The Staffordshire Rugby Union is the

governing body A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or political entity. The most formal is a government, a body whose sole responsibility and authority is to make binding decisions in a taken ge ...

for the sport of

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

in the county of Staffordshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the

Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...

(RFU) for Staffordshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Staffordshire county rugby representative teams.

History

Although there had been a number of long established clubs such as Burton (founded in 1870),

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

(1874) and Wolverhampton (1875), it took until 1923 for the Staffordshire Rugby Union to be formed, when it was part of the

North Midlands Rugby Football Union The North Midlands Rugby Football Union is a governing body for rugby union in part of The Midlands, England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union for the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and the Gre ...

. As the county started to find its identity in the 1920s more sides would start to form, with clubs such as Walsall (1921) and Stafford (1925) coming into existence during this period. Despite its formation in 1923, Staffordshire would not be recognised as a constituent body by the

RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It pro ...

until the 1960s. In 1961 a representative side defeated the reigning county champions

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

in a friendly match. This result showed the RFU that Staffordshire were ready to be included in the County Championships and the following year they would take part for the first time, being finally awarded constituent body status in 1962. On 14 March 1970, Staffordshire won the County Championship when they upset favourites

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

11–9 in the final played at

Peel Croft Peel Croft was a sports ground in Burton upon Trent in England. It was the home ground of Burton Rugby Football Club and the Burton Swifts and Burton United football clubs, who played in the Football League between 1892 and 1907. History Pee ...

Burton upon Trent Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011, it had a ...

. Since the glory days of 1970 Staffordshire have failed to win another county championship, and the reformation of the county game at the start of the 21st century saw them drop down to the third tier. In 2016 Staffordshire won both of their pool games in the Shield competition, reaching

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...

for the very first time. Unfortunately they were unable to add to their silverware as they were beaten 11–30 by

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

in the final. Despite losing the final, Staffordshire were promoted to tier 2 of the championships along with winners Hampshire, for the 2017 competition.

Staffordshire senior men's county side

The Staffordshire seniors men's team currently play in Division 2 of the

County Championship The County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales and is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It bec ...

. Honours: *

winners: 1970

Affiliated clubs

There are currently 31 clubs affiliated with the Staffordshire RU, most of which have teams at both senior and junior level and are based in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

and bordering parts of the

West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

. Due to county boundary changes enforced by the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, several clubs (but not all) who are based in what is now known as

are also members of the North Midlands RFU as well as the Staffordshire RU. *

Barton-under-Needwood Barton-under-Needwood is a large village in the East Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. Situated a mile from the A38, and located between Burton upon Trent and Lichfield. It had a population of 4,225 at the 2011 census. It is als ...

Bloxwich Bloxwich is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England. It is located between the towns of Walsall, Cannock, Willenhall and Brownhills. Early history Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as th ...

Burntwood Burntwood is a former mining town and civil parish in the Lichfield District in Staffordshire, England, approximately west of Lichfield and north east of Brownhills. The town had a population of 26,049 and forms part of Lichfield district. ...

* Burton *

Cannock Cannock () is a town in the Cannock Chase district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It had a population of 29,018. Cannock is not far from the nearby towns of Walsall, Burntwood, Stafford and Telford. The cities of Lichfield and Wolverh ...

Eccleshall Eccleshall is a town and civil parish in the Stafford district, in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is located seven miles northwest of Stafford, and six miles west-southwest of Stone. Eccleshall is twinned with Sancerre in France. His ...

Essington Essington is a village and civil parish in South Staffordshire, England, located near the city of Wolverhampton and towns of Walsall, Bloxwich, Cannock and Brewood. The villages of Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Coven, Penkridge and Featherstone a ...

Featherstone Featherstone is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, two miles south-west of Pontefract. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in 2011 ...

Gnosall Gnosall is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Stafford, Staffordshire, England, with a population of 4,736 across 2,048 households (2011 census). It lies on the A518, approximately halfway between the towns of Newport (in Shropshir ...

