Regional 1 South West

Regional 1 South West

Current season or competition: 2024–25 Regional 1 South West
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	1987;37 years ago (1987)(as South West 1)
Number of teams	12
Country	England
Holders	Devonport Services (1st title) (2023–24 (promoted to National League 2 West))
Most titles	Bournemouth, Chinnor, Clifton, Dings Crusaders, Reading (2 titles)
Website	England Rugby – South West Division

Regional 1 South West (formerly South West Premier and National League 3 South West) is a level five league in the English rugby union system. ^[1] It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 it was known as South West Division 1. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union, and the name change from National League 3 to South West Premier was introduced for the 2017–18 season by the RFU in order to lessen confusion for what is a series of regional leagues. ^[1] Regional 1 South West, is the highest regional rugby union league covering South West England. The club finishing in first place is promoted to National League 2 West. Relegated teams drop down to either Regional 2 South West or Regional 2 Severn, depending on their location.

Devonport Services are the current champions.

Format

The season runs from September to April and comprises twenty-two rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals, home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:

• 4 points are awarded for a win
• 2 points are awarded for a draw
• 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
• 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
• 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match

2024–25

Nine of last years teams participate in this season's competition. Five of the teams are from Devon, while Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire have two clubs each and Somerset one club. Devonport Services, as champions, are promoted to National League 2 West. Okehampton (11th) and Weston-super-Mare (12th) are relegated to Regional 2 South West and Regional 2 Severn respectively, while Marlborough (9th) is transferred from Regional 1 South Central.

Participating teams and locations

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Barnstaple Pottingham Road 2,000 (575 seats) Barnstaple, Devon 2nd Brixham Astley Park 1,800 (300 stand) Brixham, Devon 4th Chew Valley Lobbingtons Chew Magna, Somerset 3rd Exmouth Imperial Recreation Ground 1,250 (250 stand) Exmouth, Devon 6th Ivybridge Cross-in-Hand Ivybridge, Devon 9th Launceston Polson Bridge 3,000 (194 seats) Launceston, Cornwall 5th Lydney Regentsholme 1,500 Lydney, Gloucestershire 7th Marlborough The Common Marlborough, Wiltshire Transferred from Regional 1 SC (9th) Matson Redwell Road Matson, Gloucester 10th Royal Wootton Bassett Ballards Ash Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire Promoted from Regional 2 Severn (1st) Sidmouth Blackmore Field Sidmouth, Devon Promoted from Regional 2 SW (1st) St Austell Tregorrick Park 4,000 (300 seats) St Austell, Cornwall 8th

Barnstaple Brixham Chew Valley Exmouth Ivybridge Launceston Lydney Marlborough Matson Royal Wootton Bassett Sidmouth St Austell class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2024–25 Regional 1 South West teams

2023–24

Nine of last years teams participate in this season's competition. Champions, Camborne were promoted to National League 2 West while Old Centralians (11th) and Drybrook (12th) were both relegated to Regional 2 Severn. Six of the teams are from Devon, while Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Somerset each have two clubs.

Participating teams and locations

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Barnstaple Pottingham Road 2,000 (575 seats) Barnstaple, Devon Relegated from National League 2 West 13th Brixham Astley Park 1,800 (300 stand) Brixham, Devon 3rd Chew Valley Lobbingtons Chew Magna, Somerset 2nd Devonport Services The Rectory 2,000 Devonport, Plymouth, Devon 4th Exmouth Imperial Recreation Ground 1,250 (250 stand) Exmouth, Devon 5th Ivybridge Cross-in-Hand Ivybridge, Devon 6th Launceston Polson Bridge 3,000 (194 seats) Launceston, Cornwall 8th Lydney Regentsholme 1,500 Lydney, Gloucestershire 7th Matson Redwell Road Matson, Gloucester, Gloucestershire Promoted from Regional 2 Severn (1st) Okehampton Showground 1,120 (120 seats) Okehampton, Devon 9th St Austell Tregorrick Park 4,000 (300 seats) St Austell, Cornwall Promoted from Regional 2 South West (1st) Weston-super-Mare Recreation Ground 3,000 Weston-super-Mare, Somerset 10th

Barnstaple Brixham Chew Valley Devonport Services Exmouth Ivybridge Launceston Lydney Matson Okehampton St Austell Weston-super-Mare class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2023–24 Regional 1 South West teams

