilities to modern standards and focused on building around their promising young core from the academy along with shrewd veteran transfers, including Siya Kolisi, Kotaro Matsushima and Anthony Milford.
Harlequins: the high class club of London, born out of the ashes of Hampstead RFC, Harlequins are the most traditional club in the scene. While they don't have the same number of trophies as Wasps or the prestigious titles and dominance of Saracens, Quins still have achieved a good amount of success, with their most recent triumph being the incredible comeback extra time win over Bristol in the 2021 premiership final to win their 6th league title.
Northampton Saints: Leicester's main rivals, while way less successful than their east midlands rivals, are nonetheless a darkhorse favorite among neutrals for their relatively working class aura, passionate fans and punching above their financial weight throughout their history. Their last title occured in 2014, but the side have quietly rebuilt back into a serious title contender a decade later, with longtime club captain Dan Biggar leading the charge.
Leeds Rhinos: starting as Leeds St. John's, the club is known for its rowdy fans and its signature Leeds way playstyle, as well as their history being somewaht linked with their football counterparts Leeds United. Both clubs had their best years in the 60s and 70s, winning domestic and a european title, as well as a ressurgence in the new millenium, with the 2007 premiership title and going back to back in 2011 and 2012. Nowadays, they are comfortably middle of the road, often fighting for the last 2 playoff spots.
St. Helens: Merseyside's main Rugby club, with a fanbase spilling over to Liverpool and other cities near St. Helens. Their big years were during the 50s and 60s, where Tom Van Hollenoven delighted the fans in their former home of Knowsley road. Their 10th and most recent premiership title was in 2022.
Sale Sharks; the new kid on the block. For the longest time, Sale were considered the red-haired stepchild of Greater Manchester Rugby, constantly overshadowed by the much more successful Wigan and Salford. All of that changed in the 2000s, where Phillipe St-André became coach and brought a few french internationals to the club as they won their first ever premiership title in 2006. However, relegation a few years later in 2012 started a long stay in the second division for the club. This led tot he appointment of former player Steve Diamond as chairman and, later, Saracens forwards coach Alex Sanderson as director of Rugby to plan for the return to the first division, achieved in 2018-2019. With the star free agent signings of Faf de Klerk in 2019 and Manu Tuilagi in 2020, as well as smart, under-the-radar transfers and some youth products, Sale became a playoff regular, finally winning their 2nd title in 2023, defeating both Wigan in a memorable manchester derby semi-final and London Irish in the final. With De Klerk and Tuilagi surrounded by a talented young squad, they look to contend in England and Europe for years to come.
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I think a number of NFL players could excel at rugby - just not with the training they have. They need to focus less on strength / speed and more on stamina, Deion would probably do just fine with ten years of rugby-oriented conditioning rather than gridiron-oriented. Massive linemen need to be a lot lighter and will need to be able to move constantly (albeit not as quickly as do the backs). A player such as Bo Jackson, with the ability to play steadily and occasionally "turn on the afterburners" would be a formidable flanker. (And then they'd have had another "Bo knows" snippet.)
