Counties 1 Cumbria


Counties 1 Cumbria is a competitive rugby union league at level 7 of the English [rugby union system] run by the English Rugby Football Union for club sides based in Cumbria. It was previously a tier 7 league but the creation of North 2 West demoted it to level 8. Promoted teams typically go up to North 2 West and since Cumbria 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2018–19 season there is no relegation. Each season a team from Cumbria 1 is picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a national competition for clubs at level 8. The original Cumbria league was formed at the start of the 1992–93 season when the North-West North 1 division was cancelled.
Until the end of the 2017–18 season the Cumbria League was a single division involving 10 clubs and ranked at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. The champions were automatically promoted to the now discontinued North Lancashire/Cumbria league and until the 2016–17 season the second placed team faced the runner-up from Lancashire (North) for the final promotion place until Lancashire was cancelled. There was no relegation due to it having been the lowest competitive league for Rugby Union in Cumbria. It ran alongside the Cumbria 2 North & West and Cumbria 2 South & East Merit Leagues.
This changed for the 2018–19 season due to RFU having to restructure the northern leagues after 19 Lancashire based clubs withdrew from the league system to form their own competition. The result was that the Cumbrian clubs based in North Lancashire/Cumbria joined the top 3 Cumbria League sides in Cumbria 1, while the rest of the Cumbrian League sides along with a handful of 2nd XV teams formed Cumbria 2.
Another change to the structure from the 2018–19 season was that the division would play two stages - the first involving all eight teams to decide who would be contesting promotion and relegation during the second stage when the division was divided into two mini leagues. In 2022 the RFU further restructured the adult community leagues and the Cumbria League was renamed Counties 1 Cumbria from the 2022–23 season.

Format

The first-placed team is promoted to Regional 2 North. There is no relegation.
The season runs from September to April and comprises twenty-two rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals, home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
  • 4 points are awarded for a win
  • 2 points are awarded for a draw
  • 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
  • 1 losing point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
  • 1 additional point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.

2025–26

Participating teams and location

Departing were the champions Wigton, promoted to Regional 2 North.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AmblesideGalava ParkAmbleside, Cumbria12th
CarlisleRugby Ground, Warwick Road1,500 Carlisle, CumbriaRelegated from Regional 2 North
CockermouthGrassmoor Sports CentreCockermouth, Cumbria5th
CreightonSycamore LaneCarlisle, Cumbria10th
EgremontBleach GreenEgremont, Cumbria4th
Hawcoat ParkHawcoat ParkBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria7th
Keswick IIDavidson ParkKeswick, Cumbria6th
Kirkby LonsdaleUnderley ParkKirkby Lonsdale, CumbriaRelegated from Regional 2 North
MillomWilson ParkHaverigg, Millom, Cumbria3rd
Penrith IIWinters ParkPenrith, Cumbria2nd
St. Benedict'sNewlands AvenueMirehouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria8th
WhitehavenRichmond TerraceWhitehaven, Cumbria9th
WindermereDawes MeadowBowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria13th
WorkingtonThe Ellis Sports Ground12,000 Workington, Cumbria11th

2024–25

Participating teams and location

Departing were Carlisle promoted to Regional 2 North, Cockermouth were relegated from Regional 2 North while Ambleside re-joined the Cumbria league after an absence of twenty years, last having competed in 2003–04.
Aspatria II – 11th in 2023–24 – started the season but withdrew in October leaving the league to be completed with 13 clubs.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AmblesideGalava ParkAmbleside, CumbriaRe-entry
CockermouthGrassmoor Sports CentreCockermouth, CumbriaRelegated from Regional 2 North
CreightonSycamore LaneCarlisle, Cumbria10th
EgremontBleach GreenEgremont, Cumbria3rd
Hawcoat ParkHawcoat ParkBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria6th
Keswick IIDavidson ParkKeswick, Cumbria9th
MillomWilson ParkHaverigg, Millom, Cumbria8th
Penrith IIWinters ParkPenrith, Cumbria7th
St. Benedict'sNewlands AvenueMirehouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria4th
WhitehavenRichmond TerraceWhitehaven, Cumbria5th
WigtonLowmoor RoadWigton, Cumbria2nd
WindermereDawes MeadowBowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria12th
WorkingtonThe Ellis Sports Ground12,000 Workington, Cumbria13th

