The
English Premiership, currently known as
Aviva Premiership Rugby or more commonly the
Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by
Aviva, is a professional league competition for men's
rugby union football clubs in the top division of the
English rugby union system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership. The competition has been played since 1987, and has evolved into the current Premiership system employing relegation to and promotion from the
RFU Championship, known as National Division One before the 2009–10 season. Clubs competing in the Premiership qualify for Europe's two main club competitions, the
European Rugby Champions Cup and the
European Rugby Challenge Cup. The current champions are
Saracens. The most recently promoted side is
Worcester Warriors, who, after defeating
Bristol in the 2015 RFU Championship Final, returned to the top flight after a one-year absence.