BUCS Super Rugby

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BUCS Super Rugby
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event [[1]]
File:BUCS Super Rugby Logo CYMK.svg
SportRugby union
Founded2016
First seasonMen's - 2016-17
Women's - 2024-25
AdministratorBritish Universities and Colleges Sport
No. of teamsMen's - 10
Women's - 7
CountryGreat Britain
Most recent
champion		Hartpury
Most titles
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toMen's
North A or South A
Official websitewww.bucs.org.uk/premier-sports/super-rugby.html

BUCS Super Rugby is the highest level of men's and women's university rugby union in the United Kingdom and a potential pathway for university players into professional rugby.[1] It comprises ten teams from universities in England and Wales. The league is named after its governing body, British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).

History

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Background

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Further information: List of British and Irish varsity matches

The Scottish Varsity match between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh is the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football, having been first played under rugby union rules in the 1860s.[2][a] The first Varsity Match in rugby union between the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge was contested in 1872.[4]

Unusually for British university sporting events, the Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Match was broadcast on television, along with The Boat Race.[5][6] The Independent proposed in 2008 that Bath v Loughborough was "the real varsity match" on the basis that these were the top two rugby union teams (at that time) in British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) competitions.[7] In 2015, British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), the successor to BUSA, organised fixtures between Loughborough and Durham (two of the top universities since 2011-12) to occur on the same day, which was referred to as the "BUCS Varsity".[8][9]

Men's

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Men's BUCS Super Rugby was launched in 2016 as a new, top level of university rugby above the existing North A and South A leagues.

The eight teams in the inaugural 2016–17 season were those who finished in the top four of the North A and South A leagues in the preceding 2015–16 season.

The league expanded to nine teams in the 2017–18 season and ten teams in the 2018–19 season.

Women's

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Women's BUCS Super Rugby was launched ahead of the 2024–25 season.[10]

The seven-team competition is a positive evolution of the Women's National League (WNL) and joins the top level of Men's rugby union as BUCS’ second ‘Super’ level of competition. Women's BUCS Super Rugby will provide an enhanced platform to aid female players at institutions in England, Wales, and Scotland in developing their game while pursuing higher education.[10]

On 12 February 2025 Brunel University's Women secured their place in Women's BUCS Super Rugby (WBSR), for the first time in their history, defeating Newcastle 64–8 in the BSR North vs South Prem Playoff.[11]

Men's BUCS Super Rugby

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Season structure

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The season has three phases:

  • League - a double round-robin tournament, where teams play each other home and away.
  • Championship - a knockout tournament featuring the top eight teams from the League.
  • Playoff - a knockout tournament featuring the team at the bottom of the League and the teams at the top of North A and South A leagues. The Playoff determines whether relegation and promotion occur.

League

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The League season currently has 18 rounds and typically runs from September to March. League points are awarded in the following way:

  • 4 points for winning a match
  • 2 points for drawing a match
  • 0 points for losing a match
  • 1 losing bonus point for losing by 7 points (or less)
  • 1 try bonus point for scoring (at least) 4 tries, regardless of the outcome.

In this points system winning teams get 4 or 5 points, drawing teams 2 or 3 points, and losing teams between 0 and 2 points.

Championship

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The Championship competition has three rounds and typically takes place in April. It features the teams who finished in the top eight of the league.

Men's BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championships

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Quarter Finals:

  • 1st v 8th
  • 2nd v 7th
  • 4th v 5th
  • 3rd v 6th

Semi Finals:

  • 1st or 8th v 4th or 5th
  • 2nd or 7th v 3rd or 6th
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
1  
8  
 
 
4  
5  
 
 
2  
7  
 
 
3  
6  

Playoff

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The team that finishes last in the league is not automatically relegated. Relegation from (and promotion to) BUCS Super Rugby is decided through a playoff in the format of a three-team, single-elimination tournament.[12]

The playoff begins with a semi-final between the winners of the North A and South A leagues. The bottom placed BUCS Super Rugby team has a bye directly into the playoff game. The winner of the playoff game is the team that plays in the next season of BUCS Super Rugby. The home team in each game is decided by coin toss.