The very definitive english rugby champions list and pyramid composition:
English premiership
1895: Mannigham (1)
1896: Manningham (2)
1897: Oldham (1)
1888: Leicester (1)
1889: Leicester (2)
1900: Leicester (3)
1901: Leicester (4)
1902: Leicester (5)
1903: Leicester (6)
1904: Salford (1)
1905: Oldham (2)
1906: Leigh (1)
1907: Halifax (1)
1908: Leicester (7)
1909: Wigan (1)
1910: Oldham (3)
1911: Wigan (2)
1912: Huddersfield (1)
1913: Leicester (8)
1914: Salford (2)
1915: Huddersfield (2)
1916: Leeds (1)
1917: Leeds (2)
1918: Northampton (1)
1919: Warrington (1)
1920: Hull FC (1)
1921: Hull FC (2)
1922: Wigan (3)
1923: Northampton (2)
1924: Wigan (4)
1925: Hull Kingston Rovers (1)
1926: Wigan (5)
1927: Harlequins (1)
1928: Harlequins (2)
1929: Huddersfield (3)
1930: Huddersfield (4)
1931: Wasps (1)
1932: St. Helens (1)
1933: Wasps (2)
1934: Salford (3)
1935: Harlequins (3)
1936: Hull FC (3)
1937: Salford (4)
1938: Wasps (3)
1939: Salford (5)
1946: Wigan (6)
1947: Wigan (7)
1948: Wasps (5)
1949: Huddersfield (5)
1950: wigan (8)
1951: northampton (3)
1952: Wasps (6)
1953: St. Helens (2)
1954: Warrington (2)
1955: Warrington (3)
1956: Northampton (4)
1957: Northampton (5)
1958: Hull FC (4)
1959: St. Helens (3)
1960: Wigan (9)
1961: Leeds (3)
1962: Huddersfield (6)
1963: Northampton (6)
1964: Leicester (9)
1965: St. Helens (4)
1966: St. Helens (5)
1967: Leicester (10)
1968: Harlequins (4)
1969: Leeds (4)
1970: St. Helens (6)
1971: St. Helens (7)
1972: Leeds (5)
1973: Bristol (1)
1974: Bristol (2)
PLAYOFFS ERA
1975: St. Helens (8)
1976: Salford (6)
1977: Saracens (1)
1978: Halrequins (5)
1979: Leicester (11)
1980: Leicester (12)
1981: Saracens (2)
1982: Leigh (2)
1983: Hull FC (5)
1984: Hull Kingston Rovers (2)
1985: Wasps (7)
1986: Bath (1)
1987: wigan (10)
1988: Bath (2)
1989: Widnes (1)
1990: Wasps (8)
1991: Bath (3)
1992: Bath (4)
1993: Wigan (11)
1994: Wigan (12)
1995: Leicester (13)
1996: Wigan (13)
1997: Saracens (3)
1998: Newcastle (1)
1999: St. Helens (9)
2000: Leicester (14)
2001: Leicester (15)
2002: Leicester (16)
2003: Wasps (9)
2004: Wasps (10)
2005: Wasps (11)
2006: Sale Sharks (1)
2007: Leeds (6)
2008: Newcastle (2)
2009: London Irish (1)
2010: Leicester (17)
2011: Leeds (7)
2012: Leeds (8)
2013: Wigan (14)
2014: Northampton (7)
2015: Saracens (4)
2016: Saracens (5)
2017: Wigan (15)
2018: Saracens (6)
2019: Exeter (1)
2020: Exeter (2)
2021: Harlequins (6)
2022: St. Helens (10)
2023: Sale Sharks (2)
2024: Northampton (8)
Challenge cup
1897: Leicester (1)
1898: Leicester (2)
1899: Oldham (1)
1900: Swinton (1)
1901: Leicester (3)
1902: Broughton Rangers (1)
1903: Halifax (1)
1904: Halifax (2)
1905: Warrington (1)
1906: Leicester (4)
1907: Warrington (2)
1908: Leicester (5)
1909: Wakefield Trinity (1)
1910: Leeds (1)
1911: Leicester (6)
1912: Dewsbury (1)
1913: Huddersfield (1)
1914: Hull FC (1)
1915: Huddersfield (2)
1920: Huddersfield (3)
