The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are, at present, twelve clubs in the Premiership. The competition has been played since 1987, and has evolved into the current Premiership system employing relegation to and promotion from the National Division One comp...
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The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are, at present, twelve clubs in the Premiership. The competition has been played since 1987, and has evolved into the current Premiership system employing relegation to and promotion from the National Division One competition (which will be known as the Guinness Championship from September 2009). Clubs competing in the Guinness Premiership qualify for Europe's two club competitions, the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup. The current champions are the Leicester Tigers. Leeds Carnegie have been promoted winning the National Division One.
The governing body of rugby union in England, Rugby Football Union (RFU), long resisted leagues as it was believed that leagues would increase 'dirty' play and put pressure on clubs to pay their players (thus...
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