Current season or competition: 2023 -2024 Dorset & Wilts 2 North | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 | (as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1)
Number of teams | 9 |
Country | England |
Holders | Chippenham RFC 2nd XV (2022 - 2023) |
Most titles | Bradford-on-Avon, Corsham (3 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
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.
Promoted teams tend to move up into Southern Counties South while relegated teams tend to drop down into Dorset & Wilts 3 North. Each year all 1st XV sides in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a level 8 national competition - provided they are members of the Dorset & Wilts RFU.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
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The 2015–16 Dorset & Wilts 1 North consists of twelve teams—most of which are based in the northern part of Wiltshire but also two teams that are based just across the county border in Gloucestershire and Somerset. The season starts on 12 September 2015 and is due to end on 23 April 2016.
Eight of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014-15 champions, Marlborough were promoted to Southern Counties South while Calne, Cricklade and Pewsey Vale were all relegated to Dorset & Wilts 2 North.
Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
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Chippenham II | Allington Fields | Chippenham, Wiltshire | 6th | |
Colerne | Higgins Field | Colerne, Wiltshire | Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (runners up) | |
Combe Down | Holly's Corner | Combe Down, Bath, Somerset | 2nd | |
Corsham | Lacock Road | Corsham, Wiltshire | Relegated from Southern Counties South (11th) | |
Devizes II | The Sports Club | Devizes, Wiltshire | 4th | |
Fairford | Coln House School Playing Fields | Fairford, Gloucestershire | 9th | |
Melksham | The Conigre | 1,000 | Melksham, Wiltshire | 3rd |
Minety | Minety Playing Fields | Minety, Wiltshire | 8th | |
Royal Wootton Bassett II | Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | 5,000 | Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire | Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (champions) |
Supermarine | Supermarine Sports and Social Club | South Marston, Swindon, Wiltshire | Relegated from Southern Counties South (12th) | |
Swindon II | Greenbridge Road | Swindon, Wiltshire | 5th | |
Trowbridge II | Doric Park | Hilperton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire | 7th | |
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1) contained the following teams from Berkshire, Dorset and Wiltshire:
Originally Dorset & Wilts 1 North and Dorset & Wilts 1 South were combined in a single division known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1, involving clubs based in Berkshire [lower-alpha 2] , Dorset and Wiltshire. It was a tier 8 league with promotion to Southern Counties and relegation to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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1987–88 | 10 | Swanage & Wareham | Devizes | Hungerford | [1] | |||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Bracknell | Dorchester | Marlborough | [2] | |||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Sherborne | Corsham | R.E.M.E. Arborfield | [3] | |||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Dorchester | Devizes | Lytchett Minster, Puddletown, Aldermaston | [4] | |||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Bracknell | Chippenham | No relegation [lower-alpha 3] | [5] | |||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Royal Wootton Bassett | Swindon | Bournemouth University | [6] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Southern Counties and relegation to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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1993–94 | 13 | Devizes | Swindon | Puddletown, Bradford-on-Avon, North Dorset | [7] | |||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Swindon | Melksham | Swindon College | [8] | |||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Blandford | Royal Wootton Bassett [lower-alpha 4] | No relegation [lower-alpha 5] | [9] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1 reverted to being a tier 8 league. Further restructuring meant that promotion was now to Southern Counties South [lower-alpha 6] , while relegation continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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1996–97 | 10 | Weymouth | Westbury | Supermarine, Lytchett Minster | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 10 | Tadley | Redingensians | Marlborough, Aldermaston | ||||||||||
1998–99 | 10 | Ivel Barbarians | Swindon College Old Boys | Weymouth, East Dorset, Thatcham | [10] | |||||||||
1999–2000 | 10 | Swindon | Corsham | Calne, Blandford | [11] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
At the end of the 1999–2000 season the division became known as Dorset & Wilts 1 following the departure of Berkshire clubs to join the Bucks & Oxon leagues. It remained a tier 8 league with promotion to Southern Counties South and relegation to either Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South (both formerly part of Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2).
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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2000–01 | 8 | Frome | Oakmeadians | North Dorset | [12] | |||||||||
2001–02 | 8 | Westbury | Calne | Bridport | [13] | |||||||||
2002–03 | 8 | Trowbridge | Swindon College Old Boys | No relegation [lower-alpha 7] | [14] | |||||||||
2003–04 | 10 | Sherborne | Bradford-on-Avon | No relegation [lower-alpha 8] | [15] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Ahead of the 2004–05 season, local league restructuring saw Dorset & Wilts 1 split into two tier 8 regional divisions - Dorset & Wilts 1 North and Dorset & Wilts 1 South. Promotion continued to Southern Counties South, while relegation was now to Dorset & Wilts 2 North.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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2004–05 | 10 | Corsham | Melksham | Marlborough, Hungerford | [16] | |||||||||
2005–06 | 11 | Supermarine | Calne | Malmesbury, Pewsey Vale | [17] | |||||||||
2006–07 | 11 | Corsham | Calne | Colerne | [18] | |||||||||
2007–08 | 12 | Bradford-on-Avon | Minety | Trowbridge II | [19] | |||||||||
2008–09 | 12 | Devizes | Chippenham II | Fairford | [20] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Dorset & Wilts 1 North remained a tier 8 league, with promotion continuing to Southern Counties South and relegation to Dorset & Wilts 2 North.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | Ref | |||||||||
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2009–10 | 12 | Marlborough | Chippenham II | Corsham II, Swindon II | [21] | |||||||||
2010–11 | 12 | Melksham | Chippenham II | Cricklade, Royal Wootton Bassett II | [22] | |||||||||
2011–12 | 12 | Chippenham II [lower-alpha 9] | Supermarine | Bath Saracens, Fairford, Sutton Benger | [23] | |||||||||
2012–13 | 12 | Chippenham II [lower-alpha 10] | Pewsey Vale | Avonvale, Marlborough | [24] | |||||||||
2013–14 | 12 | Bradford-on-Avon | Minety | No relegation | [25] | |||||||||
2014–15 | 12 | Marlborough | Combe Down | Calne, Cricklade | [26] | |||||||||
2015–16 | 12 | Combe Down | Corsham | Colerne, Fairford | [27] | |||||||||
2016–17 | 12 | Corsham | Bradford-on-Avon | Devizes II, Frome II | [28] | |||||||||
2017–18 | 12 | Bradford-on-Avon | Combe Down | Swindon II | [29] | |||||||||
2018–19 | 12 | Combe Down | Avonvale | Supermarine, Pewsey Vale | [30] | |||||||||
2019–20 | 12 | Avonvale | Melksham | Bradford-on-Avon, Chippenham II | [31] | |||||||||
2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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