Guinness Premiership

The Rugby Football Union (RFU), which was founded in 1871, did not sanction a league programme until 1987, when the English league came into force.

The RFU's fears that their introduction would lead to greater violence on the field proved largely unfounded. That first season was an unqualified success, with clubs in the upper echelons of the national leagues reporting increased crowds, interest from both local backers and national companies, and higher skill levels among players exposed to regular, competitive rugby.

In the first season, when clubs were expected to arrange the fixtures on mutually convenient dates By the following season the RFU had allocated fixed Saturdays to the league season, thereby removing from the clubs responsibility for arranging the programme of matches. Interest in the competition gathered pace. There was no home and away structure to the leagues in those early seasons sides played one another once only.

The re-branding of the league to the Zurich Championship at the start 2000/01 season in a lucrative three year deal also brought with it a re-vamping of the season structure. Now, in addition to the league title there would also be a Zurich Championship play-off involving the top eight teams on the ladder.