Current season or competition:![]() | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 | (as Bucks/Oxon 2)
Ceased | 2019 |
Number of teams | 7 |
Country | England |
Holders | Chipping Norton (1st title) (2018–19) (promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier) |
Most titles | Drifters, Wheatley (4 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Championship was a division at level 9 of the English rugby union system featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Promoted teams moved up to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier and there was no relegation. Each year three teams (one each from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire unions) were picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase (a national cup competition for clubs at levels 9-12).
Originally the league was set up as Bucks & Oxon 2 and then Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 before being disbanded in 2003–04 as the league was restructured to cater for the joining of many second, third and fourth teams and was split into regional divisions. The league returned in 2011–12 to contain only first teams (along with Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier) while the second, third and fourth teams were transferred to newly created regional leagues with Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 at the pinnacle and no possibility of promotion to the championship or the league system above it.
At the end of the 2018–19 the league was discontinued. Teams that were not promoted into the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier were transferred into regional Berks/Bucks & Oxon leagues.
| Locations of the 2019-20 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Oxfordshire Locations of the 2019-20 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Berkshire | Locations of the 2019-20 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Buckinghamshire |
| Locations of the 2018-19 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Oxfordshire Locations of the 2018-19 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Berkshire | Locations of the 2018-19 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Buckinghamshire |
| Locations of the 2017-18 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Oxfordshire Locations of the 2017-18 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Berkshire | Locations of the 2017-18 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Buckinghamshire |
The 2015–16 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship consisted of nine teams; five from Oxfordshire and two each from Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The season started on 12 September 2015 and was due to end on 23 April 2016.
Six of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Risborough were promoted to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier along with runners up, Crowthorne while Oxford are new to the league having previously been playing friendly matches over the past season. As the basement league in Berks/Bucks & Oxon there was no relegation - although there are a number of leagues below it, mainly for second teams.
Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
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Aldermaston | AWE Recreation Society | Aldermaston, Berkshire | 7th | |
Berkshire Shire Hall | Berkshire County Sports Club | Sonning, Reading, Berkshire | 5th | |
Didcot | Edmunds Park | Didcot, Oxfordshire | 4th | |
Faringdon | Folly Sports Park | Faringdon, Oxfordshire | 8th | |
Farnham Royal | Farnham Park | Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire | 6th | |
Harwell | AEA Sports Ground | Harwell, Oxfordshire | 3rd | |
Littlemore | Oxford Academy Playing Fields | Oxford, Oxfordshire | Relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier (11th) | |
Oxford | St. Peter's Recreation Ground | North Hinksey, Oxford, Oxfordshire | N/A - joined league | |
Phoenix | The Sports Ground | Taplow, Buckinghamshire | Relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier (10th) | |
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Bucks/Oxon 2) contained the following teams from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire:
Originally known as Bucks/Oxon 2, it was a level 9 league for clubs based in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire [a] . Promotion was to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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1987–88 | 10 | Drifters | Milton Keynes | No relegation | [2] | |||||||||
1988–89 | 10 | Cholsey | Olney | No relegation | [3] | |||||||||
1989–90 | 10 | Wheatley | Didcot | No relegation | [4] | |||||||||
1990–91 | 10 | Bicester | Witney | No relegation | [5] | |||||||||
1991–92 | 12 | Drifters | Chesham [b] | No relegation | [6] | |||||||||
1992–93 | 9 | Littlemore | Chipping Norton | No relegation | [7] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Bucks/Oxon 2 dropped to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. The division would be cancelled after the 1995–96 due to the merging of the two Bucks/Oxon divisions into a single league known as Bucks/Oxon.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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1993–94 | 9 | Phoenix | Buckingham | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
1994–95 | 8 | Wheatley | Chipping Norton | No relegation | [9] | |||||||||
1995–96 | 9 | Drifters | Littlemore [c] | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The resplitting of Bucks/Oxon into two divisions ahead of the 1997–98 season, saw the return of Bucks/Oxon 2 after a single season - this time as a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. After two seasons the division was cancelled again due to the remerging of Bucks/Oxon 1 and Bucks/Oxon 2 into a single Bucks/Oxon division.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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1997–98 | 6 | Chesham | Abingdon | No relegation | ||||||||||
1998–99 | 6 | Wheatley | Didcot [d] | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season would see Berkshire based clubs join the Bucks & Oxon leagues [e] . This also saw the reintroduction of Bucks/Oxon 2, remaining a tier 9 league, but this time called Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2. Promotion was to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (formerly Bucks/Oxon 1) and there was no relegation. At the end of the 2003–04 season, the renaming of Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier, meant that Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 would be cancelled and all clubs transferred to the new regionalised Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (replacing Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2).
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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2000–01 | 8 | Wheatley | Henley Wanderers | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||
2001–02 | 7 | Littlemore | Aldermaston | No relegation | [13] | |||||||||
2002–03 | 8 | Bletchley | Chesham | No relegation | [14] | |||||||||
2003–04 | 9 | Drifters | Harwell [f] | Multiple teams [g] | [15] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship was introduced as a tier 9 league ahead of the 2011–12 season, replacing Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 as the second division Berks/Bucks & Oxon league. Promotion was to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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2011–12 | 12 | Harwell | Aylesbury Athletic | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||
2012–13 | 11 | Farnham Royal | Chesham | No relegation | [17] | |||||||||
2013–14 | 10 | Abingdon | Wheatley | No relegation | [18] | |||||||||
2014–15 | 8 | Risborough | Crowthorne | No relegation | [19] | |||||||||
2015–16 | 9 | Phoenix | Didcot | No relegation | [20] | |||||||||
2016–17 | 9 | Littlemore | Wheatley | No relegation | [21] | |||||||||
2017–18 | 9 | Risborough | Oxford | No relegation | [22] | |||||||||
2018–19 | 7 [h] | Chipping Norton | Abingdon | No relegation | [23] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier is a division at level 8 of the English rugby union system featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Promoted teams usually move up to Southern Counties North while relegated teams used to drop to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship, although this division has been discontinued as of the end of the 2018–19 season. Each year three teams are picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase.
