Current season or competition:![]() | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Instituted | 1987 | (as Gloucestershire/Somerset)
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Most titles | Drybrook, Spartans (3 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
Counties 2 Gloucestershire (or Counties 2 Tribute Gloucester for sponsorship reasons; formerly known as 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. Following the Adult Competition Review the league was renamed Counties 2 Gloucestershire and split into North and South divisions.
The league champions are promoted to Counties 1 Western North while the runner-up play the runner-up from Somerset Premier for the third promotion place. Relegated teams drop down into Counties 3 Gloucestershire North or Counties 3 Gloucestershire South depending on location.
Departing were Gordon League, promoted to Counties 1 Western North. Old Cryptians (11th) were relegated.
Joining were Gloucester Old Boys, Bredon Star and Berry Hill.
|
Departing were Berry Hill on a level transfer to Counties 2 Gloucestershire (North). Avonmouth Old Boys (11th) and Whitehall (12th) were relegated.
Joining were Lydney II, Chipping Sodbury and Southmead
| Locations of the 2024-25 Counties Gloucestershire South teams Locations of the 2024-25 Counties Gloucestershire South teams in Bristol |
Departing were Cheltenham Saracens (12th), Old Centralians II (11th) and Ross-On-Wye (10th), all relegated. Spartans (Gloucester) (8th) did not return for the new season.
Joining were Old Patesians and Stroud, both promoted, together with Cheltenham North, relegated from Counties 1 Western North
| Locations of the 2023-24 Counties Gloucestershire North teams |
Departing were Clifton II, promoted to Counties 1 Western North. Lydney II (11th) and Drybrook II (12th) were relegated.
Joining were Avonmouth Old Boys, relegated from Counties 1 Western North, together with North Bristol and Old Colstonians.
| Locations of the 2023-24 Counties Gloucestershire South teams Locations of the 2023-24 Counties Gloucestershire South teams in Bristol |
This was the first season following the RFU's Adult Competition review and saw the league split into two divisions.
Departing were Longlevens, promoted to Counties 1 Western North.
Joining were Spartans who had withdrawn from Counties 1 Western North in the 2021–22 season.
| Locations of the 2022-23 Counties Gloucestershire North teams |
|
St Mary's Old Boys and Berry Hill who finished 9th and 10th respectively in 2019–20 but will play in Gloucester 1 in the current season. Their places were taken by Clifton II and Dings Crusaders II.
|
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
|
|
|
Team | Ground | Town/Village | Previous season |
---|---|---|---|
Barton Hill | Duncombe Road | Speedwell, Bristol | relegated from Western Counties North |
Berry Hill | Lakers Road | Coleford, Gloucestershire | 3rd |
Cheltenham North | Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | level transfer from Midlands 3 West (South) (8th) | |
Cheltenham Saracens | King George V Playing Field | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | 4th |
Chipping Sodbury | Wickwar Road | Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire | 5th |
Frampton Cotterell | The Park | Frampton Cotterell, Gloucestershire | 8th |
Gordon League | Hempsted Lane | Gloucester, Gloucestershire | promoted from Gloucester 1 (2nd) |
Hucclecote | Charlies Way | Hucclecote, Gloucestershire | 9th |
Longlevens | Longford Lane | Longlevens, Gloucestershire | 10th |
North Bristol | Oaklands | Almondsbury, Bristol | 6th |
Old Richians | Sandyleaze | Gloucester, Gloucestershire | promoted from Gloucester 1 (1st) |
St Mary's Old Boys | Trench Lane | Almondsbury, Bristol | 7th |
The 2015–16 Gloucester Premier consisted of twelve teams from Gloucestershire and Bristol. The season started on 5 September 2015 and the last match was played on 23 April 2016. Eight of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition.
