The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination is an organisation for the promotion of junior rugby union in the city of Bristol, England.
The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination is one of two pillars on which the rugby union heritage of Bristol is based - the other being the city's senior rugby club the Bristol Bears. The Bristol Combination, on the other hand, is the body which nurtures junior rugby in the city. From its ranks have come many great players, but also it has provided the framework within which rugby as recreation is developed for thousands of people.
The Bristol Combination was founded in 1901 for "the promotion of rugby union and the mutual well being of clubs", tasks which remain at the core of its mission today. Its members are those 53 rugby clubs of Bristol and its surrounding area, which includes North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. No comparable body of a similar size exists in England.
As well as its representative role, the Combination organises the Charles Saunders Combination Cup, merit tables and leagues for clubs and teams not participating in RFU competitions, as well as an important role in youth and rugby development. It is also responsible for a ground where several clubs play at Lockleaze, in the north of the city.
The Combination regularly organises fixtures of the area's best players against Bristol Rugby Club's first team, or its second team, Bristol United.
The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination currently runs the following cup competitions for clubs in Bristol and the surrounding area:
Dings Crusaders RFC is an English rugby union team based in the Bristol suburb of Frenchay having previously been based in Lockleaze up until 2018. The club was relegated from National Division Two South, the fourth tier of the English rugby union system in 2015, having played in South West Premier for two seasons the team won promotion back to National League 2 South for the 2018–19 season having won South West Premier.
Somerset Premier is an English rugby union league which sits at the eighth level of league rugby union in England involving teams based in the county of Somerset as well as some teams based in Bristol. Originally a single division called Gloucestershire/Somerset, in 2000 the division split into two county leagues called Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier.
Western Counties West is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Western Counties North and Western Counties West. Western Counties West is currently a seventh tier league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The champions are promoted to South West 1 West and the runner-up plays the second team in Western Counties North, with the winning team also gaining promotion. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above, but is usually two or three to either the Cornwall/Devon League or Somerset Premier, depending on location.
Western Counties North is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Western Counties North and Western Counties West.
The Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Gloucestershire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union. Formed in 1878, it has won the county championship on numerous occasions.
Gloucester Premier is an English rugby union league which sits at the eighth level of league rugby union in England with teams largely being based in the county of Gloucestershire and Bristol. Originally a single division called Gloucestershire/Somerset, in 2000 the division split into two county leagues called Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier.
Gloucester 1 is an English rugby union league which sits at the ninth level of league rugby union in England for teams based primarily in the county of Gloucestershire but also on occasion teams from Bristol. Promoted clubs move into Gloucester Premier and relegated clubs drop into either Gloucester 2 North or Gloucester 2 South depending on location. Each year clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Gloucester 2 North and Gloucester 2 South are English rugby union leagues which sits at the tenth level of league rugby union in England for teams primarily based in Gloucestershire as well as some teams from Bristol. Promoted clubs move into Gloucester 1 and since the discontinuation of Gloucester 3 at the end of the 2017–18 season there is currently no relegation. Up until 2017-18 Gloucester 2 was a single division but has since been split into two regional divisions.
Gloucester 3 was an English rugby union league which sat at the eleventh level of league rugby union in England for teams based in Gloucestershire as well as some in Bristol. Promoted clubs moved into Gloucester 2, and since the cancellation of Gloucester 4 at the end of the 1995–96 season there had been no relegation. The division was discontinued at the end of the 2017–18 season and Gloucester 2 was divided into north and south regional divisions.
Avonmouth Old Boys Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Shirehampton in Bristol. The club run three men senior teams, a vets side, a ladies team, a colts side and a youth section featuring the full range of age-groups including three girls' age groups. The first XV play Tribute Western Counties North, a level-seven league in the English rugby union system.
The Eastern Counties Rugby Union (ECRU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in England. Clubs in the old Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough are affiliated to the East Midlands Rugby Football Union. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for those counties. The ECRU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in those three counties and administers the Eastern Counties county rugby representative teams.
The Somerset County Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Somerset in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Somerset. The SCRFU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the Somerset including the county rugby representative teams.
The Bristol Combination Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1970–71 season, with the inaugural winners being Bristol Harlequins. A plate competition was introduced during the 1985–86 season for teams knocked out of the early rounds of the Bristol Combination Cup, with St Brendans Old Boys being the inaugural winners. The plate was discontinued at the end of the 2002–03 season and has since been replaced by the Bristol Combination Vase, which is for lower ranked clubs in the region.
The Bristol Combination Vase is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 2003–2004 season, with the inaugural winners being Frampton Cotterell. Prior to 2003–04 there had been a plate competition for teams knocked out of the early round of the Bristol Combination Cup, although the vase was not a direct replacement as it was a separate competition intended for lower ranked sides in the Bristol region. It is the second most important competition organised by the Bristol Combination, behind the Bristol Combination Cup but in front of the Bristol Combination Cyril Parsons Bowl.
The Bristol Combination Cyril Parsons Bowl is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 2012–13 season, with the inaugural winners being Winscombe, and is the third most important competition organised by the Bristol Combination, behind the Bristol Combination Cup and Bristol Combination Vase.
The North Gloucestershire Combination Senior Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the North Gloucestershire Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1903–04 season, with the inaugural winners being Berkley and is the most important rugby union competition in north Gloucestershire, ahead of the Junior Cup and Glanville Cup.
The North Gloucestershire Combination is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the city of Gloucester and surrounding area in the county of Gloucestershire, England. The combination is responsible for organising clubs and cup competitions in the city of Gloucester and surrounding area, but is ultimately part of the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union, which has overall control over rugby union in the county. Although there is no senior men's team, there are North Combination junior sides (under-16), as well as a vets team.
Somerset 1 is an English rugby union league which sits at the ninth level of league rugby union in England involving teams based in the county of Somerset as well as some teams based in Bristol. 1st, 2nd and even 3rd XV sides can participate in the division as long as they are not from the same club.
Somerset 2 North is an English rugby union league which sits at the tenth level of league rugby union in England alongside its counterpart Somerset 2 South. When the division was founded in 1987 it was a single league known as Somerset 2, but since 2006 it has been split into two regional divisions.
Somerset 2 South is an English rugby union league which sits at the tenth level of league rugby union in England alongside its counterpart Somerset 2 North. When the division was founded in 1987 it was a single league known as Somerset 2, but since 2006 it has been split into two regional divisions.