North vs South Playoff BUCS Super Rugby Playoff
Bottom placed team in BUCS Super Rugby
North A champions Winner of North vs South Playoff
South A champions

2025-26 Playoff Changes

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In August 2025, BUCS announced that from the 2025-26 Season the 10th placed team at the end of the season would be automatically relegated without a playoff. Their place would be taken by the winner of the Premier North vs Premier South playoff.[13]

Playoff results

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Season Game 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner Score! 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up Venue Promoted Attendance Ref Highlights
Men's BUCS Super Rugby
2016-17 Game 1 - 05/04/2017 Nottingham Trent University 57-0 Bristol University Nottingham Trent University
Game 2 - 12/04/2017 Nottingham Trent University 65-12 Bristol University
2017-18 Game 1 - 07/03/2018 Cardiff University 59-17 Newcastle University Cardiff University
Game 2 - 14/03/2018 Cardiff University 28-17 Newcastle University
2018-19 Prem Semi-Final - 03/04/2019 Swansea University 27-18 Newcastle University
BSR Playoff - 10/04/2019 Swansea University 32-28 Nottingham Trent University Swansea University
2019-20 Prem Semi-Final - 01/04/2020 Nottingham Trent University N/A Bristol University Season interrupted by COVID-19
BSR Playoff - 08/04/2020 Semi-Final Winner N/A Northumbria University
2020-21 Season interrupted by COVID-19
2021-22 No Semi-Final
BSR Playoff - 13/04/2022 Nottingham University 22-28 Northumbria University 'Nottingham University
2022-23 Prem Semi-Final - 29/03/2023 Brunel University 26-18 Newcastle University
BSR Playoff - 12/04/2023 Leeds Beckett University 23-17 Brunel University Leeds Beckett University
2023-24 Prem Semi-Final - 27/03/2024 Newcastle University 39-24 Brunel University
BSR Playoff - 10/04/2024 Swansea University 40-17 Newcastle University Swansea University
2024-25 Prem Semi-Final - 26/03/2025 Brunel University 30-29 Newcastle University
BSR Playoff - 09/04/2025 Swansea University 19-15 Brunel University Swansea University
Gold background University that has been promoted to Men's BUCS Super Rugby.
Cyan background Men's BUCS Super Rugby University that has successfully defended their place in the league after the Playoffs.
Red background Playoff campaign was not completed due to suspension of competition due to Covid-19 Pandemic.

Results

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League and championship

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Final position Season Season Season Season Season Season Season Season Season Season Season
2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28
1 Hartpury (CH) Exeter Exeter (SF) Durham Durham (RU) Loughborough (RU) Exeter (RU) Loughborough (RU) Bath
2 Exeter (RU) Northumbria Hartpury (CH) Exeter Exeter (CH) Exeter (CH) Loughborough (CH) Hartpury (CH) Cardiff
3 Loughborough (SF) Cardiff Met (RU) Bath (SF) Leeds Beckett Cardiff Met (SF) Durham Hartpury (SF) Bath Cardiff Met
4 Durham Leeds Beckett (SF) Cardiff Met Cardiff Met Loughborough (SF) Bath (SF) Durham Durham Durham
5 Bath (SF) Hartpury (CH) Leeds Beckett (RU) Hartpury Swansea Hartpury Bath (SF) Exeter (SF) Exeter
6 Northumbria Loughborough Northumbria Loughborough Cardiff Cardiff (SF) Cardiff Met Cardiff Met (SF) Hartpury
7 Cardiff Met Bath (SF) Durham Swansea Hartpury Cardiff Met Leeds Beckett Nottingham Leeds Beckett
8 Leeds Beckett Durham Cardiff Bath Leeds Beckett Nottingham Nottingham Leeds Backett Loughborough
9 - Nottingham Trent Loughborough Cardiff Bath Swansea Cardiff Cardiff Nottingham
10 - - Nottingham Trent (R) Northumbria Northumbria (R) Leeds Beckett Swansea Swansea Swansea
Green background (rows 1 to 8) are teams that progressed to the Championship tournament.
Red background is a team that was relegated after losing a playoff to a North A / South A team.
(CH) Champions. (RU) Runners-up. (SF) Losing semi-finalists. (R) Relegated
* No Championship tournament was held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Championship finals

