Current season or competition: 2019–20 North 1 West | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 |
Number of teams | 14 |
Country | England, Isle of Man |
Holders | Burnage (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to North Premier) |
Most titles | Altrincham Kersal, Birkenhead Park, Vale of Lune (2 titles) |
Website | England RFU |
North 1 West is a rugby union league at the sixth level within the English league system. The league is made up of teams from north west England and the Isle of Man; principally consisting of the English counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The league was known as North Division 2 when it was first created back in 1987 and was a single division. It has since split into two regional leagues, with North West 1 and its compatriot North 1 East being the longest running versions of the division.
Promotion and relegation determine the makeup of the league each season, with the top team automatically moving into North Premier and the second-placed team entering into a play-off match with the second-placed team in North 1 East. Occasionally, depending on promotion and relegation, teams from either North 1 East and North 1 West may be required to compete in the opposite league to ensure that the number of teams in the east and west leagues remains at 14 teams each. Teams dropping from the league go into North 2 West.