Courage League
Initially Bath and Leicester proved head and shoulders above anyone else. Between them they dominated the top of the table, with Wasps the only other side to be crowned champions in the first ten years. The Courage League pyramid had more than 1,000 clubs playing in 108 leagues — each with promotion and relegation.
| Season | Clubs | Champions | Relegated | Promoted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987/88 | 12 | Leicester | Coventry, Sale | Rosslyn Park, Liverpool St Helens | Courage League began. 12 clubs played each other in one League fixture per year, with no set date for fixtures. |
| 1988/89 | 12 | Bath | Waterloo, Liverpool St Helens | Saracens, Bedford | Fixed Saturday League fixtures introduced. |
| 1989/90 | 12 | Wasps | Bedford | Northampton, Liverpool St Helens | One down, two up to expand to 13 clubs for the following season. |
| 1990/91 | 13 | Bath | Moseley, Liverpool St Helens | Rugby, London Irish | |
| 1991/92 | 13 | Bath | Nottingham, Rosslyn Park | London Scottish, West Hartlepool | |
| 1992/93 | 13 | Bath | — | — | Four down, one up to make a 10-team division for 93/94. |
| 1993/94 | 10 | Bath | London Irish, Newcastle-Gosforth | Sale, West Hartlepool | Home and away League fixtures introduced for the first time. |
| 1994/95 | 10 | Leicester | Northampton | Saracens | |
| 1995/96 | 10 | Bath | — | Northampton, London Irish | No relegation — Northampton and London Irish promoted to form a 12-team league for 96/97. |
| 1996/97 | 12 | Wasps | West Hartlepool, Orrell | Richmond, Newcastle Falcons | Introduction of two-legged playoffs between 9th/10th in Prem One and 3rd/4th in Prem Two. |
Allied Dunbar Premiership
The league really took off when Allied Dunbar took over title sponsorship. Newcastle was the first of the "professional" clubs as Sir John Hall transformed the former Gosforth side into 1998 champions. Leicester then flexed their considerable muscle and went on one of the greatest winning streaks ever — 57 unbeaten home wins from 30 December 1997 to 30 November 2002.
| Season | Clubs | Champions | Relegated | Promoted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997/98 | 12 | Newcastle Falcons | Bristol (play-offs) | Bedford, West Hartlepool, London Scottish | Sin bins introduced (1 Nov 1997) — white triangle. No automatic relegation; top two from Prem Two automatically promoted. |
| 1998/99 | 14 | Leicester Tigers | West Hartlepool | Bristol | League reduced to 12 teams when Richmond went bankrupt and London Scottish merged with London Irish. |
| 1999/00 | 12 | Leicester Tigers | Bedford | Rotherham | Sin bin yellow cards introduced. Points increased to 3 for a win after the World Cup in November. |
Zurich Premiership
By the end of the 1990s the Premiership had become the Zurich Premiership and had developed into the most competitive club competition in the world. London Wasps played the new format to perfection, peaking at the right time to be crowned English Champions in 2003, 2004 and 2005 under Director of Rugby Warren Gatland.
| Season | Clubs | Champions | Relegated | Promoted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000/01 | 12 | Leicester Tigers | — | Rotherham | Title changed to Zurich Premiership. Bonus point system introduced. Zurich Championship end-of-season play-off at Twickenham — Bath beaten by Leicester in the final. |
| 2001/02 | 12 | Leicester Tigers | — | — | Gloucester beat Bristol Shoguns in Championship final. Leeds escape relegation after Rotherham refused promotion due to facilities. |
| 2002/03 | 12 | London Wasps | Rotherham Titans | Bristol Shoguns | New format: Champions decided at Premiership Final at Twickenham — Wasps beat Gloucester. |
| 2003/04 | 12 | London Wasps | Rotherham Titans | Worcester Warriors | London Wasps defeat Bath in the Premiership Final at Twickenham. |
| 2004/05 | 12 | London Wasps | NEC Harlequins | Bristol Rugby | London Wasps defeat Leicester in the Premiership Final at Twickenham. |
Guinness Premiership
Today the world's most competitive domestic rugby union competition is the Guinness Premiership. The top flight league has evolved over time since starting in 1987. The strength and standard of the Premiership played an important part in England's World Cup victory in 2003. As the Guinness® sponsors say — "Good things come to those who wait."
| Season | Clubs | Champions | Relegated | Promoted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/06 | 12 | Sale Sharks | Leeds Tykes | NEC Harlequins | New title sponsor: Guinness®. Sale Sharks defeat Leicester in the Premiership Final at Twickenham. |
| 2006/07 | 12 | Leicester Tigers | Northampton Saints | Leeds Carnegie | Leicester Tigers defeat Gloucester Rugby in the Premiership Final at Twickenham. |
| 2007/08 | 12 | London Wasps | Leeds Carnegie | Northampton Saints | London Wasps defeat Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Final at Twickenham. |
Professionalism & the Modern Game
Professionalism has undoubtedly played its part in moulding the Premiership. While the Southern Hemisphere embraced the new era, the sport in England was hanging on to its gentlemanly traditions. In 1995, with the end of the amateur game at international level, the clubs decided to take control of the game's biggest commodity — the players.
Clubs like Saracens, Newcastle and Northampton were lucky enough to attract rugby-loving benefactors, but the professional era also had its casualties: clubs like Richmond and London Scottish were forced into administration when their wealthy backers pulled out.
However the rugby prospered. There is no doubt that the strength and standard of the Premiership played an important part in England's World Cup victory in 2003. Perhaps it was a long time for the game to get its league sorted out, but to steal a line from the Premiership sponsors — "Good things come to those who wait."