Merit Table era in Anglo-Welsh rugby (far from complete)

Before the introduction of a national league system for the 1987-88 season (and, to a lesser extent, the more comprehensive John Smith's Merit Table system introduced for the 1985-86 season) the only way of calculating the best-performing teams each year were the merit tables. Some were official RFU and WRU tables; the most important ones otherwise were the Sunday Telegraph and Daily Mail tables. Listed below is all the data currently available to me: please comment or contact me with any further information.

Sunday Telegraph English-Welsh Merit Table winners: 1964-65: London Scottish, 1967-68: London Welsh, 1969-70: Bedford, 1970-71: London Welsh, 1971-72: Bristol, 1972-73: Coventry/Moseley (both claim it), 1976-77: Newport, 1980-81: Bridgend, 1981-82: Gloucester, 1982-83: Pontypool, 1983-84: 1st Pontypool/5th Bath, 1984-85: Pontypool, 1985-86: Bath, 1987-88: 1st Leicester/10th Bath, 1988-89: 2nd Bath

Daily Mail Anglo-Welsh Merit Table winners: 1976-77: Moseley, 1978-79: 1st Bridgend/2nd Bath, 1982-83: Swansea

RFU Merit Table
1979-80: Bath

Sunday Telegraph English Merit Table winners: 1963-64: London Scottish, 1964-65: London Scottish, 1965-66: Bristol, 1966-67: London Welsh, 1967-68: London Welsh, 1968-69: London Welsh, 1969-70: Coventry, 1970-71: London Welsh, 1971-72: Bristol, 1972-73: Coventry, 1973-74: Bristol, 1974-75: Rosslyn Park, 1975-76: Northampton, 1976-77: Moseley, 1977-78: London Welsh, 1978-79: London Welsh, 1979-80: Leicester, 1980-81: Leicester, 1981-82: Gloucester, 1982-83: Coventry OR Gloucester, 1983-84: Wasps, 1984-85: Bath, 1985-86: Leicester OR Bath, 1987-88: n/a OR Leicester

Daily Mail English Merit Table winners: 1982-83: Gloucester

WRU Merit Table winners (results between Welsh clubs): 1973-74: Swansea, 1975-76: Pontypridd, 1977-78: Maesteg, 1978-79: Maesteg, 1979-80: Swansea, 1980-81: Swansea, 1982-83: Swansea

Western Mail Welsh Championship winners (results by Welsh clubs against all first-class opposition):
1894-95: Newport, 1895-96: Newport, 1896-97: Llanelli, 1897-98: Cardiff, 1898-99: Swansea, 1899-1900: Swansea, 1900-01: Swansea, 1901-02: Swansea, 1902-03: Newport, 1905-06: Cardiff, 1906-07: Cardiff, 1908-09: Cardiff, 1909-10: Neath, 1910-11: Neath, 1911-12: Newport, 1913-14: Pontypool, 1919-20: Newport, 1920-21: Pontypool, 1921-22: Newport, 1922-23: Newport, 1923-24: Aberavon, 1924-25: Aberavon, 1925-26: Aberavon, 1926-27: Aberavon, 1927-28: Llanelli, 1928-29: Neath, 1929-30: Abertillery, 1930-31: Llanelli, 1931-32: Pontypool, 1932-33: Llanelli, 1933-34: Neath, 1934-35: Neath, 1935-36: Cross Keys, 1936-37: Cardiff, 1937-38: Cardiff, 1938-39: Cardiff, 1946-47: Neath, 1947-48: Cardiff, 1948-49: Cardiff, 1950-51: Newport, 1952-53: Cardiff, 1954-55: Cardiff, 1955-56: Newport, 1957-58: Cardiff, 1958-59: Pontypool, 1960-61: Aberavon, 1961-62: Newport, 1962-63: Pontypridd, 1963-64: Bridgend, 1965-66: Bridgend, 1966-67: Neath, 1967-68: Llanelli, 1968-69: Newport, 1969-70: Bridgend, 1970-71: Bridgend, 1972-73: London Welsh/Pontypool (both claim it), 1973-74: Llanelli, 1974-75: Pontypool, 1975-76: Pontypridd, 1976-77: Llanelli, 1977-78: Pontypridd, 1978-79: Pontypridd, 1979-80: Swansea, 1980-81: Swansea, 1981-82: Cardiff, 1982-83: Swansea, 1983-84: Pontypool, 1984-85: Pontypool, 1985-86: Pontypool, 1986-87: Neath, 1987-88: Pontypool, 1988-89: Neath, 1989-90: Neath, 1990-91: Llanelli

Sunday Telegraph Welsh Merit Table winners:1970-71: London Welsh, 1971-72: London Welsh, 1983-84: Pontypool, 1984-85: Pontypool, 1986-87: Neath, 1987-88: Pontypool

Whitbread Welsh Merit Table winners (no Cardiff, South Wales Police or Tredegar until 1987-88): 1971-72: London Welsh, 1976-77: Newport, 1977-78: Maesteg, 1980-81: Swansea, 1988-89: Llanelli

RFU Northern Merit Table winners: 1976-77: Gosforth, 1980-81: Gosforth, 1981-82: Wakefield (first Yorkshire-based winners), 1982-83: Sale, 1983-84: West Hartlepool

Sunday Telegraph Northern Merit Table winners: 1967-68: Harrogate, 1971-72: Gosforth, 1972-73: Gosforth, 1973-74: Gosforth, 1974-75: Fylde, 1976-77: Gosforth, 1984-85: Waterloo, 1987-88: Wakefield

RFU Midland Merit Table winners (9 team table, at one stage in the 70s consisted of; Bedford, Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Moseley, Northampton, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Rugby): 1976-77: Moseley, 1977-78: Bedford, 1979-80: Leicester, 1980-81: Leicester, 1981-82: Leicester, 1982-83: Leicester, 1983-84: Leicester, 1984-85: Nottingham, 1985-86: Stourbridge

RFU South West Merit Table winners (6 team table, consisting of; Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth Albion, the winners of previous season's Cornwall Senior Cup): 1976-77: Exeter, 1977-78: Exeter, 1978-79: Gloucester, 1979-80: Bristol, 1980-81: Bristol, 1981-82: Bristol, 1986-87: Bath

Sunday Telegraph South West Merit Table winners (table did not include Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Lydney or Stroud): 1977-78: Exeter, 1984-85: Plymouth Albion, 1987-88: Plymouth Albion

Bass Merit Table (southwestern 16 team table from 1979, consisting of 16 from; Avon & Somerset Police, Barnstaple, Bridgwater, Cheltenham, Clifton, Devonport Services, Exeter, Exeter Univ, Lydney, Penryn, Plymouth Albion, St Ives, St Luke's Coll, Stroud, Taunton, Torquay, Weston-super-Mare)

RFU London Merit Table winners: 1976-77: London Irish, 1979-80: London Irish, 1981-82: London Irish, 1982-83: London Scottish, 1983-84: Harlequins