2023–24

Participating teams and location

Departing were Upper Eden and Cockermouth, promoted to Regional 2 North. Silloth finished 9th in 2022–23 but did not return for the new season.
Joining were Windermere re-joining the Cumbria league having last competed in 2019–20 together with Aspatria II and Keswick II.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
Aspatria IIBower Park3,000 Aspatria, CumbriaNew entry
CarlisleRugby Ground, Warwick Road1,500 Carlisle, CumbriaRelegated from Regional 2 North
CreightonSycamore LaneCarlisle, Cumbria11th
EgremontBleach GreenEgremont, Cumbria3rd
Hawcoat ParkHawcoat ParkBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria8th
Keswick IIDavidson ParkKeswick, CumbriaNew entry
MillomWilson ParkHaverigg, Millom, Cumbria6th
Penrith IIWinters ParkPenrith, Cumbria10th
St. Benedict'sNewlands AvenueMirehouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria7th
WhitehavenRichmond TerraceWhitehaven, Cumbria5th
WigtonLowmoor RoadWigton, Cumbria4th
WindermereDawes MeadowBowness-on-Windermere, CumbriaRe-entry
WorkingtonThe Ellis Sports Ground12,000 Workington, Cumbria12th

2022–23

Participating teams and location

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The 2022–23 Counties 1 Cumbria league consists of 12 teams. Eight of these competed in the 2021–22 Cumbria 1 competition; Creighton, Egremont, Hawcoat Park, Millon, Upper Eden, Whitehaven, Wigton and Workington. Cockermouth and St. Benedict's dropped down from North 2 West having finished 7th and 12th respectively. Penrith II joined the league as a new team and Silloth returned to league rugby after not taking part in any competition since the 2019–20 season. A ninth member of the 2021–22 Cumbria 1 league, Furness, had also been assigned to Counties 1 Cumbria but withdrew before the start of the season.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
CockermouthGrassmoor Sports CentreCockermouth, Cumbria7th North 2 West
CreightonSycamore LaneCarlisle, Cumbria9th Cumbria 1
EgremontBleach GreenEgremont, Cumbria4th Cumbria 1
Hawcoat ParkHawcoat ParkBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria5th Cumbria 1
MillomWilson ParkHaverigg, Millom, Cumbria6th Cumbria 1
Penrith IIWinters ParkPenrith, CumbriaNew entry
SillothThe Jim Brough Rugby ParkSilloth, CumbriaRe-entry
St. Benedict'sNewlands AvenueMirehouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria12th North 2 West
Upper EdenPennine ParkKirkby Stephen, Cumbria1st Cumbria 1
WhitehavenRichmond TerraceWhitehaven, Cumbria2nd Cumbria 1
WigtonLowmoor RoadWigton, Cumbria3rd Cumbria 1
WorkingtonThe Ellis Sports Ground12,000 Workington, Cumbria8th Cumbria 1

2021–22

Participating teams and location

The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.
Outgoing teams St Benedicts and Cockermouth were promoted to North 2 West, and Windermere, who finished 12th but did not return, competed in the Cumbria 2 Shield instead. Silloth, who finished 11th, were initially due to compete but withdrew before the season began. Consequently the league was reduced from 13 sides to 9.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
CreightonSycamore LaneCarlisle, Cumbria13th
EgremontBleach GreenEgremont, Cumbria7th
FurnessThe Strawberry GroundsBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria10th
Hawcoat ParkHawcoat ParkBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria6th
MillomWilson ParkHaverigg, Millom, Cumbria9th
Upper EdenPennine ParkKirkby Stephen, Cumbria5th
WhitehavenRichmond TerraceWhitehaven, Cumbria4th
WigtonLowmoor RoadWigton, Cumbria3rd
WorkingtonThe Ellis Sports Ground12,000 Workington, Cumbria8th

2020–21

Participating teams and location

On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 season meaning Cumbria 1 was not contested.

