Current season or competition: 2019–20 Dorset & Wilts 2 South | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 | (as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2)
Number of teams | 11 |
Country | England |
Holders | Bridport (2nd title) (2019–20) (promoted to Dorset & Wilts 1 South) |
Most titles | Blandford, Bournemouth III, Bournemouth University, Bridport, East Dorset, North Dorset, Oakmeadians II, Sherborne II (2 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
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 Dockers and East Dorset (11th in 2019-20) merged ahead of the current season to form East Dorset Dockers.
North Dorset II, Salisbury III and Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew did not return as all were level transferred to the newly formed Dorset & Wilts 2 Central for the current season.
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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 2 South consisted of twelve teams; seven based in Dorset, three from Hampshire and one each from Somerset and Wiltshire. The season started on 12 September 2015 and ended on 23 April 2016.
Eight of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions, East Dorset were promoted to Dorset & Wilts 1 South along with Salisbury II (2nd) and Swanage & Wareham II (3rd), while North Dorset III and Wimborne III were relegated to Dorset & Wilts 3 South.
Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
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Bournemouth III | Chapel Gate | Bournemouth, Dorset | 7th | |
Bridport | Brewery Fields | Bridport, Dorset | 5th | |
Dorchester II | Coburg Road | Dorchester, Dorset | 8th | |
Ellingham & Ringwood II | Parsonage Barn Lane | Ringwood, Hampshire | 9th | |
Fordingbridge II | The Recreation Ground | Fordingbridge, Hampshire | Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 3 South (3rd) | |
New Milton II | Normans Way | Ashley, New Milton, Hampshire | 10th | |
North Dorset III | Slaughtergate | 1,000 | Gillingham, Dorset | 12th (not relegated) |
Poole | Recreation Ground | Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset | Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 3 South (runners up) | |
Puddletown | Enterprise Park | Piddlehinton, Dorset | 6th | |
Weymouth & Portland | Monmouth Avenue | Weymouth, Dorset | 4th | |
Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew | Netherhampton Road | Netherhampton, Salisbury, Wiltshire | Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 3 South (champions) | |
Yeovil | Yeovil Showground | Yeovil, Somerset | Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 1 South (11th) | |
When league rugby began in 1987, this division (known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2) contained the following teams from Berkshire, Dorset and Wiltshire:
Originally Dorset & Wilts 2 North and Dorset & Wilts 2 South were combined in a single division known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2, involving clubs based in Berkshire, [lower-alpha 4] Dorset and Wiltshire. It was a tier 9 league with promotion to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1 and, from the 1988–89 season onward, relegation was to either Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East or Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West.
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref |
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1987–88 | 12 | Chippenham | Corsham | No relegation | [1] |
1988–89 | 11 | North Dorset | Puddletown | Minety | [2] |
1989–90 | 11 | Melksham | Lytchett Minster | Poole | [3] |
1990–91 | 11 | D.I.H.E. | Swindon College Old Boys | R.E.M.E. Arborfield, Trowbridge, Westbury | [4] |
1991–92 | 11 | Aldermaston | Lytchett Minster [lower-alpha 5] | No relegation [lower-alpha 6] | [5] |
1992–93 | 13 | Supermarine | Marlborough | Berkshire Shire Hall | [6] |
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 dropped to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1, while relegation was now to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3. [lower-alpha 7]
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref |
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1993–94 | 13 | Blandford | Thatcham | Minety, Hungerford | [7] |
1994–95 | 13 | Bournemouth University [lower-alpha 8] | North Dorset | Poole | [8] |
1995–96 | 13 | Trowbridge | Calne [lower-alpha 9] | Bournemouth University, Puddletown, Warminster [lower-alpha 10] | [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 2 reverted to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1 and relegation to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref |
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1996–97 | 8 | Tadley | Ivel Barbarians | Pewsey Vale | |
1997–98 | 10 | Swindon College Old Boys | Portcastrians | Supermarine, Berkshire Shire Hall | |
1998–99 | 9 | Minety | Bridport | Hungerford, Puddletown, Marlborough | [10] |
1999–00 | 8 | Thatcham | Oakmeadians | No relegation [lower-alpha 11] | [11] |
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
At the end of the 1999–00 season Berks/Wilts/Dorset 2 was restructured following the departure of Berkshire clubs to join the Bucks & Oxon leagues. It was now split into two tier 9 regional leagues - Dorset & Wilts 2 North and Dorset & Wilts 2 South. Promotion from Dorset & Wilts 2 South was now to Dorset & Wilts 2 and there was no relegation due to the cancellation of Berks/Wilts/Dorset 3.
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref |
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2000–01 | 8 | Blandford | Martock | No relegation | [12] |
2001–02 | 6 | Sherborne | Weymouth & Portland | No relegation | [13] |
2002–03 | 6 | North Dorset | Bridport | No relegation | [14] |
2003–04 | 9 | Bridport | Martock | No relegation | [15] |
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Ahead of the 2004–05 season, local league restructuring meant that promotion from Dorset & Wilts 2 South was now to Dorset & Wilts 1 South (formerly Dorset & Wilts 1) and relegation to the newly introduced Dorset & Wilts 3 South (last known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3). It remained a tier 9 league.
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
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2004–05 | 11 | Wincanton | Salisbury III | Multiple teams [lower-alpha 12] | [16] | |||||||||
2005–06 | 10 | Salisbury III [lower-alpha 13] | Swanage & Wareham III | Bridport II, Oakmeadians Vets, Poole | [17] | |||||||||
2006–07 | 10 | Bournemouth III [lower-alpha 14] | North Dorset III | Wincanton, Sherborne II, Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew | [18] | |||||||||
2007–08 | 9 | Sherborne II | Wimborne III | Chard II | [19] | |||||||||
2008–09 | 10 | Oakmeadians II | Bridport II | Wimborne III | [20] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Dorset & Wilts 2 South remained a tier 9 league, with promotion continuing to Dorset & Wilts 1 South and relegation to Dorset & Wilts 3 South until that division was abolished at the end of the 2018–19 season.
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 since 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 is 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, since 1996 the division has been split into two regional leagues – 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.
Bournemouth RFC is a rugby union club founded in 1893. The grounds are currently located at Chapel Gate. They currently play in Regional 1 South Central, at the fifth tier of the English rugby union system.
Dorset and Wilts Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire, England. Dorset & Wilts RFU is a Constituent Body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and is responsible for the management and administration of the game within the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire of all forms and at all levels. Originally Dorset and Wiltshire had their own county teams but would start to merge into one body towards the end of the 1930s, having already played a combined match against Hampshire in 1935–36 which Dorset & Wilts won 9–6. By 1939 Dorset & Wilts agreed to become a unified rugby football union to take part in the 1940–41 County Championships but this was postponed by the outbreak of World War II. After the war Dorset & Wilts played its first official county match in 1947 and attained full county status from the RFU in 1949.
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 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 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 were picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase.
Dorset & Wilts 4 was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs based in Dorset and Wiltshire as well as the occasional team from Somerset. Promoted teams moved up to Dorset & Wilts 3 North or Dorset & Wilts 3 South depending on geographical position. Due to a lack of teams the league was cancelled at the end of the 2015-16 season.
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/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 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.
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.
Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. The club operates four senior teams, two under-18s sides, girls rugby teams and a minis and junior section. The 1st XV plays at the sixth level of the English rugby union system, participating in Regional 2 Severn, following relegation from Regional 1 South Central.