# North 1 West

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.

## Teams 2021–22

The teams competing in 2021-22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.

## 2020–21

On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning North 1 West was not contested.

## Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this was a single division containing the following teams from the north of England:
* Alnwick
* Aspatria
* Bradford & Bingley
* Davenport
* Halifax
* Huddersfield
* Lymm
* Manchester
* New Brighton
* Sandal
* Wilmslow

## North 1 West honours
### North Division 2 (1987–1993)

The original North Division 2 was a tier 6 league with promotion up to North Division 1 and relegation down to either North East 1 or North West 1.
North Division 2 :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams |
| 1987–88 | 11 | Aspatria | Halifax | Wilmslow, Manchester |
| 1988–89 | 11 | Bradford & Bingley | Middlesbrough | Davenport |
| 1989–90 | 11 | Rotherham | Widnes | No relegation |
| 1990–91 | 11 | Stockton | Sandal | New Brighton |
| 1991–92 | 11 | Wharfedale | Lymm | No relegation |
| 1992–93 | 13 | Manchester | Huddersfield | Sandbach |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### North Division 2 (1993–1996)

The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season, meant that North Division 2 dropped from being a tier 6 league to a tier 7 league for the years that National 5 North was active.
North Division 2 :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams |
| 1993–94 | 13 | York | West Park Bramhope | Carlise, Wigan, Lymm |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Macclesfield | Bridlington | Northwich |
| 1995–96 | 13 | New Brighton | Sedgley Park | Birkenhead Park, West Park St Helens, Old Crossleyeans, Hartlepool Rovers |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### North Division 2 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National 5 North at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that North Division 2 reverted to being a tier 6 league.
North Division 2 honours :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams |
| 1996–97 | 12 | Doncaster | Middlesbrough | Durham City |
| 1997–98 | 12 | Northern | Blaydon | Halifax |
| 1998–99 | 12 | Bradford & Bingley | Driffield | York, Percy Park |
| 1999–00 | 12 | Darlington Mowden Park | Chester | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### North 2 West

For the 2000–01 season, North Division 2 was split into two regional divisions - North 2 East and North 2 West. While promotion continued up into North Division 1, the cancellation of the North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 meant that relegation was to either North Lancashire/Cumbria or South Lancs/Cheshire 1.
North 2 West :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams |
| 2000–01 | 12 | West Park St Helens | Aldwinians | Widnes, Penrith, Blackburn |
| 2001–02 | 12 | Birkenhead Park | Vale of Lune | Caldy, Workington, Warrington |
| 2002–03 | 12 | Vale of Lune | Rochdale | Wilmslow, Aldwinians |
| 2003–04 | 12 | Altrincham Kersal | Caldy | Broughton Park, Rochdale, Wigton |
| 2004–05 | 12 | Caldy | Stockport | Blackburn, Aspull, Oldham |
| 2005–06 | 12 | Stockport | Winnington Park | Widnes, Rossendale, Fleetwood |
| 2006–07 | 12 | Liverpool St Helens | Lymm | Stoke-on-Trent, Wilmslow, Bowdon |
| 2007–08 | 12 | Chester | Stockport | Tyldesley, Winnington Park, Vale of Lune |
| 2008–09 | 12 | Rochdale | Rossendale | No relegation due to league restructure |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### North 1 West