2019–20

Participating teams and location

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
CockermouthGrassmoor Sports CentreCockermouth, Cumbria3rd
CreightonSycamore LaneCarlisle, CumbriaTransferred from Cumbria 2
EgremontBleach GreenEgremont, CumbriaTransferred from Cumbria 2
FurnessThe Strawberry GroundsBarrow-in-Furness, CumbriaTransferred from Cumbria 2
Hawcoat ParkHawcoat ParkBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria7th
MillomWilson ParkHaverigg, Millom, CumbriaTransferred from Cumbria 2
SillothThe Jim Brough Rugby ParkSilloth, CumbriaPromoted from Cumbria 2
St. Benedict'sNewlands AvenueMirehouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria8th
Upper EdenPennine ParkKirkby Stephen, Cumbria6th
WhitehavenRichmond TerraceWhitehaven, Cumbria5th
WigtonLowmoor RoadWigton, Cumbria4th
WindermereDawes MeadowBowness-on-Windermere, CumbriaTransferred from Cumbria 2
WorkingtonThe Ellis Sports Ground12,000 Workington, CumbriaTransferred from Cumbria 2

Original teams

When this division was introduced in 1992 it contained the following teams:

Cumbria honours

Cumbria (1993–1996)

The Cumbria league was formed from teams from the old North-West North 1 division when it was disbanded at the end of the 1991–92 season. Promotion was to Cumbria/Lancs North and as the basement division for clubs in the region there was no relegation. Initially a tier 10 league, the creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Cumbria/Lancs North dropped to become a tier 11 league.

Cumbria (1996–2000)

The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season. The cancellation of National 5 North and creation of North West 3 meant that Cumbria remained a tier 11 league, with promotion into North Lancs/Cumbria.

Cumbria (2000–2018)

Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999–00 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3. This meant that Cumbria became a tier 8 league, with promotion continuing to North Lancs/Cumbria. As the lowest ranked league for clubs in the region there was no relegation until the introduction of Cumbria 2 at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Cumbria 1 (2018–2019)

Restructuring of the north-west leagues at the end of the 2017–18 season, including the cancellation of North Lancs/Cumbria and the introduction of Cumbria 2, meant that Cumbria was renamed to Cumbria and became a tier 7 league. Promotion was now up to North West 1 while relegation was to the new Cumbria 2.

Cumbria (2019–2022)

After just one season Cumbria 2 was cancelled and Cumbria 1 reverted to being a single division named Cumbria, while the introduction of North 2 West for the 2019–20 season meant that Cumbria dropped back to being a tier 8 league with promotion into this new division and no relegation. Adult community leagues were cancelled for the 2020–21 season. In 2021–22 the league was contested by nine teams and the league restructure meant that no teams were promoted at the end of the season.

Counties 1 Cumbria (2022–present)

Following the RFU Adult Competition Review, Counties 1 Cumbria reverted to a level 7 league, with promotion to Regional 2 North. There is no relegation.

Promotion play-offs

From the 2018–19 season onwards there was a play-off between the runners-up of Cumbria 1 and North 2 West for the third and final promotion place to North 1 West. Previously Cumbria League sides had a play-off against Lancashire (North) for a place in the discontinued North Lancashire/Cumbria division. As of 2019–20 North 2 West sides have one win to Cumbria's zero; and the home side has one win to the away side's zero.

Discontinued promotion play-offs

Between the 2000–01 and 2016–17 seasons there was a play-off between the runners-up of the Cumbria League and Lancashire (North) for the third and final promotion place to North Lancashire/Cumbria. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2016–17 season the Lancashire teams have been the most successful with eleven wins to the Cumbria League team's four; and the home team has won promotion on twelve occasions compared to the away team's three. Since the cancellation of Lancashire the play-off has been discontinued.

Number of league titles