List of rugby union competitions

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

The following is a list of notable rugby union competitions.

Contents 1 National tournaments 2 Club and provincial tournaments 2.1 International 2.2 Africa 2.3 America 2.4 Asia 2.5 Europe 2.5.1 British Isles 2.5.2 England 2.5.3 France 2.5.4 Ireland 2.5.5 Italia 2.5.6 Russia 2.5.7 Soviet Union 2.6 Oceania 2.6.1 Australia 2.6.2 New Zealand 2.6.3 Fiji 3 Sevens tournaments 4 Other tournaments 5 International trophies 6 2006 rugby union schedule

[edit] National tournaments

• Rugby World Cup - Worldwide
• Women's Rugby World Cup - Worldwide
• Six Nations Championship - England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales
• Women's Six Nations Championship - England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Wales
• Tri Nations Series - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
• Bledisloe Cup - Australia, New Zealand
• Churchill Cup — Canada, England, and the United States, with one invited team. From 2006, the tournament is to expand to include 3 invited teams.
  • In this competition, England does not send its full national side, instead sending its "senior A" team known as England Saxons. The invited teams are likewise to be senior A-calibre teams from among the European and Southern hemisphere powers.
• European Nations Cup — national teams from second tier countries
• Pacific Tri-Nations — Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa
• IRB Pacific 5 Nations — Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Japan, and the Junior All Blacks (New Zealand's senior A-level side)
• Nations Cup — Argentina A, Italy A, Portugal, Russia
• Four Nations tournament Belgium, Spain, Welsh club XV, France amateur
• Pan-American Championship — Uruguay, Canada, United States and Argentina
• Super Powers Cup — Canada, Japan, Russia and United States
• see also: Rugby union at the Summer Olympics
• IRB Under-21 World Championship - Worldwide
• Unofficial Rugby Union World Championships - Worldwide
• Autumn internationals - A name which referes to a series of Tests which take place usually in November each year in the Northern Hemisphere

[edit] Club and provincial tournaments

[edit] International

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

[edit] Africa

• Currie Cup — South African provincial tournament
• Vodacom Cup

[edit] 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

[edit] Asia

• Top League - Japanese club teams
• Microsoft Cup

[edit] Europe

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

[edit] British Isles

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

[edit] England

• English Rugby Union competitions — includes Guinness Premiership and National Division 1.

[edit] France

• Top 14 — French clubs
• Rugby Pro D2
• Fédérale 1

[edit] Ireland

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

[edit] Italia

• Super 10 (Italian premiership) — Italian clubs

[edit] Russia

• Professional Rugby League - Russian club competition

[edit] Soviet Union

• Soviet Championship
• Soviet Cup

[edit] Oceania

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

[edit] Australia

• National Rugby Competition - Club competition starting in 2007
• Australian Provincial Championship - Offseason competition between Australia's Super 14 teams (starts 2006)
• 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

[edit] 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

[edit] Fiji

• Colonial Cup — Fiji club competition

[edit] Sevens 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. As of 2006-07, the events in the series are:
  • 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 at Rosslyn Park, the Biggest Sevens competition in England. Results can be seen onThe Schools' Rugby Website
• Commonwealth Games - Rugby Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

[edit] 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

[edit] International trophies

• Antim Cup — Georgia and Romania
• Bledisloe Cup — Australia and New Zealand
• Calcutta Cup — England and Scotland
• Cook Cup — Australia and England
• Freedom Cup — New Zealand and South Africa
• Dave Gallaher Trophy — France and New Zealand
• Hopetoun Cup — Australia and Scotland
• Lansdowne Cup — Australia and Ireland
• Mandela Challenge Plate — Australia and South Africa
• Millennium Trophy — England and Ireland
• Puma Trophy — Argentina and Australia
• Trophée des Bicentenaires — Australia and France
• Tom Richards Trophy— Australia and the British and Irish Lions

[edit] 2006 rugby union schedule