Team | Ground | Town/Village | Previous season |
---|---|---|---|
Berry Hill | Lakers Road | Coleford, Gloucestershire | 5th |
Bream | High Street | Bream, Lydney, Gloucestershire | 9th |
Bristol Saracens | Bakewell Memorial Ground | Patchway, Bristol | relegated from Western Counties North (12th) |
Cheltenham Saracens | King George V Playing Field | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | 3rd |
Chipping Sodbury | Wickwar Road | Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire | promoted from Gloucester 1 (runner-up) |
Cirencester | The Whiteway | Cirencester, Gloucestershire | 6th |
Frampton Cotterell | The Park | Frampton Cotterell, Gloucestershire | 8th |
Hucclecote | Charlies Way | Hucclecote, Gloucestershire | 7th |
Longlevens | Longford Lane | Longlevens, Gloucestershire | promoted from Gloucester 1 (champions) |
North Bristol | Oaklands | Almondsbury, Bristol | relegated from Western Counties North (13th) |
St Mary's Old Boys | Trench Lane | Almondsbury, Bristol | 4th |
Tewkesbury | The Moats | Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire | 10th |
| |||||||||||||||
Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bristol Saracens(P) | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1041 | 210 | 931 | 19 | 0 | 107 | ||||
2 | Cirencester (P) | 22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 669 | 304 | 365 | 14 | 2 | 84 | ||||
3 | Berry Hill | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 524 | 331 | 193 | 10 | 4 | 76 | ||||
4 | Cheltenham Saracens | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 586 | 373 | 213 | 11 | 5 | 72 | ||||
5 | Chipping Sodbury | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 559 | 369 | 190 | 11 | 2 | 69 | ||||
6 | North Bristol | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 499 | 388 | 111 | 9 | 4 | 63 | ||||
7 | St Mary's Old Boys | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 493 | 548 | −55 | 8 | 3 | 51 | ||||
8 | Frampton Cotterell | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 388 | 660 | −272 | 8 | 1 | 41 | ||||
9 | Hucclecote | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 416 | 479 | −63 | 6 | 2 | 40 | ||||
10 | Longlevens | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 352 | 566 | −214 | 4 | 5 | 37 | ||||
11 | Tewkesbury | 22 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 295 | 801 | −506 | 1 | 0 | 17 | ||||
12 | Bream | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 168 | 961 | −793 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| |||||||||||||||
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 27 August 2016 |
Stroud are champions and along with the runner-up Whitehall (play-off winner) were promoted to Western Counties North. Painswick and Gordon League were relegated to Gloucester 1.
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Gloucestershire/Somerset) contained the following teams from Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset:
Originally Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier were combined in a single division known as Gloucestershire/Somerset, involving teams based in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Bristol. It was tier 8 league with promotion to Western Counties [a] and relegation to either Gloucestershire 1 [b] or Somerset 1.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987–88 | 11 | Avonmouth Old Boys | Combe Down | St Brendan's Old Boys, Tredworth | [2] | |||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Old Culverhaysians | Combe Down | Minehead Barbarians | [3] | |||||||||
1989–90 | 10 [c] | Combe Down | Midsomer Norton | Old Redcliffians | [4] | |||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Spartans | Whitehall | Midsomer Norton | [5] | |||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Gloucester Old Boys | Drybrook [d] | Cleve | [6] | |||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Old Patesians | Keynsham | Old Sulians | [7] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Gloucestershire/Somerset dropped to become a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Western Counties and relegation to either Gloucester 1 or Somerset 1.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993–94 | 13 | Dings Crusaders | St. Mary's Old Boys | Coney Hill, Frome | [8] | |||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Keynsham | Whitehall | Midsomer Norton, Wiveliscombe | [9] | |||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | St. Mary's Old Boys | Cleve [e] | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Gloucestershire/Somerset reverted to being a tier 8 league. Further restructuring meant that promotion was now to Western Counties North [f] , while relegation continued to either Gloucester 1 or Somerset 1.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | 16 | Coney Hill | Old Richians | Old Cryptians | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 17 | St. Bernadette's Old Boys | Wiveliscombe | Bristol Saracens | ||||||||||
1998–99 | 17 | Barton Hill | Chew Valley | Old Sulians | ||||||||||