League table

Regional 1 South West 2023–24

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Devonport Services (C)	22	19	0	3	793	403	+390	16	2	94	Promoted
2	Barnstaple	22	18	0	4	727	341	+386	14	2	88
3	Chew Valley	22	17	0	5	787	426	+361	14	2	84
4	Brixham	22	15	1	6	840	554	+286	16	2	80
5	Launceston	22	13	0	9	616	457	+159	11	3	66
6	Exmouth	22	11	0	11	517	522	−5	8	2	54
7	Lydney	22	8	0	14	567	642	−75	14	4	50
8	St Austell	22	7	1	14	485	643	−158	9	6	45
9	Ivybridge	22	7	0	15	505	786	−281	6	4	38
10	Matson	22	7	0	15	432	653	−221	9	3	35 [a]
11	Okehampton (R)	22	5	0	17	414	797	−383	3	3	26	Relegated
12	Weston-super-Mare (R)	22	4	0	18	441	900	−459	6	2	24

Updated to match(es) played on 6 April 2024. Source: ^[2]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (C) Champion; (R) Relegated
   Notes:

1. 5 points deducted

Results

Home \ Away	BAR	BRI	CHV	DEV	EXM	IVY	LAU	LYD	MAT	OKE	SAU	WSM
Barnstaple	—	33–20	20–19	41–16	21–17	55–7	26–8	29–10	55–0	45–14	31–17	57–14
Brixham	39–38	—	39–36	28–24	22–45	40–12	46–31	45–20	77–7	88–12	34–34	54–28
Chew Valley	35–19	32–27	—	12–11	21–10	60–31	12–3	36–7	41–0	80–6	44–12	61–6
Devonport Services	23–12	39–22	27–17	—	33–17	61–12	28–18	38–18	39–31	48–7	50–24	55–7
Exmouth	3–26	34–21	27–47	17–20	—	60–14	12–23	40–36	HWO	33–3	27–22	43–18
Ivybridge	16–68	25–42	46–19	17–25	20–11	—	10–24	23–20	18–24	37–23	36–35	29–27
Launceston	20–17	21–28	31–22	6–26	44–5	48–31	—	36–26	46–3	15–20	39–19	62–12
Lydney	10–18	32–29	24–42	20–24	22–31	34–32	38–15	—	44–28	38–19	33–24	34–19
Matson	25–34	10–21	12–17	34–42	31–32	17–14	20–35	27–14	—	29–21	26–20	38–12
Okehampton	8–45	15–41	19–56	19–35	21–22	34–30	30–29	36–10	14–38	—	16–17	12–24
St Austell	8–15	14–19	26–35	5–60	19–3	19–20	19–34	26–24	24–18	27–24	—	41–24
Weston-super-Mare	12–22	12–58	23–43	19–69	38–28	40–25	7–28	25–53	33–14	10–41	31–33	—

Updated to match(es) played on 6 April 2024. Source: Regional 1 South West
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. ^[3]

Participating teams and locations

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Brixham Astley Park 1,800 (300 stand) Brixham, Devon 7th Camborne Recreation Ground 7,000 (780 seats) Camborne, Cornwall 11th Chew Valley Lobbingtons Chew Magna, Somerset Promoted from South West 1 West (champions) Devonport Services The Rectory 2,000 Devonport, Plymouth, Devon Promoted from South West 1 West (runner-up) Drybrook Mannings Ground Drybrook, Gloucestershire 10th Exmouth Imperial Recreation Ground 1,250 (250 stand) Exmouth, Devon 5th Ivybridge Cross-in-Hand Ivybridge, Devon 9th Launceston Polson Bridge 3,000 (194 seats) Launceston, Cornwall 6th Lydney Regentsholme 1,500 Lydney, Gloucestershire Promoted from South West 1 West (3rd) Okehampton Showground 1,120 (120 seats) Okehampton, Devon 14th Old Centralians Saintbridge Sports Centre Gloucester, Gloucestershire 12th Weston-super-Mare Recreation Ground 3,000 Weston-super-Mare, Somerset 4th

Brixham Camborne Chew Valley Devonport Services Drybrook Exmouth Ivybridge Launceston Lydney Okehampton Old Centralians Weston-super-Mare class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2022–23 Regional 1 South West teams