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Season 1st place, gold medalist(s) Champion Score 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref Highlights Title
Pre-Men's BUCS Super Rugby
2013-14 Hartpury University 28-24 Leeds Met Twickenham [14]
2014-15 Leeds Beckett 31-23 Loughborough Twickenham [15]
2015-16 Exeter University 21-19 Loughborough Twickenham [16]
Men's BUCS Super Rugby
2016-17 Hartpury University 27-24 Exeter University Twickenham [17]
2017-18 Hartpury University 27-24 Cardiff Met Twickenham [18]
2018-19 Hartpury University 45-27 Leeds Beckett Twickenham [19]
2019-20 Season interrupted by COVID-19
2020-21 Season interrupted by COVID-19
2021-22 Exeter University 14-13 Durham University Sixways Stadium [20]
2022-23 Exeter University 48-44 Loughborough StoneX Stadium [21]
2023-24 Loughborough 35-31 Exeter University StoneX Stadium [22]
2024-25 Hartpury University 35-31 Loughborough Rodney Parade [23]

Promotion and relegation

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Alumni with international caps

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The inclusion criteria are that the player played in a senior international test after playing in BUCS Super Rugby.

Place in the BUCS Rugby Union pyramid

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BUCS Super Rugby is the top division of men's university rugby in Britain. It sits in the Premier tier of the BUCS Rugby Union pyramid, along with North A, North B, South A and South B.

Premier BUCS Super Rugby
North A South A
North B South B
Tier 1 Scottish 1A Northern 1A Midlands 1A Western 1A South Eastern 1A
Tier 2 Scottish 2A Northern 2A Northern 2B Midlands 2A Midlands 2B Western 2A Western 2B South Eastern 2A South Eastern 2B
Tier 3 Scottish 3A Northern 3A Northern 3B Midlands 3A Midlands 3B Western 3A Western 3B South Eastern 3A South Eastern 3B
Tier 4 Scottish 4A Scottish 4B Northern 4A Northern 4B Midlands 4A Midlands 4B Western 4A Western 4B South Eastern 4A South Eastern 4C South Eastern 4B
Tier 5 Northern 5A Northern 5B Midlands 5A Western 5A South Eastern 5A South Eastern 5B
Tier 6 South Eastern 6A

Women's BUCS Super Rugby

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Season structure

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The season has three phases:

  • League - a double round-robin tournament, where teams play each other home and away.
  • Championship - a knockout tournament featuring the top eight teams from the League.
  • Playoff - a knockout tournament featuring the team at the bottom of the League and the teams at the top of North A and South A leagues. The Playoff determines whether relegation and promotion occur.

League

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The league season currently has 14 rounds and typically runs from September to March. League points are awarded in the following way:

  • 4 points for winning a match
  • 2 points for drawing a match
  • 0 points for losing a match
  • 1 losing bonus point for losing by 7 points (or less)
  • 1 try bonus point for scoring (at least) 4 tries, regardless of the outcome.

In this points system winning teams get 4 or 5 points, drawing teams 2 or 3 points, and losing teams between 0 and 2 points.

Championship

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The Championship competition has three rounds and typically takes place in April. It features the teams that finished in the top six of the league. The top two places are awarded a bye into the semi-finals.