1921: Leigh (1)
1922: Hull FC (2)
1923: Leeds (2)
1924: Wigan (1)
1925: Oldham (2)
1926: Swinton (1)
1927: Oldham (3)
1928: Harlequins (1)
1929: Wigan (2)
1930: Wasps (1)
1931: Halifax (3)
1932: Leeds (3)
1933: Huddersfield (4)
1934: Wasps (2)
1935: Castleford (1)
1936: Leeds (4)
1937: Widnes (1)
1938: Salford (1)
1939: Halifax (4)
1941: Leeds (5)
1942: Leeds (6)
1943: Northampton (1)
1944: Gloucester (1)
1945: Huddersfield (5)
1946: Wakefield Trinity (2)
1947: Bradford (1)
1948: Wigan (3)
1949: Northampton (2)
1950: Warrington (3)
1951: Wigan (4)
1952: Workington Town (1)
1953: Huddersfield (6)
1954: Warington (4)
1955: Northampton (3)
1956: St. Helens (1)
1957: Leeds (7)
1958: Wigan (5)
1959: Wigan (6)
1960: Wasps (4)
1961: St. Helens (2)
1962: Wasps (5)
1963: Wakefield Trinity (3)
1964: Widnes (2)
1965: Wigan (7)
1966: St. Helens (3)
1967: Leicester (7)
1968: Leeds (8)
1969: Castleford (2)
1970: Castleford (3)
1971: Leigh (2)
1972: Gloucester (2)
1973: Harlequins (2)
1974: Warrington (5)
1975: Widnes (3)
1976: Saracens (2)
1977: Saracens (3)
1978: Gloucester (3)
1979: Widnes (4)
1980: Leicester (9)
1981: Widnes (5)
1982: Hull FC (3)
1983: Harlequins (3)
1984: Widnes (6)
1985: Bath (2)
1986: Bath (3)
1987: Bath (4)
1988: Wigan (8)
1989: Wigan (9)
1990: Wigan (10)
1991: Northampton (4)
1992: Harlequins (4)
1993: Leicester (10)
1994: Wigan (11)
1995: Bath (5)
1996: St Helens (4)
1997: Leicester (12)
1998: Saracens (3)
1999: Wasps (6)
2000: Wasps (7)
2001: Newcastle (1)
2002: London Irish (1)
2003: Gloucester (4)
2004: Newcastle (2)
2005: Leeds Tykes (1)
2006: Wasps (8)
2007: Leicester (13)
2008: St. Helens (5)
2009: Warrington (6)
2010: Northampton (5)
2011: Wigan (12)
2012: Leicester (14)
2013: Wigan (13)
2014: Leeds (9)
2015: Exeter (1)
2016: Wasps (9)
2017: Wigan (14)
2018: Exeter (2)
2019: Warrington (7)
2020: Sale (1)
2021: Worcester (1)
2022: Wigan (15)
2023: Leigh (3)
2024: Saracens (4)
2023-2024 English Rugby season
English Premiership
Wigan Warriors
Leeds Rhinos
St. Helens
Leicester Tigers
Northampton Saints
Saracens
Wasps
Harlequins
London Irish
Gloucester Rugby
Bath Rugby
Sale Sharks
Exeter Chiefs
Salford Red Devils
Hull Kingston Rovers
Huddersfield Giants
RFU Championship
Newcastle Falcons
Bristol Rugby
Blackheath
London Welsh
Warrington Wolves
Worcester Warriors
Leeds Tykes
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Leigh
Wakefield Trinity
Liverpool City
3rd Division
Marlborough
Bedford Blues
London Scottish
Jersey Reds
Nottingham
Workington Town
Oldham
Bradford Bulls
Widnes
Sheffield
Halifax
Ealing
Doncaster
Rotterham
4th division
Coventry
Birmingham Moseley
Cornish
Featherstone
Hunslet
Swinton
Richmond
Cambridge
Macclesfield
Old Albanians
Plymouth
Highfield
Blaydon
Broughton
5th division
Batley
Dewsbury
Hammersmith and Fulham
Amptill
Hartpury
Caldy
Cinderford
Rams
Taunton
Sedgley Park
Darlington
Bishop Stortford
Hinckley
