It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886.

It promotes and runs the sport, organises international matches for the England national team, and educates and trains players and officials.

On 26 January 1871 a meeting attended by representatives from 21 clubs was held in London at the Pall Mall Restaurant on Regent Street.

The 21 clubs present at the meeting were: Blackheath (represented by Burns and Frederick Stokes, the latter becoming the first captain of England),[4] Richmond, Ravenscourt Park, West Kent, Marlborough Nomads, Wimbledon Hornets, Gipsies, Civil Service, The Law Club, Wellington College, Guy's Hospital, Flamingoes, Clapham Rovers, Harlequin F.C., King's College Hospital, St Paul's, Queen's House, Lausanne, Addison, Mohicans, and Belsize Park.

These comprehensive and enduring sanctions, combined with the very localised nature of most rugby competition, meant that most northern clubs had little practical option but to affiliate with the NRFU in the first few years of its existence.

[citation needed] The RFU long resisted competitions and leagues fearing that they would encourage foul play and professionalism.

[6] In October 2024, England head coach Steve Borthwick announced the RFU would introduce Enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contracts.

This would allow national team coaches to have final say on all sports science and medical matters relating to players.

[7] In 2005 the RFU began talks about a merger with the governing body for women's rugby union the RFUW.

In September 2010 the RFUW was able to nominate a member to the RFU Council to represent women and girls rugby.

[11] In response to the faltering results of the England national team, Rob Andrew was appointed on 18 August 2006 by the RFU to the post of Director of Elite Rugby, to oversee all aspects of representative rugby in England from the regional academies to the full senior side, including senior team selection powers and the power to hire and fire coaches at all levels of English rugby.

On 6 January 2011 his role of Director of Elite Rugby was scrapped in an overhaul of the organisation's structure.

England are to date the only team from the northern hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, when they won the tournament back in 2003.

England's Simon Amor (2004) and Ollie Phillips (2009) have each won a World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award.

The Premiership consists of ten clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby union system.

The RFU Championship is the second tier of the English rugby union league system and was founded in September 1987.