Having previously looked at the teams that are ever-present in the National Leagues, we will now take a look at the clubs that have played at the highest level of English League rugby, from Courage Clubs Championship Division 1 in 1987/88 through to the Premiership of today.
Remarkably only 28 Clubs have feasted at the top table in the 37 seasons that League rugby has been played in England. Here’s the full list ranked by the number of seasons played in the top flight, followed by some further analysis:
| 1= | 37 seasons | Bath | 6-time winners |
| Gloucester | |||
| Leicester | 11-time winners | ||
| 4 | 36 seasons | Harlequins | 2-time winners |
| 5 | 35 seasons | Wasps | 6-time winners |
| 6= | 32 seasons | Northampton | 2-time winners |
| Saracens | 6-time winners | ||
| 8 | 31 seasons | Sale | 1-time winners |
| 9 | 28 seasons | London Irish | |
| 10= | 26 seasons | Bristol | |
| Newcastle | 1-time winners | ||
| 12 | 16 seasons | Worcester | |
| 13 | 14 seasons | Exeter | 2-time winners |
| 14 | 10 seasons | Orrell | |
| 15 | 8 seasons | Leeds | |
| 16= | 5 seasons | Nottingham | |
| West Hartlepool | |||
| 18= | 4 seasons | Birmingham Moseley | |
| Rosslyn Park | |||
| 20 | 3 seasons | Bedford | |
| 21= | 2 seasons | Liverpool St Helens | |
| London Scottish | |||
| London Welsh | |||
| Richmond | |||
| Rotherham | |||
| Rugby | |||
| Waterloo | |||
| 28 | 1 season | Coventry |
Only 3 teams have played every season in the highest league, namely Leicester, Bath, and Gloucester.
The biggest gap in number of seasons played is between equal 10th placed Bristol and 1997/98 champions Newcastle, and 12th placed Worcester who spent 16 seasons in the top flight between 2004/05 and their demise in 2022.
Exeter, in 13th place, who have successfully retained their Premiership status since they gained promotion from the Championship in 2009/10.
The top 13 clubs here consists of all the current 10 clubs that ply their trade in the Premiership and the 3 clubs that went into administration in recent years, Wasps, London Irish, and Worcester. It also contains all 9 different tournament champions. Of these clubs, only Gloucester, London Irish, Bristol, and Worcester have never been champions.
Of the other clubs, Orrell, Nottingham, Birmingham Moseley, Waterloo, and Coventry were in the top tier at its inception in the 1987/88 season. Here’s how they have fared since:
- Orrell played until 1996/97, now in Counties 3 Lancashire and Cheshire (9th tier).
- Nottingham played until 1991/92, now in the Championship (2nd tier).
- Birmingham Moseley played until 1990/91, now in National League 1 (3rd tier).
- Waterloo played until 1988/89, now in Regional 2 North West (6th tier).
- Coventry played only in 1987/88, now in the Championship (2nd tier).
Other visitors to the top table are:
- Leeds – eight of ten seasons between 2000/01 and 2010/11, now in National League 2 North (4th tier).
- West Hartlepool – five of seven seasons between 1992/93 and 1998/99, now in Regional 2 North (6th tier).
- Rosslyn Park – 1988/89 to 1991/92, now in National League 1 (3rd tier).
- Bedford – 1989/90, 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons, now in the Championship (2nd tier).
- Liverpool St Helens – 1988/89 and 1990/91, now in Counties 1 Lancashire and Cheshire (7th tier).
- Rugby – 1991/92 and 1992/93, now in Counties 3 Midlands East (South) (9th tier).
- London Scottish – 1992/92 and 1998/99, now in the Championship (2nd tier).
- Richmond – 1997/98 and 1998/99, now in National League 1 (3rd tier).
- Rotherham – 2000/01 and 2003/04, now in National League 1 (3rd tier).
- London Welsh – 2012/13 and 2014/15, now in Regional 1 South Central (5th tier).