Chifford
English premiership
1895: Mannigham (1)
1896: Manningham (2)
1897: Oldham (1)
1888: Leicester (1)
1889: Leicester (2)
1900: Leicester (3)
1901: Leicester (4)
1902: Leicester (5)
1903: Leicester (6)
1904: Salford (1)
1905: Oldham (2)
1906: Leigh (1)
1907: Halifax (1)
1908: Leicester (7)
1909: Wigan (1)
1910: Oldham (3)
1911: Wigan (2)
1912: Huddersfield (1)
1913: Leicester (8)
1914: Salford (2)
1915: Huddersfield (2)
1916: Leeds (1)
1917: Leeds (2)
1918: Northampton (1)
1919: Warrington (1)
1920: Hull FC (1)
1921: Hull FC (2)
1922: Wigan (3)
1923: Northampton (2)
1924: Wigan (4)
1925: Hull Kingston Rovers (1)
1926: Wigan (5)
1927: Harlequins (1)
1928: Harlequins (2)
1929: Huddersfield (3)
1930: Huddersfield (4)
1931: Wasps (1)
1932: St. Helens (1)
1933: Wasps (2)
1934: Salford (3)
1935: Harlequins (3)
1936: Hull FC (3)
1937: Salford (4)
1938: Wasps (3)
1939: Salford (5)
1946: Wigan (6)
1947: Wigan (7)
1948: Wasps (5)
1949: Huddersfield (5)
1950: wigan (8)
1951: northampton (3)
1952: Wasps (6)
1953: St. Helens (2)
1954: Warrington (2)
1955: Warrington (3)
1956: Northampton (4)
1957: Northampton (5)
1958: Hull FC (4)
1959: St. Helens (3)
1960: Wigan (9)
1961: Leeds (3)
1962: Huddersfield (6)
1963: Northampton (6)
1964: Leicester (9)
1965: St. Helens (4)
1966: St. Helens (5)
1967: Leicester (10)
1968: Harlequins (4)
1969: Leeds (4)
1970: St. Helens (6)
1971: St. Helens (7)
1972: Leeds (5)
1973: Bristol (1)
1974: Bristol (2)
PLAYOFFS ERA
1975: St. Helens (8)
1976: Salford (6)
1977: Saracens (1)
1978: Halrequins (5)
1979: Leicester (11)
1980: Leicester (12)
1981: Saracens (2)
1982: Leigh (2)
1983: Hull FC (5)
1984: Hull Kingston Rovers (2)
1985: Wasps (7)
1986: Bath (1)
1987: wigan (10)
1988: Bath (2)
1989: Widnes (1)
1990: Wasps (8)
1991: Bath (3)
1992: Bath (4)
1993: Wigan (11)
1994: Wigan (12)
1995: Leicester (13)
1996: Wigan (13)
1997: Saracens (3)
1998: Newcastle (1)
1999: St. Helens (9)
2000: Leicester (14)
2001: Leicester (15)
2002: Leicester (16)
2003: Wasps (9)
2004: Wasps (10)
2005: Wasps (11)
2006: Sale Sharks (1)
2007: Leeds (6)
2008: Newcastle (2)
2009: London Irish (1)
2010: Leicester (17)
2011: Leeds (7)
2012: Leeds (8)
2013: Wigan (14)
2014: Northampton (7)
2015: Saracens (4)
2016: Saracens (5)
2017: Wigan (15)
2018: Saracens (6)
2019: Exeter (1)
2020: Exeter (2)
2021: Harlequins (6)
2022: St. Helens (10)
2023: Sale Sharks (2)
2024: Northampton (8)
Challenge cup
1897: Leicester (1)
1898: Leicester (2)
1899: Oldham (1)
1900: Swinton (1)
1901: Leicester (3)
1902: Broughton Rangers (1)
1903: Halifax (1)
1904: Halifax (2)
1905: Warrington (1)
1906: Leicester (4)
1907: Warrington (2)
1908: Leicester (5)
1909: Wakefield Trinity (1)
1910: Leeds (1)
1911: Leicester (6)
1912: Dewsbury (1)
1913: Huddersfield (1)
1914: Hull FC (1)
1915: Huddersfield (2)
1920: Huddersfield (3)
1921: Leigh (1)
1922: Hull FC (2)
1923: Leeds (2)
1924: Wigan (1)
