RFU announces biggest changes in men's community rugby for 30 years ahead of next season

Men's community rugby will undergo its biggest change in 30 years next season, the Rugby Football Union has announced. 

A major reduction in the number of teams per league and an increase in the number of leagues overall will be introduced, designed to reduce both the number of fixtures and also travel time to matches across the country, along with a new cup competition to round off the season being introduced at Regional 1 and 2 plus all Counties levels in a Community Game Finals day at "a prestigious venue", according to the RFU.

National 1, the highest level below the RFU Championship, will be reduced to 14 teams from 16. Caldy RFC were promoted to the Championship last season, with Blackheath and Tonbridge Juddians relegated to National 2, which has now been split into three leagues of 14 - National East, West and North - rather than the previous two leagues of 16 teams.

The changes have followed a consultation process which began in December 2019 with grassroots players, directors of rugby, coaches, club administrators and RFU Council Members. Termed "flattening the pyramid", the new structure will allow for more regionalisation and localisation, with an intention to reduce the travel burden for players and clubs.

Regional 1 will now feature six leagues of 12 teams (up from four league of 14). Regional 2 now has 12 leagues of 12 teams (up from eight leagues of 14), while all Counties levels will feature a minimum of 16 leagues with between 10 and 12 teams.

The changes will see an additional 145 teams taking part in the England Club Championship (ECC), including the return to RFU leagues of 45 teams from Cheshire and Lancashire.

"Societal changes have resulted in participation becoming less frequent across a number