1999–00 | 17 | Old Centralians [g] | Yatton [h] | Chard, Frampton Cotterell | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Gloucestershire/Somerset was reorganised into two county leagues at the end of the 1999–00 season, Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier, with both leagues remaining at level 8. Promotion from Gloucester Premier was to Western Counties North and relegation to Gloucester 1. Between 2007–2009 Gloucester Premier was sponsored by High Bridge Jewellers.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 | 10 | Thornbury | Old Centralians | Brockworth, Bream, Aretians | [11] | |||||||||
2001–02 | 10 | Spartans | Drybrook | Chipping Sodbury, Bristol Saracens | [12] | |||||||||
2002-03 | 10 | Drybrook | Barton Hill | Hucclecote | [13] | |||||||||
2003–04 | 10 | Cheltenham North | Chosen Hill Former Pupils | Cirencester, Old Bristolians, Chipping Sodbury | [14] | |||||||||
2004–05 | 10 | North Bristol | Avonmouth Old Boys | Southmead, Tewkesbury | [15] | |||||||||
2005–06 | 10 | Chosen Hill Former Pupils | Barton Hill | No relegation [i] | [16] | |||||||||
2006–07 | 12 | Avonmouth Old Boys | Widden Old Boys | Longlevens, Painswick | [17] | |||||||||
2007–08 | 12 | Hartpury College | North Bristol | Aretians | [18] | |||||||||
2008–09 | 12 | Drybrook | Southmead | No relegation | [19] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Gloucester Premier remained a tier 8 league, with promotion continuing to Western Counties North and relegation to Gloucester 1. From the 2017–18 season onward Gloucester Premier has been sponsored by Wadworth 6x.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–10 | 12 | Matson | Cirencester | Hucclecote, Spartans | [20] | |||||||||
2010–11 | 12 | Whitehall | Old Richians | Gloucester Old Boys, Brockworth, Ross-on-Wye | [21] | |||||||||
2011–12 | 12 | Old Bristolians | Drybrook | Longlevens, Bishopston, Old Colstonians | [22] | |||||||||
2012–13 | 12 | Drybrook | Frampton Cotterell | Widden Old Boys | [23] | |||||||||
2013–14 | 12 | Newent | Bristol Saracens | Southmead, Dursley | [24] | |||||||||
2014–15 | 12 | Stroud | Whitehall | Painswick, Gordon League | [25] | |||||||||
2015–16 | 12 | Bristol Saracens | Cirencester | Bream, Tewkesbury | [26] | |||||||||
2016–17 | 12 | Old Richians | St Mary's Old Boys | North Bristol, Berry Hill, Cheltenham North | [27] | |||||||||
2017–18 | 12 | Chipping Sodbury | Barton Hill | Cirencester | [28] | |||||||||
2018–19 | 12 | Spartans | Bristol Saracens | Gloucester Old Boys, Gordon League | [29] | |||||||||
2019–20 | 12 | Chosen Hill Former Pupils | Cheltenham North | Widden Old Boys, Whitehall | [30] | |||||||||
2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of the Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier for the third and final promotion place to Western Counties North. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season Gloucester Premier teams have been the most successful with thirteen wins to the Somerset Premier teams six; and the home team has won promotion on twelve occasions compared to the away teams seven.
| ||||||||
Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 [31] | Gordano (S) | 19-21 | Old Centralians (G) | Caswell Lane, Portbury, Somerset | ||||
2001–02 [32] | Yatton (S) | 32-0 | Drybrook (G) | The Park, Yatton, Somerset | ||||
2002–03 [33] | Barton Hill (G) | 36-0 | Midsomer Norton (S) | Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, Bristol | ||||
2003–04 [34] | Nailsea & Backwell (S) [j] | Chosen Hill Former Pupils (G) | West End Park, Nailsea, Somerset | |||||
2004–05 [35] | Tor (S) | 25-26 | Avonmouth Old Boys (G) | Brian Harbinson Memorial Park, Glastonbury, Somerset | ||||
2005–06 [36] | Barton Hill (G) | 20-0 | Tor (S) | Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, Bristol | ||||
2006–07 [37] | Midsomer Norton (S) | 10-31 | Widden Old Boys (G) | Norton Down Playing Fields, Midsomer Norton, Somerset | ||||
2007–08 [38] | North Bristol (G) | 29-17 | Chew Valley (S) | Oaklands, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire | ||||
2008–09 [39] | Southmead (G) | 20-14 | North Petherton (S) | Greenway Centre, Southmead, Bristol | ||||
2009–10 [40] | Cirencester (G) | 35-17 | Chard (S) | The Whiteway, Cirencester, Gloucestershire | ||||
2010–11 [41] | Chard (S) | 32-12 | Old Richians (G) | Essex Close, Chard, Somerset | ||||
2011–12 [42] | Wells (S) | 18-10 | Drybrook (G) | Charter Way, Wells, Somerset | ||||
2012–13 [43] | Midsomer Norton (S) | 28-12 | Frampton Cotterell (G) | Norton Down Playing Fields, Midsomer Norton, Somerset | ||||
2013–14 [44] | Bristol Saracens (G) | 19-8 | Tor (S) | Bakewell Memorial Ground, Henbury, Bristol | ||||
2014–15 [45] | Winscombe (S) | 13-21 | Whitehall (G) | Winscombe Recreation Ground, Winscombe, Somerset | ||||
2015–16 [46] | Winscombe (S) | 21-22 | Cirencester (G) | Winscombe Recreation Ground, Winscombe, Somerset | ||||
2016–17 [47] | Oldfield Old Boys (S) | 9-6 | St Mary's Old Boys (G) | Shaft Road, Monkton Combe, Somerset | 1,000 | |||
2017–18 [48] | Wiveliscombe (S) | 12-15 | Barton Hill (G) | Recreational Ground, Wiveliscombe, Somerset | ||||
2018–19 [49] | Burnham-on-Sea (S) | 24-25 | Bristol Saracens (G) | BASC Ground, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset | ||||
2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Cheltenham North (G) - promoted instead. | |||||||
2020–21 | ||||||||
Green background is the promoted team. G = Gloucester Premier and S = Somerset Premier | ||||||||