National League Rugby Play-Offs: Key Information

As we gear up for Round 19 and with just over two months of the regular season remaining, anticipation is building for an exciting conclusion to the National League Rugby campaign. (Photo Credit: Gareth Lyons)

As announced in June, play-offs were introduced for both National One and National Two for the 2025/26 season.

Following the rebrand of the Championship to Champ Rugby, the second-tier competition introduced its own play-offs, including a Champ relegation play-off.

So with that in mind, here’s how promotion, relegation and the play-off structures will work for National One and National Two:

Championship Relegation and National 1 Promotion

– The bottom club in the Champ will be relegated to National 1.

– The winner of National 1 will be promoted to Champ Rugby, provided that they meet the Champ Rugby Minimum Operating Standards. If the winner does not meet the standards, the highest place club who do will be promoted.

– The clubs second and third best in National 1, who meet the Champ Rugby Minimum Operating Standards, will enter a National 1 Promotion play-off.

– The winner of that play-off will then enter the ‘Champ Accession Final’ where they will play the loser of the Champ Relegation play-off game between the teams placed 12th and 13th in Champ Rugby.

– The winner of the ‘Champ Accession Final’ will join the champions of National 1 in Champ Rugby. The loser will play in National 1.

Schedule

9th May – National 1 Promotion play-off

16th May – Champ Relegation play-off

23rd May – Champ Accession Final

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National 1 Relegation and National 2 Promotion

– The bottom three clubs in National 1 will be relegated to National 2.

– The top teams in each of the three National 2 leagues will be promoted to National 1.

There are also play-offs that impact the bottom of National One:

– The club finishing in 11th position in National 1 and the clubs finishing in second place in the three National 2 leagues will enter the ‘National 2 Promotion play-offs’.

– The National 1 club will play the National 2 club with the poorest league record and the other two National 2 clubs will play each other.

-The winners of those matches will meet in the ‘National 1 Accession Final’. 

-The winner of that game will play in National 1 and the rest in National 2.

Schedule

9th May – National 2 Promotion play-offs

16th May – National 1 Accession Final.

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National Two Relegation and Regional 1 Promotion

– The bottom two clubs in each of the three National 2 leagues will be relegated to the regional leagues

– The winners of each of the six regional leagues will be promoted to National 2

There are also play-offs that impact the bottom of National Two: 

From an NLR perspective, the 12th-placed sides in National Two North, East and West will host the winners of the Regional play-offs in the three ‘NLR 2 Accession Finals’.

Schedule

9th May – National 2 North, East and West Accession Finals

PLEASE NOTE: In all play-off games, the game will be played on the ground of the club at the highest league level.

If both clubs are at the same league level, the game will be played on the ground of the club with the best playing record in the season just completed.

More information can be found HERE

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