1925: Oldham (2)
1926: Swinton (1)
1927: Oldham (3)
1928: Harlequins (1)
1929: Wigan (2)
1930: Wasps (1)
1931: Halifax (3)
1932: Leeds (3)
1933: Huddersfield (4)
1934: Wasps (2)
1935: Castleford (1)
1936: Leeds (4)
1937: Widnes (1)
1938: Salford (1)
1939: Halifax (4)
1941: Leeds (5)
1942: Leeds (6)
1943: Northampton (1)
1944: Gloucester (1)
1945: Huddersfield (5)
1946: Wakefield Trinity (2)
1947: Bradford (1)
1948: Wigan (3)
1949: Northampton (2)
1950: Warrington (3)
1951: Wigan (4)
1952: Workington Town (1)
1953: Huddersfield (6)
1954: Warington (4)
1955: Northampton (3)
1956: St. Helens (1)
1957: Leeds (7)
1958: Wigan (5)
1959: Wigan (6)
1960: Wasps (4)
1961: St. Helens (2)
1962: Wasps (5)
1963: Wakefield Trinity (3)
1964: Widnes (2)
1965: Wigan (7)
1966: St. Helens (3)
1967: Leicester (7)
1968: Leeds (8)
1969: Castleford (2)
1970: Castleford (3)
1971: Leigh (2)
1972: Gloucester (2)
1973: Harlequins (2)
1974: Warrington (5)
1975: Widnes (3)
1976: Saracens (2)
1977: Saracens (3)
1978: Gloucester (3)
1979: Widnes (4)
1980: Leicester (9)
1981: Widnes (5)
1982: Hull FC (3)
1983: Harlequins (3)
1984: Widnes (6)
1985: Bath (2)
1986: Bath (3)
1987: Bath (4)
1988: Wigan (8)
1989: Wigan (9)
1990: Wigan (10)
1991: Northampton (4)
1992: Harlequins (4)
1993: Leicester (10)
1994: Wigan (11)
1995: Bath (5)
1996: St Helens (4)
1997: Leicester (12)
1998: Saracens (3)
1999: Wasps (6)
2000: Wasps (7)
2001: Newcastle (1)
2002: London Irish (1)
2003: Gloucester (4)
2004: Newcastle (2)
2005: Leeds Tykes (1)
2006: Wasps (8)
2007: Leicester (13)
2008: St. Helens (5)
2009: Warrington (6)
2010: Northampton (5)
2011: Wigan (12)
2012: Leicester (14)
2013: Wigan (13)
2014: Leeds (9)
2015: Exeter (1)
2016: Wasps (9)
2017: Wigan (14)
2018: Exeter (2)
2019: Warrington (7)
2020: Sale (1)
2021: Worcester (1)
2022: Wigan (15)
2023: Leigh (3)
2024: Saracens (4)
2023-2024 English Rugby season
English Premiership
Wigan Warriors
Leeds Rhinos
St. Helens
Leicester Tigers
Northampton Saints
Saracens
Wasps
Harlequins
London Irish
Gloucester Rugby
Bath Rugby
Sale Sharks
Exeter Chiefs
Salford Red Devils
Hull Kingston Rovers
Huddersfield Giants
RFU Championship
Newcastle Falcons
Bristol Rugby
Blackheath
London Welsh
Warrington Wolves
Worcester Warriors
Leeds Tykes
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Leigh
Wakefield Trinity
Liverpool City
3rd Division
Marlborough
Bedford Blues
London Scottish
Jersey Reds
Nottingham
Workington Town
Oldham
Bradford Bulls
Widnes
Sheffield
Halifax
Ealing
Doncaster
Rotterham
4th division
Coventry
Birmingham Moseley
Cornish
Featherstone
Hunslet
Swinton
Richmond
Cambridge
Macclesfield
Old Albanians
Plymouth
Highfield
Blaydon
Broughton
5th division
Batley
Dewsbury
Hammersmith and Fulham
Amptill
Hartpury
Caldy
Cinderford
Rams
Taunton
Sedgley Park
Darlington
Bishop Stortford
Hinckley
Chifford
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