Women's BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championships

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Quarter Finals:

  • 1st - BYE
  • 2nd - BYE
  • 4th v 5th
  • 3rd v 6th

Semi Finals:

  • 1st v 4th or 5th
  • 2nd v 3rd or 6th
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
1 BYE
 
 
 
4  
5  
 
 
2 BYE
 
 
 
3  
6  

Results

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League and championship

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Final position Season Season Season Season
2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28
1 Hartpury (SF) Brunel
2 Exeter (SF) Cardiff
3 Loughborough (RU) Cardiff Met
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Cardiff Met (CH) Exeter
6 Cardiff Hartpury
7 Durham Loughborough
8 - -
Green background (rows 1 to 6) are teams that progressed to the Championship tournament.
(CH) Champions. (RU) Runners-up. (SF) Losing semi-finalists.

Championship finals

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Season 1st place, gold medalist(s) Champion Score 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref Highlights Title
Pre-Women's National League
2013-14 Cardiff Met 47-0 Leeds Met Twickenham [35]
2014-15 Gloucestershire 28-12 Cardiff Met Twickenham [36]
2015-16 Cardiff Met 20-5 Northumbria Twickenham [37]
2016-17 Edinburgh University 48-5 Northumbria Twickenham [38]
2017-18 Exeter University 35-32 Hartpury University Twickenham [39]
2018-19 Exeter University 30-26 Durham University Twickenham [40]
2019-20 Season interrupted by COVID-19
2020-21 Season interrupted by COVID-19
Women's National League
2021-22 Hartpury University 36-22 Edinburgh University Sixways Stadium [41]
2022-23 Hartpury University 45-12 Exeter University StoneX Stadium [42]
2023-24 Hartpury University 34-22 Loughborough StoneX Stadium [43]
Women's BUCS Super Rugby
2024-25 Cardiff Met 30-29 Loughborough Rodney Parade [44]

Place in the BUCS Rugby Union pyramid

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BUCS Super Rugby is the top division of women's university rugby in Britain. It sits in the Premier tier of the BUCS Rugby Union pyramid, along with Premier North and South.

Premier BUCS Super Rugby
North South
Tier 1 Scottish 1 Northern 1 Midlands 1 Western 1 South Eastern 1
Tier 2 Scottish 2 Northern 2 Midlands 2 Western 2 South Eastern 2
Tier 3 Northern 3A Northern 3B Midlands 3A Midlands 3B South Eastern 3A South Eastern 3B

University Celestial 7s

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The UC7s brings together the finest university rugby playing talent across the land, all vying to be crowned the uni Kings and Queens of the most heavenly form of the game, Rugby 7s.[45]

The competition consists of more than 50 male and female university teams, including up to 1,000 players. With five active competitions on the day played across seven pitches at The Richmond Athletics Ground, the home of Richmond RFC, Universities go to battle.[46]

The inaugural competition takes place on Friday 13 June 2025.

Competitions

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Men’s and Women’s Championship

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The Championships are open to Super Rugby and North/South Premier sides. [47]

Season 1st place, gold medalist(s) Men's Champion 1st place, gold medalist(s) Women's Champion Venue
2025 Exeter University Loughborough University Richmond Athletic Ground

Men’s and Women's Trophy

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The Trophy is open to all other BUCS sides competing across the leagues.

Season 1st place, gold medalist(s) Men's Champion 1st place, gold medalist(s) Women's Champion Venue
2025 Loughborough University 2s Exeter University Richmond Athletic Ground

The Capital Cup

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The Capital Cup is especially for the great institutions of London.

Season 1st place, gold medalist(s) Men's Champion Venue
2025 Imperial College London Richmond Athletic Ground

Media coverage

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Some BUCS Super Rugby matches are streamed live on the Super Rugby YouTube channel. In the 2018–19 season, some men's matches were broadcast on FreeSports.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Oxford-Cambridge varsity matches in rugby union and association football were first held in 1872 and 1874 respectively although intercollegiate matches in association football date back earlier.[3] The 1869 Princeton vs. Rutgers football game was the first intercollegiate football game in the United States while the first intercollegiate rugby football game in the United States took place in 1874 when Harvard University played against McGill University.

References

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