Counties 1 Southern South is a level 7 league in the Rugby Football Union South West Division, the rugby union governing body for South West England, part of the Rugby Football Union. When league rugby first began in 1987 it was a single league known as Southern Counties but in 1996 the division was split into two regional leagues: Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South. Counties 1 Southern South currently sits at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and primarily features teams based in Dorset and Wiltshire.
Counties 1 Southern North is a division at level 7 of the English rugby union system. When league rugby first began in 1987 it was known as Southern Counties but since 1996 the division was split into two regional leagues – Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South. Counties 1 Southern North currently sits at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and features teams based in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The league champions at the end of each season are automatically promoted to Regional 2 South Central. Relegated teams usually drop to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon North or Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon South.
South West 1 East was an English, level six, rugby union league in south and south-west England; mainly Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Gloucester, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire. Originally a single division known as South West 2, it was split into two regional leagues in 1996 – South West 1 East and South West 1 West.
Dorset & Wilts 3 North was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Wiltshire, sitting at tier 10 of the English rugby union system. Promoted teams tended to move up to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation. The league was created in 2005 and was disbanded after the 2019–20 season.
Dorset & Wilts 2 North is an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs based primarily in Wiltshire, sitting at tier 9 of the English rugby union system. From this league teams can either be promoted to Dorset & Wilts 1 North or relegated to Dorset & Wilts 3 North. Each year 1st XV clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase – a level 9–12 national competition.
Dorset & Wilts 2 North is an English rugby union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Wiltshire, sitting at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. Originally consisting of one league, Dorset & Wilts 1 split into north and south regional divisions in 2004. It had even had teams based in Berkshire participating until 2001, at which time they left to join the Buckinghamshire & Oxon leagues.
Dorset & Wilts 1 South is an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Dorset, sitting at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. Originally a single league, Dorset & Wilts 1 split into north and south regional divisions in 2004. Teams based in Berkshire participated until 2001 when they left to join the Buckinghamshire & Oxon leagues.
Dorset & Wilts 2 South is an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Dorset, sitting at tier 9 of the English rugby union system. Promoted teams tend to move up to Dorset & Wilts 1 South. Relegated teams used to drop to Dorset & Wilts 3 South but since that division was cancelled at the end of the 2018–19 season there has been no relegation. Each year 1st XV clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase, a level 9–12 national competition.
Dorset & Wilts 3 South was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, primarily for clubs based in Dorset, sitting at tier 10 of the English rugby union system. Promoted teams generally moved up to Dorset & Wilts 2 South. Relegated teams dropped to Dorset & Wilts 4 until the cancellation of this division at the end of the 2015–16 season; after that there was no relegation. The league was created in 2005 and disbanded after the 2018–19 season.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 1 is an English rugby union league featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. As with all of the divisions in this area at this level, the entire league is made up of second and third teams of clubs whose first teams play at a higher level of the rugby union pyramid. As this is the top league in the region for second teams there is no promotion to a higher league. Relegated teams drop to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 2 is an English rugby union league featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. As with all of the divisions in this area at this level, the entire league is made up of second and third teams of clubs whose first teams play at a higher level of the rugby union pyramid. Promoted teams move up to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 while relegated teams drop to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 3.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 4 is an English rugby union league featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire which is currently divided into two regional divisions - Berks/Bucks & Oxon 4 North and Berks/Bucks & Oxon 4 South. As with all of the divisions in this area at this level, the entire league is made up of second, third and fourth teams of clubs whose first teams play at a higher level of the rugby union pyramid. Promoted teams move up to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 3 and since the disbanding of the short-lived Berks/Bucks & Oxon 5 at the end of 2011-12 there has been no relegation.
Dorset & Wilts 3 West was English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs based in western Dorset. Promoted teams tended to move up to Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South depending on geographical location and there was no relegation. The league was originally created as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West in 1988 and ran until 1992 until it merged with Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East to form Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3. The division would return as Dorset & Wilts 3 West in 2006. By the end of the 2008–09 season, the league was disbanded and clubs were transferred to Dorset & Wilts 3 North or Dorset & Wilts 3 South.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 3 is an English rugby union league featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. As with all of the divisions in this area at this level, the entire league is made up of second, third and fourth teams of clubs whose first teams play at a higher level of the rugby union pyramid. Promoted teams move up to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 while relegated teams drop to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 4 - north or south - depending on location.
The Buckinghamshire Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Buckinghamshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Buckinghamshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Buckinghamshire county rugby representative teams. The union was founded at a meeting at High Wycombe on 16 July 1949 during a drinking session at one of the founders house.
The Berkshire Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Berkshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Berkshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Berkshire county rugby representative teams.
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Berkshire and Wiltshire. Promoted teams moved up to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation. The league ran for four seasons until 1992 when it merged with Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West to form Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
Somerset 3 North is an English rugby union league which sits at the eleven level of league rugby union in England alongside its counterpart Somerset 3 South. When the division was founded in 1987 it was a single league known as Somerset 3, but since 2006 it has been split into two regional divisions.
Somerset 3 South is an English rugby union league which sits at the eleven level of league rugby union in England alongside its counterpart Somerset 3 North. When the division was founded in 1987 it was a single league known as Somerset 3, but since 2006 it has been split into two regional divisions.