Promoted teams typically go up to North 2 West and since Cumbria 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2018–19 season there is no relegation.

Each season a team from Cumbria 1 is picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a national competition for clubs at level 8.

The original Cumbria league was formed at the start of the 1992–93 season when the North-West North 1 division was cancelled.

Until the end of the 2017–18 season the Cumbria League was a single division involving 10 clubs and ranked at tier 8 of the English rugby union system.

There was no relegation due to it having been the lowest competitive league for Rugby Union in Cumbria.

Eight of these competed in the 2021–22 Cumbria 1 competition; Creighton, Egremont, Hawcoat Park, Millon, Upper Eden, Whitehaven, Wigton and Workington.

Outgoing teams St Benedicts and Cockermouth were promoted to North 2 West, and Windermere, who finished 12th but did not return, competed in the Cumbria 2 Shield (Group 1) instead.

The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season.

As the lowest ranked league for clubs in the region there was no relegation until the introduction of Cumbria 2 at the end of the 2017–18 season.