Final league table

Regional 1 South West 2022–23

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Camborne (P)	22	18	0	4	815	474	+341	20	3	95	Promoted
2	Chew Valley	22	16	0	6	755	459	+296	16	3	83
3	Brixham	22	14	0	8	629	572	+57	12	3	71
4	Devonport Services	22	13	0	9	507	516	−9	5	4	61
5	Exmouth	22	12	0	10	592	504	+88	7	4	59
6	Ivybridge	22	10	0	12	582	645	−63	11	5	56
7	Lydney	22	10	0	12	507	544	−37	6	6	52
8	Launceston	22	10	0	12	494	538	−44	6	6	52
9	Okehampton	22	10	0	12	445	567	−122	6	2	48
10	Weston-super-Mare RFC	22	8	0	14	491	661	−170	6	5	43
11	Old Centralians (R)	22	6	0	16	420	604	−184	5	7	36	Relegated
12	Drybrook (R)	22	5	0	17	414	567	−153	4	7	31

Updated to match(es) played on 26 March 2023. Source: ^[4]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away	BRI	CAM	CHV	DEV	DRY	EXM	IVY	LAU	LYD	OKE	OCE	WSM
Brixham	—	38–42	43–27	52–13	57–18	16–14	29–15	36–11	20–15	32–14	8–14	22–26
Camborne	33–35	—	38–28	32–19	38–0	44–24	78–18	39–7	42–25	20–26	67–12	37–21
Chew Valley	51–21	18–14	—	34–32	41–26	25–29	48–27	40–9	26–8	41–22	69–19	51–10
Devonport Services	37–18	27–35	16–10	—	19–13	18–15	41–29	25–24	24–17	20–24	17–16	24–22
Drybrook	43–0	10–31	28–33	20–31	—	22–35	12–16	12–29	9–12	36–14	18–16	21–20
Exmouth	25–45	30–39	20–15	35–23	27–10	—	25–18	22–12	17–15	31–17	67–11	68–14
Ivybridge	24–25	26–29	29–30	18–13	37–26	15–13	—	31–30	34–39	42–18	29–18	45–27
Launceston	17–18	20–39	30–14	18–13	33–20	29–24	44–27	—	22–28	17–38	36–22	14–5
Lydney	50–33	43–35	15–53	13–18	13–10	41–23	22–10	22–27	—	57–33	20–14	17–27
Okehampton	27–7	15–17	0–27	7–21	21–17	17–21	41–25	25–24	22–8	—	19–17	28–24
Old Centralians	27–29	10–40	10–27	28–15	20–22	30–13	13–25	10–15	26–10	41–7	—	34–23
Weston-super-Mare	29–44	22–26	13–47	36–41	24–21	27–14	24–42	28–26	19–17	22–10	28–12	—

Updated to match(es) played on 25 March 2023. Source: Regional 1 South West
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

2021–22

The first matches were played on 4 September 2021 and the final league matches on 23 April 2022. ^[5] Exeter University (as champions), Old Redcliffians (as runner-up) and Hornets (3rd) are all promoted to National League 2 West (formerly National League 2 South). ^[6] The RFU will announce the format of the tier 5 leagues during the summer of 2022.

Participating teams

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in the previous competition (2019–20). The champions, Barnstaple were promoted to National League 2 South, while Newbury and Bracknell were both relegated to South West 1 East. Maidenhead have been level transferred to London & South East Premier. The teams coming into this season's competition are Old Redcliffians and Bournemouth, both relegated from National League 2 South in 15th and 16th position respectively. Teams promoted into this season's competition are Hornets, champions of South West 1 West, and two teams from South West 1 East, Royal Wootton Bassett and Old Centralians (1st and 2nd respectively).

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Bournemouth Chapel Gate 1,500 Bournemouth, Dorset Relegated from National League 2 South Brixham Astley Park 1,800 (300 stand) Brixham, Devon 5th Camborne Recreation Ground 7,000 (780 seats) Camborne, Cornwall 9th Drybrook Mannings Ground Drybrook, Gloucestershire 7th Exeter University Topsham Sports Ground Exeter, Devon 6th Exmouth Imperial Recreation Ground 1,250 (250 stand) Exmouth, Devon 10th Hornets Hutton Moor Park 1,100 (100 stand) Weston-super-Mare, Somerset Promoted from South West 1 West (champions) Ivybridge Cross-in-Hand Ivybridge, Devon 8th Launceston Polson Bridge 3,000 (194 seats) Launceston, Cornwall 11th Okehampton Showground 1,120 (120 seats) Okehampton, Devon 4th Old Centralians Saintbridge Sports Centre Gloucester, Gloucestershire Promoted from South West 1 East (runner-up) Old Redcliffians Scotland Lane Brislington, Bristol Relegated from National League 2 South Royal Wootton Bassett Ballard's Ash 5,000 Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire Promoted from South West 1 East (champions) Weston-super-Mare Recreation Ground 3,000 Weston-super-Mare, Somerset 2nd

