Stoke-on-Trent Rugby Union Football Club is a

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club located to the east of

Barlaston Barlaston is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, halfway between Stoke-on-Trent and Stone. At the 2011 census, the population was 2,858. History Historic buildings St John's Church The old parish church of Saint John is site ...

near

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

. The first XV currently play in

Regional 1 Midlands Regional 1 Midlands (until 2021–22 known as Midlands Premier and up until 2016–17 known as National League 3 Midlands) is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When ...

, a fifth tier league in the

English rugby union 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 consi ...

Early league history

When league rugby was introduced in 1987, Stoke-on-Trent was placed in Midlands Division 1 and won promotion to Area 4 North in their first season. However, after two seasons they were relegated back to tier 5, having narrowly escaped relegation the previous season and in their relegation season of 1989–90 they lost every league game. They won immediate promotion back to Area 4 North and stayed there until they were placed in a new fifth tier –

Courage League Division 5 Courage Division 5 was a short lived English rugby union competition created as a tier 5 regional competition divided into Courage Division 5 North and Courage Division 5 South. In 1993 the RFU decided to change the whole league structure, with ...

– following a league structure 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 prom ...

. They remained in the North Division until another restructure in 1996 saw them move back to the fourth tier - National 4 North - but after just a single season they were relegated to Midlands Division 1.

Honours

* Midlands Division 1 champions (2): 1987–88, 1991–92 *

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 (then under Sheffield Rules. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed ...

winners (2): 1992–93, 1995–96 * Midlands 3 West (north v south) promotion play-off winners (2): 2002–03, 2007–08 *

Midlands 2 West (North) Counties 1 Midlands West (North) (formerly Midands 2 West (North)) is a level 7 English rugby union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of clubs from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffords ...

champions: 2011–12

References

External links

* {{Stoke-on-Trent Rugby union teams in England Rugby union in Staffordshire Sport in Stoke-on-Trent