RFU Cups
Competition Overview
There are five RFU Knockout Cup competitions running this season. The premier competition, the LV= Cup, provides a cup competition for Aviva Premiership teams and the chance to compete against the four Welsh regions.
The British & Irish Cup provides a cup competition for the 12 teams from the English Championship, all 12 teams from the Welsh Principality Premiership, Irish provinces Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster and four Scottish sides are competing for the trophy.
The Intermediate Cup, Senior Vase and Junior Vase cater for clubs at Levels 7 and below. The Cup and Vases comprise semi-finals and finals where each of the four Divisional Organising Committees is charged with identifying one team to progress to the semi-final stage. It all culminates with the finals day at Twickenham.
The LV= Cup
This tournament is competed in by the 12 Aviva Premiership teams and the four Welsh regions. Teams are divided into four pools of four, with three Aviva Premiership clubs and one Welsh region in each pool.
Teams in Pool 1 play teams in Pool 4 and teams in Pool 2 play teams in Pool 3. Each team is guaranteed is four pool matches – two home and two away – with the top teams from each pool qualifying for the semi-finals. Teams have been seeded depending on their finish in last season's Aviva Premiership and RaboDirect PRO12, and best efforts have been made to avoid teams playing each other in back-to-back matches in various competitions. The final takes place during the RBS 6 Nations.
See the fixtures and results pages for a full season schedule.
The British & Irish Cup
The 32-team competition comprises eight pools of four teams, playing home and away. The eight pool winners will then progress to the knockout stages, comprising the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
See the fixtures and results pages for a full season schedule.
RFU Intermediate Cup
This competition is open to clubs at Level 7. It comprises semi-finals and finals where each of the four Divisional Organising Committees is charged with identifying one team to progress to the semi-final stage. For additional information take a look at all the fixtures & results section.
RFU Senior Vase
This competition is open to clubs at Level 8. It comprises semi-finals and finals where each of the four Divisional Organising Committees is charged with identifying one team to progress to the semi-final stage. For additional information take a look at all the fixtures and results section.
RFU Junior Vase
This competition is open to clubs at Level 9 and below. It comprises semi finals and finals where each of the four Divisional Organising Committees is charged with identifying one team to progress to the semi-final stage. For additional information take a look at the fixtures and results section.
Regulations
Specific game regulations apply for the RFU cup competitions. The relevant regulations for the competitions involving clubs at or below Level 2 are available through the RFU regulations pages.