Bournemouth Brixham Camborne Drybrook Exeter Uni Exmouth Hornets Ivybridge Launceston Okehampton Old Centralians Old Redcliffians Royal Wootton Bassett Weston class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2021–22 South West Premier teams

Final league table

2021–22 South West Premier table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Exeter University (P)	26	23	0	3	1132	501	+631	22	2	116
2	Old Redcliffians (P)	26	23	0	3	989	517	+472	21	1	114
3	Hornets (P)	26	22	0	4	890	517	+373	17	2	107
4	Weston-super-Mare	26	18	0	8	726	485	+241	12	4	88
5	Exmouth	26	14	1	11	639	657	−18	11	5	74
6	Launceston	26	11	0	15	602	728	−126	12	8	64
7	Brixham	26	10	1	15	582	695	−113	12	6	60
8	Bournemouth	26	10	0	16	639	663	−24	11	9	60
9	Ivybridge	26	9	1	16	746	834	−88	16	6	60
10	Drybrook	26	11	1	14	542	662	−120	6	6	58
11	Camborne	26	9	0	17	582	818	−236	8	5	49
12	Old Centralians	26	7	2	17	619	864	−245	11	4	47
13	Royal Wootton Bassett	26	6	1	19	503	863	−360	5	4	35
14	Okehampton	26	5	1	20	509	896	−387	6	3	31

Updated to match(es) played on 3 May 2022. Source: ^[7]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (P) Promoted

2020–21

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.

2019–20

The season ended before all the matches were completed because of the coronavirus pandemic and the RFU used a best playing record formula to decide the final table. ^[8] Barnstaple are the champions.

Participating teams

Ten of the thirteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by three promoted sides; Launceston, Newbury Blues and Okehampton. ^{[9] [10] [11]} Bournemouth were promoted to National League 2 South, while relegated sides included Newton Abbot and Cleve (both South West 1 West), and Old Patesians (South West 1 East). Initially, Bromsgrove were due to be level transferred from Midlands Premier but the withdrawal of Birmingham & Solihull from the league system meant that they stayed put, leaving South West Premier with just thirteen teams. ^[12]

Barnstaple

Bracknell

Brixham

Camborne

Drybrook

Exeter Uni

Exmouth

Ivybridge

Launceston

Maidenhead

Newbury

Okehampton

Weston

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2019–20 South West Premier teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Barnstaple	Pottingham Road	2,000 (575 seats)	Barnstaple, Devon	Runners up (lost playoff)
Bracknell	Lily Hill	1,250 (250 seats)	Bracknell, Berkshire	10th
Brixham	Astley Park	1,800 (300 stand)	Brixham, Devon	8th
Camborne	Recreation Ground	7,000 (780 seats)	Camborne, Cornwall	9th
Drybrook	Mannings Ground		Drybrook, Gloucestershire	11th
Exeter University	Topsham Sports Ground		Exeter, Devon	4th
Exmouth	Imperial Recreation Ground	1,250 (250 stand)	Exmouth, Devon	6th
Ivybridge	Cross-in-Hand		Ivybridge, Devon	5th
Launceston	Polson Bridge	3,000 (194 seats)	Launceston, Cornwall	Promoted from South West 1 West (playoff)
Maidenhead	Braywick Park	1,750 (250 seats)	Maidenhead, Berkshire	3rd
Newbury Blues	Monk's Lane	8,000	Newbury, Berkshire	Promoted from South West 1 East (champions)
Okehampton	Showground	1,120 (120 seats)	Okehampton, Devon	Promoted from South West 1 West (champions)
Weston-super-Mare	Recreation Ground	3,000	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	7th

