As a result, Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) was founded in 1934.

The founder members were Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Catalonia, Romania, Holland and Germany.

In the late 2000's the restored Catalan Federation unsuccessfully attemped to recover its international status, citing historical rights as FIRA founder member.

In June 2014, during the annual convention of FIRA-AER in Split, it was decided to rename the organisation to Rugby Europe to provide it with a shorter, more recognisable name.

[12] The highest level of rugby competition played among European countries is the Six Nations Championship, contested every year in February and March by the tier-1 European nations: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

Each division consists of five, six, or eight teams, and is played on a round robin format for a one-year cycle, with promotion and relegation between levels and the end of the season.

As of 2023,[13] the top division Rugby Europe Championship is contested by eight countries – Belgium, Georgia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.

Other countries that have participated in past editions include the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

These tournaments are contested every year by clubs from the tier-1 European nations: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

The following table shows the professional rugby union competitions in various European countries.