2011 in rugby union

4 February – 19 March: Six Nations Championship
- Winner: England, 26th title.
20 May: Amlin Challenge Cup Final at Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
- Harlequins claimed the title with a 19–18 win over Stade Français, becoming the first team to win the Challenge Cup three times.
21 May: Heineken Cup Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
- Leinster won its second European title with a 33–22 win over Northampton Saints.
IRB Sevens World Series – New Zealand clinched the series title at the London Sevens on 22 May, with the Edinburgh Sevens remaining to be played.
24 May–5 June: 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Georgia
- 1 ! Samoa, 2 ! Japan and 3 ! Georgia. This was the first title for Samoa.
10–26 June: 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Italy
- 1 ! New Zealand, 2 ! England and 3 ! Australia. This was the fourth title for New Zealand.
9 July: Super Rugby Final at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- The Reds claimed their first title in the competition's professional era with an 18–13 win over the Crusaders.
23 July–27 August: Tri Nations Series
- Australia won its third title.
9 September–23 October: 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand
- The tournament was won by New Zealand's All Blacks defeating France in the final by a score of 8-7. 1 ! New Zealand, 2 ! France and 3 ! Australia.

English Premiership – Final, 28 May at Twickenham: Leicester Tigers vs. Saracens
- Saracens defeated Leicester Tigers 22–18 for their first-ever Premiership title.
RFU Championship — Worcester Warriors. As the only side among the semifinalists that met the requirements for promotion, they replaced Leeds Carnegie in the 2011–12 Premiership.
Top 14 – Final, 4 June at Stade de France: Toulouse vs. Montpellier
- Toulouse won 15–10 and lifted the Bouclier de Brennus for the 18th time.
Rugby Pro D2 — Lyon won the championship and automatic promotion to the Top 14. Bordeaux Bègles won the promotion playoffs. The two clubs will replace La Rochelle and Bourgoin.
Celtic League – Grand Final, 28 May in Limerick:
- In an all-Irish affair, Munster won their third title against Leinster 19–9.
LV Cup (Anglo-Welsh Cup) – Gloucester
ITM Cup:
- Premiership – Final, 3 September in Hamilton: Waikato vs. Canterbury
  - Canterbury won 12−3 for their fourth consecutive title in the Air New Zealand/ITM Cup and ninth in the history of New Zealand provincial rugby.
- Championship: Final, 4 September in Palmerston North: Manawatu vs. Hawke's Bay
  - Hawke's Bay won 35−30 and will replace Southland in the 2012 ITM Cup Premiership.
Currie Cup: Final, 29 October in Johannesburg: Golden Lions vs. Natal Sharks
- The Lions won 42–16 in the most one-sided Currie Cup final since 1980.

26 February: During the England–France match in the Six Nations, England's Jonny Wilkinson retakes the all-time lead for career Test points from New Zealand's Dan Carter.
27 February: During the Scotland–Ireland match in the Six Nations, Ireland's Ronan O'Gara retakes the all-time lead for career points in the Championship from Wilkinson.
19 March: During the Ireland–England Six Nations match, two Irish players reach major career milestones in the Championship:
- Brian O'Driscoll takes over the all-time lead for career tries in the Championship with his 25th try, breaking the record of Scotland's Ian Smith that had lasted since 1933.
- O'Gara makes his 56th appearance in the Championship, drawing level with countryman Mike Gibson for the Championship record.
30 July: During New Zealand's Tri Nations opener at home to South Africa, Carter reclaims the all-time lead for career Test points from Wilkinson.
December: Owen Sheers is appointed to be writer in residence at the WRU. This seems to be the first such appointment by any national rugby body.