Final league table

2019–20 South West Premier (to 16 March 2020, when play stopped due to COVID-19) Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Barnstaple (C) 21 16 0 5 542 316 +226 10 3 77 2 Maidenhead 19 10 2 7 534 432 +102 9 6 59 3 Weston-super-Mare 19 11 0 8 458 352 +106 8 5 57 4 Okehampton 20 12 0 8 380 364 +16 4 4 56 5 Brixham 20 11 1 8 398 440 −42 4 3 53 6 Exeter University 21 9 1 11 577 547 +30 10 5 53 7 Drybrook 20 9 0 11 369 386 −17 4 7 47 8 Ivybridge 20 8 3 9 503 468 +35 5 4 47 9 Camborne 20 9 1 10 389 477 −88 5 3 46 10 Exmouth 20 8 1 11 440 473 −33 5 6 45 11 Launceston 19 8 1 10 372 526 −154 3 5 42 12 Newbury Blues 20 7 0 13 395 484 −89 3 6 37 13 Bracknell 19 6 0 13 326 418 −92 4 4 32 Updated to match(es) played on 7 August 2020. Source: [13] Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled (C) Champion

Final positions (with adjusted points) Pos Team Pts* 1 Barnstaple (C) 89 2 Weston-super-Mare 73 3 Maidenhead 73 4 Okehampton 67 5 Brixham 64 6 Exeter University 60 7 Drybrook 56 8 Ivybridge 56 9 Camborne 55 10 Exmouth 54 11 Launceston 54 12 Newbury Blues 44 13 Bracknell 39 Updated to match(es) played on 26 December 2020. Source: [13] (C) Champion

2018–19

Participating teams

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Barnstaple, who were relegated from National League 2 South, and by three promoted sides; Drybrook, Exeter University and Old Patesians. ^{[14] [15] [16] [17]} Dings Crusaders (last seasons champions) were promoted to National League 2 South, while Hornets and Lydney were both relegated to South West 1 West, and Newbury Blues relegated to South West 1 East.

Barnstaple

Bournemouth

Bracknell

Brixham

Camborne

Cleve

Drybrook

Exeter Uni

Exmouth

Ivybridge

Maidenhead

Newton Abbot

O Patesians

Weston

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2018–19 South West Premier teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Barnstaple	Pottingham Road	2,000 (575 seats)	Barnstaple, Devon	Relegated from National 2 South (14th)
Bournemouth	Chapel Gate	1,500	Bournemouth, Dorset	Runners up (lost play-off)
Bracknell	Lily Hill	1,250 (250 seats)	Bracknell, Berkshire	5th
Brixham	Astley Park	1,800 (300 stand)	Brixham, Devon	10th
Camborne	Recreation Ground	7,000 (780 seats)	Camborne, Cornwall	7th
Cleve	The Hayfields		Mangotsfield, Gloucestershire	6th
Drybrook	Mannings Ground		Drybrook, Gloucestershire	Promoted from South West 1 West (champions)
Exeter University	Topsham Sports Ground		Exeter, Devon	Promoted from South West 1 West (play-off)
Exmouth	Imperial Recreation Ground	1,250 (250 stand)	Exmouth, Devon	11th
Ivybridge	Cross-in-Hand		Ivybridge, Devon	9th
Maidenhead	Braywick Park	1,750 (250 seats)	Maidenhead, Berkshire	3rd
Newton Abbot	Rackerhayes	1,150 (150 stand)	Newton Abbot, Devon	4th
Old Patesians	Everest Road		Cheltenham, Gloucestershire	Promoted from South West 1 East (champions)
Weston-super-Mare	Recreation Ground	3,000	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	8th

Final league table

2018–19 South West Premier table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Bournemouth (P)	26	25	0	1	999	352	+647	18	0	118
2	Barnstaple (Q)	26	19	1	6	747	541	+206	12	1	91
3	Maidenhead	26	16	1	9	750	581	+169	16	4	86
4	Exeter University	26	15	1	10	776	650	+126	13	5	80
5	Ivybridge	26	15	0	11	656	601	+55	14	4	78
6	Exmouth	26	13	2	11	698	684	+14	15	4	75
7	Weston-super-Mare	26	12	3	11	765	619	+146	14	5	73
8	Brixham	26	12	1	13	742	642	+100	14	7	71
9	Camborne	26	12	0	14	707	746	−39	15	7	70
10	Bracknell	26	13	0	13	597	601	−4	9	4	65
11	Drybrook	26	12	0	14	533	621	−88	6	2	56
12	Cleve (R)	26	6	0	20	642	841	−199	11	8	43
13	Newton Abbot (R)	26	4	1	21	543	940	−397	7	10	35
14	Old Patesians (R)	26	3	0	23	398	1134	−736	4	3	19

