The league was first played for in 1949-50 under the title
2nd Division. The
2nd Division was played for until 1966 when the competition, after a league restructure, was ended. Brought back in 1976 under the title
National 2 representing clubs at the 3rd tier. In 2008 the competition was rebranded and called
National Division 1. For the start of season 2012–13 the league was split into
East and
West regional divisions where each team plays each other in their regional league home and away with the top sides then meeting in a series of play-off matches resulting in a Grand Final. In 2023, the
Federal and National Division merged in a restructuring of the
French rugby league system. For the 2023–24 season there were four national divisions grouped in pairs: National Division 1 & 2 and National Division 3 & 4. In the first part of the season teams were divided into regional pools from which they qualified for the finals stage. In the 2024–25 season, the league was altered again to have a single National Division 1 and, following the withdrawal of several clubs, a National Division 2/3. ==Teams==