* Handsworth * Hanford *

Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

* Linley & Kidsgrove *

Longton Longton may refer to several places: * Longton, Kansas, United States * Longton, Lancashire, United Kingdom * Longton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom See also * Longtan (disambiguation) * Longtown (disambiguation) Longtown may refer to several plac ...

Market Drayton Market Drayton is a market town and electoral ward in the north of Shropshire, England, close to the Cheshire and Staffordshire borders. It is on the River Tern, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" (c. 1868) and earlier simply as "Dray ...

Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme ( RP: , ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The 2011 census population of the town was 75,082, whilst the wider borough had a population of 1 ...

Rugeley Rugeley ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cannock Chase District in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase next to the River Trent; it is situated north of Lichfield, south-east of Stafford, nort ...

St Leonards St Leonards may refer to: Places Australia *St Leonards, New South Wales **St Leonards railway station *St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston *St Leonards, Victoria Canada *St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador New Zealand * St L ...

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

Stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

* Tamworth * Trentham *

Uttoxeter Uttoxeter ( , ) is a market town in the East Staffordshire district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is near to the Derbyshire county border. It is situated from Burton upon Trent, from Stafford, from Stoke-on-Trent, from De ...

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

Wednesbury Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of ...

* Wheaton Aston & Penkridge *

Whittington Whittington may refer to: Places * Whittington, Victoria, Australia * Whittington, Illinois, United States England * Old Whittington, Derbyshire * New Whittington, Derbyshire * Whittington Moor, Derbyshire * Whittington, Gloucestershire * Whit ...

* Willenhal *

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

County club competitions

The Staffordshire RU currently runs the following competitions for club sides based in

Cups

Staffordshire Senior Cup The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877–78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from S ...

– introduced in 1976, open to local clubs playing at tiers 5–7 of the

English rugby union league system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England cons ...

Staffordshire Intermediate Cup The Staffordshire Intermediate Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Staffordshire Rugby Union. It was first introduced during the 2001–02 season, with the inaugural winners being Burntwood. It is the second ...

– introduced in 2001, open to clubs at tiers 7–8 *

Staffordshire Owen Cup The Staffordshire Owen Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Staffordshire Rugby Union. It was first introduced during the 1980–81 season, with the inaugural winners being Willenhall. It is the third most i ...

– introduced in 1980, open to clubs at tiers 8–10

Discontinued competitions

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands West 2 and relegated teams dropped to either Staffordshire 1 or Warwickshire ...

– tier 7-10 league for Staffordshire and

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

clubs that ran between 1987 and 2000 *

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire/Warwickshire ...

– tier 10-11 league for Staffordshire and

clubs that ran between 1992 and 1996 *

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 was a tier 12 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire/Warwickshire ...

– tier 11-12 league for Staffordshire and

clubs that ran between 1992 and 1996 *

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 4 Staffordshire/Warwickshire 4 was a tier 13 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 and there was no relegation. Restructuring of the Staffor ...

– tier 12-13 league for Staffordshire and

clubs that ran between 1992 and 1996 *

Staffordshire 1 Staffordshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 5 West (North) and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire 2 until that division was cancelled at the end of ...

– tier 8-10 league that ran intermittently between 1987 and 2005 *

Staffordshire 2 Staffordshire 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire 1 and there was no relegation. Staffordshire 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season and a ...

– tier 10-11 league that ran intermittently between 1987 and 2004 *

Midlands 5 West (North) Midlands 5 West (North) was a level 10 English Rugby Union league and level 5 of the Midlands League, that was made up of teams from the northern part of the West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, S ...

– tier 10 league for Staffordshire and

North Midlands The North Midlands is a loosely defined area covering the northern parts of the Midlands in England. It is not one of the ITL regions like the East Midlands or the West Midlands. A statistical definition in 1881 included the counties of Derbysh ...

clubs that ran between 2005 and 2019

Notes

References

External links

Staffordshire RU website
{{County rugby union in England Rugby union governing bodies in England 1923 establishments in England Rugby union in Staffordshire Sport in Staffordshire