Dorset & Wilts 3 North

Last updated

Dorset & Wilts 3 North
England Rugby text logo.svg
Sport Rugby union
Instituted1992 (as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3)
Ceased2020
Number of teams7
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Holders Bath Saracens (1st title)
Most titles Combe Down II, Swindon College Old Boys II (2 titles)
Website englandrugby.com

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.

Contents

History

Until 2005, Dorset & Wilts 3 was one division with teams from Berkshire included. In that year, three regional divisions were created for teams in Dorset and Wiltshire, namely Dorset & Wilts 3 North, Dorset & Wilts 3 South and Dorset & Wilts 3 West. The West division was disbanded at the end of the 2008–09 season, leaving just the North and South divisions.

On occasion, clubs in this division also took part in the RFU Junior Vase, a level 9–12 national competition.

The 2019–20 season ended early in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, in common with all English leagues. [1] Neither of the Dorset & Wilts 3 divisions featured in plans for the 2020–21 season. [2]

2019–20

2018–19

2017–18

2016–17

2015–16

The division consisted of eleven teams, all based in Wiltshire.

Eight of the eleven teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions, Combe Down II, were promoted to Dorset & Wilts 2 North, while Chippenham III and Supermarine II were relegated from there. No teams were relegated to Dorset & Wilts 4.

TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season
Alfred's Nomads The Common Marlborough, Wiltshire7th
Chippenham III Allington Fields Chippenham, WiltshireRelegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (10th)
Corsham II Lacock Road Corsham, WiltshireRelegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (12th – dropped from league)
Devizes III The Sports Club Devizes, Wiltshire2nd
Melksham III The Conigre1,000 Melksham, Wiltshire9th (not relegated)
Minety II Minety Playing Fields Minety, Wiltshire8th
Royal Wootton Bassett III Ballard's Ash Sports Ground Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire5th
Supermarine II Supermarine Sports and Social Club South Marston, Swindon, WiltshireRelegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (11th)
Swindon III Greenbridge Road Swindon, Wiltshire4th
Warminster II Folly Lane Warminster, Wiltshire3rd
Westbury II Knott Field Westbury, Wiltshire6th

2012–13

2011–12

Original teams

When this division was introduced in 1992 it was a single division known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3, containing the following teams from Dorset and Wiltshire [lower-alpha 2] :

Dorset & Wilts 3 North honours

Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 (1992–1993)

Originally Dorset & Wilts 3 North and Dorset & Wilts 3 South were combined in a single division known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3. Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 itself was created ahead of the 1992–93 season by merging the existing Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East and Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West divisions. It was a tier 10 league with promotion to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation.

Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3
SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref
1992–936 Poole Westbury No relegation [4]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 (1993–1996)

The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 dropped to become a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation.

Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3
SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref
1993–946 Berkshire Shire Hall Pewsey Vale No relegation [5]
1994–958 Portcastrians Tadley No relegation [6]
1995–966 Dorset Police Colerne No relegation [7]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 reverted to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 1999–00 season the division was cancelled and all teams transferred into the new look Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South [lower-alpha 5]

Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3
SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref
1996–977 Minety Christchurch No relegation
1997–987 Puddletown Hungerford No relegation
1998–997 Bradford-on-Avon Berkshire Shire Hall No relegation [8]
1999–006 Hungerford Warminster [lower-alpha 6] No relegation [9]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Dorset & Wilts 3 North (2005–2009)

After an absence of four years, Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 was reintroduced in the form of two tier 10 regional divisions – Dorset & Wilts 3 North and Dorset & Wilts 3 South. Promotion was to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation.

Dorset & Wilts 3 North
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref
2005–0611 Fairford Sutton Benger No relegation [10]
2006–0710 Swindon College Old Boys II Malmesbury No relegation [11]
2007–089 Calne II Royal Wootton Bassett III No relegation [12]
2008–097 Minety II Swindon College Old Boys II No relegation [13]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Dorset & Wilts 3 North (2009–present)

Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Dorset & Wilts 3 North remained a tier 10 league, with promotion continuing to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation.

Dorset & Wilts 3 North
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref
2009–1012 [lower-alpha 7] Corsham III Marlborough II No relegation [14]
2010–1111 Swindon III Westbury II No relegation [15]
2011–1212 Combe Down II Supermarine II No relegation [16]
2012–1312 Colerne Trowbridge III [lower-alpha 8] No relegation [17]
2013–1412 Trowbridge III Bradford-on-Avon II No relegation [18]
2014–159 Combe Down II Devizes III No relegation [19]
2015–1611 Royal Wootton Bassett III Chippenham III No relegation [20]
2016–1712 Swindon College Old Boys II Alfred's Nomads No relegation [21]
2017–1810 Corsham II Trowbridge III No relegation [22]
2018–198 [lower-alpha 9] Amesbury Combe Down II No relegation [23]
2019–207 [lower-alpha 10] Bath Saracens [lower-alpha 11] Chippenham III No relegation [24]
2020–218No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes

  1. Bradford-on-Avon II would withdraw from Dorset & Wilts 3 North during the 2019–20 season.
  2. Despite the name for the first season of Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 there were no actual Berkshire based clubs.
  3. Plessey Christ would be renamed as Christchurch RFC for the 1993–94 season onward.
  4. In Portcastrians would be renamed as East Dorset RFC in 2003 [3] .
  5. Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 would be divided into Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South ahead of the 2000–01 season.
  6. This would be the last season of Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3. All six Teams would all be promoted into a new regional league for the next season – joining either Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South depending on geographical location. A level 3 regional division would be reinstated in 2005–06.
  7. Division expanded due to folding of Dorset & Wilts 3 West.
  8. Not promoted as Trowbridge 2nd team in division above.
  9. Reduced from 10 to 8 teams after Melksham III and Supermarine II withdrew from league.
  10. Reduced from 8 to 7 teams after Bradford-on-Avon II withdrew from league.
  11. No promotion due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
  12. Berkshire Shire Hall's was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
  13. Bradford-on-Avon's title was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
  14. Corsham have won two titles overall – one by the 2nd team and one by the 3rd team.
  15. Dorset Police's title was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
  16. Hungerford's title was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
  17. As club Minety have actually won two titles – one by the 1st XV when the league was known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3, the other by the 2nd XV when the league was known as Dorset & Wilts 3 North.
  18. Poole's title was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
  19. Puddletown's title was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.
  20. Portcastrians (currently East Dorset) title was won back when the league was Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3.

See also

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References

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