For the 2009–10 season the division would be renamed North 1 West as part of wholesale national restructure of the league system by the RFU leading to mass changes at all levels including in the north.
North 1 West :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams |
| 2009–10 | 14 | Lymm | Northwich | Aspatria, Blackburn, Tyldesley |
| 2010–11 | 14 | Altrincham Kersal | Burnage | West Park St Helens, Kirkby Lonsdale, New Brighton |
| 2011–12 | 14 | Sandbach | Liverpool St Helens | Aspatria, Broughton Park, Wigton |
| 2012–13 | 14 | Sale FC | Liverpool St Helens | Fleetwood, Manchester, Anselmians |
| 2013–14 | 14 | Wirral | Birkenhead Park | Altrincham Kersal, Leigh, Liverpool St Helens |
| 2014–15 | 14 | Birkenhead Park | Kirkby Lonsdale | Wigton, New Brighton, Bolton |
| 2015–16 | 14 | Kendal | Kirkby Lonsdale | Broughton Park, Widnes, Carlisle |
| 2016–17 | 14 | Kirkby Lonsdale | Birkenhead Park | Eccles, Leigh, West Park St Helens |
| 2017–18 | 13 | Vale of Lune | Wilmslow | Rochdale, Altrincham Kersal |
| 2018–19 | 14 | Carlisle | Blackburn | De La Salle, Anselmians, Manchester |
| 2019–20 | 14 | Burnage | Northwich | Warrington, Keswick |
| 2020–21 | 14 | | | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of North 1 East and North 1 West for the third and final promotion place to North Premier. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the North 1 East have been the most successful with thirteen wins to the North 1 West teams six; and the home team has won promotion on fifteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
North 1 East v North 1 West promotion play-off results :
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance |
| 2000–01 | Darlington (E) | 49-0 | Aldwinians (W) | Blackwell Meadowns, Darlington, County Durham | |
| 2001–02 | Huddersfield (E) | 26-10 | Vale of Lune (W) | Lockwood Park, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | |
| 2002–03 | Sheffield (E) | 32-15 | Rochdale (W) | Abbeydale Park, Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire | |
| 2003–04 | Middlesbrough (E) | 21-13 | Caldy (W) | Acklam Park, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | |
| 2004–05 | Huddersfield (E) | 22-13 | Stockport (W) | Lockwood Park, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | |
| 2005–06 | Beverley (E) | 21-16 | Winnington Park (W) | Beaver Park, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire | |
| 2006–07 | Sheffield Tigers (E) | 50-10 | Lymm (W) | Dore Moor, Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire | |
| 2007–08 | Durham City (E) | 13-18 | Stockport (W) | Hollow Drift, Durham, County Durham | |
| 2008–09 | Old Crossleyans (E) | 25-31 | Rossendale (W) | Broomfield Avenue, Halifax, West Yorkshire | |
| 2009–10 | Sandal (E) | 30-22 | Northwich (W) | Milnthorpe Green, Sandal Magna, Wakefield, West Yorkshire | |
| 2010–11 | Percy Park (E) | 26-27 | Burnage (W) | Preston Avenue, North Shields, Tyne and Wear | |
| 2011–12 | Percy Park (E) | 18-12 | Liverpool St Helens (W) | Preston Avenue, North Shields, Tyne and Wear | 500 |
| 2012–13 | Liverpool St Helens (W) | 17-28 | Morley (E) | Moss Lane, St Helens, Merseyside | |
| 2013–14 | Birkenhead Park (W) | 19-29 | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. (E) | Upper Park, Birkenhead, Merseyside | |
| 2014–15 | Kirkby Lonsdale (W) | 29-35 | Sheffield (E) | Underley Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria | 1,000 |
| 2015–16 | Kirkby Lonsdale (W) | 33-38 (aet) | Morley (E) | Underley Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria | |
| 2016–17 | Birkenhead Park (W) | 29-21 | Penrith (E) | Upper Park, Birkenhead, Merseyside | |
| 2017–18 | Driffield (E) | 21-24 | Wilmslow (W) | Show Ground, Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire | |
| 2018–19 | Blackburn (W) | 17-7 | Scarborough (E) | Ramsgreave Drive, Blackburn, Lancashire | |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Northwich (W) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Northwich (W) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Northwich (W) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Northwich (W) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Northwich (W) - promoted instead. |
| 2020–21 | | | | | |
| Green background is the promoted team. E = North 1 East (formerly North 2 East) and W = North 1 West (formerly North 2 West) ||||||

## Number of league titles

* Altrincham Kersal (2)
* Birkenhead Park (2)
* Vale of Lune (2)
* Aspatria (1)
* Bradford & Bingley (1)
* Burnage (1)
* Caldy (1)
* Carlisle (1)
* Chester (1)
* Darlington Mowden Park
* Doncaster (1)
* Kendal (1)
* Kirkby Lonsdale (1)
* Liverpool St Helens (1)
* Lymm (1)
* Macclesfield (1)
* Manchester (1)
* New Brighton (1)
* Northern (1)
* Rochdale (1)
* Rotherham (1)
* Sandbach (1)
* Sale FC (1)
* Stockport (1)
* Stockton (1)
* West Park St Helens (1)
* Wharfedale (1)
* Wirral (1)
* York (1)