Updated to match(es) played on 9 January 2021. Source: ^[18]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for promotion play-off; (R) Relegated

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the South West Premier (formerly National League 3 South West) and London & South East Premier (National League 3 London & South East) participate in a play-off for the third promotion place to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Westcliff, hosted the match and beat their opponents Barnstaple 44 – 5 to win promotion to National League 2 South for the first time. This was Westcliff's first appearance in the play-offs and Barnstaple's second; in 2016 Barnstaple beat Tonbridge Juddians 31 – 30 at Tonbridge. The home team have won fifteen out of 19 play-off matches and the south-east team have won the play-off thirteen times.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
Westcliff (P)	26	19	0	7	808	425	+383	17	5	98
Barnstaple	26	19	1	6	747	541	+206	12	1	91

Source: ^[18]
(P) Promoted

27 April 2019

Westcliff	44 – 5	Barnstaple
	Westcliff [19]

The Gables, Eastwood Attendance: 750

---

2017–18

Participating teams

Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition (when it was known as National League 3 South West). They are joined by Exmouth, who were relegated from National League 2 South, and by three promoted sides; Weston-super-Mare, Maidenhead and Newbury Blues. ^{[20] [21] [22] [23]} Old Redcliffians (champions) were promoted to National League 2 South, while Launceston were relegated to (South West 1 West), Salisbury to (South West 1 East) and Bromsgrove to (Midlands 1 West). ^{[24] [25] [26] [27]}

Bournemouth

Bracknell

Brixham

Camborne

Cleve

Dings

Exmouth

Hornets

Ivybridge

Lydney

Maidenhead

Newbury

Newton Abbot

Weston

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2017-18 South West Premier teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Bournemouth	Chapel Gate	1,500	Bournemouth, Dorset	5th
Bracknell	Lily Hill	1,250 (250 seats)	Bracknell, Berkshire	9th
Brixham	Astley Park	1,800 (300 stand)	Brixham, Devon	7th
Camborne	Recreation Ground	7,000 (780 seats)	Camborne, Cornwall	3rd
Cleve	The Hayfields		Mangotsfield, Gloucestershire	10th
Dings Crusaders	Shaftsbury Park	2,250 (250 seats)	Frenchay, Bristol	2nd (lost play-off)
Exmouth	Imperial Recreation Ground	1,250 (250 stand)	Exmouth, Devon	Relegated from National League 2 South (16th)
Hornets	Hutton Moor Park	1,100 (100 stand)	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	8th
Ivybridge	Cross-in-Hand		Ivybridge, Devon	6th
Lydney	Regentsholm	1,500	Lydney, Gloucestershire	11th
Maidenhead	Braywick Park	1,750 (250 seats)	Maidenhead, Berkshire	Promoted from South West 1 East (champions)
Newbury Blues	Monk's Lane	8,000	Newbury, Berkshire	Promoted from South West 1 East (play-offs)
Newton Abbot	Rackerhayes	1,150 (150 stand)	Newton Abbot, Devon	4th
Weston-super-Mare	Recreation Ground	3,000	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	Promoted from South West 1 West (champions)

Final league table

2017–18 South West Premier table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Ding Crusaders (P)	26	20	0	6	837	438	+399	16	4	100
2	Bournemouth (Q)	26	17	1	8	761	635	+126	9	4	83
3	Maidenhead	26	13	0	13	780	825	−45	18	4	74
4	Newton Abbot	26	13	0	13	858	713	+145	14	5	71
5	Bracknell	26	12	3	11	635	653	−18	10	5	69
6	Cleve	26	12	1	13	693	699	−6	12	7	69
7	Camborne	26	14	0	12	578	558	+20	6	4	66
8	Weston-super-Mare	26	11	2	13	652	705	−53	14	4	66
9	Ivybridge	26	13	1	12	639	620	+19	10	6	65 [a]
10	Brixham	26	12	2	12	630	619	+11	8	5	65
11	Exmouth	26	12	1	13	706	737	−31	11	4	65
12	Newbury Blues (R)	26	13	0	13	569	522	+47	7	5	64
13	Hornets (R)	26	8	1	17	536	933	−397	9	2	45
14	Lydney (R)	26	6	0	20	516	733	−217	7	6	37

Updated to match(es) played on 2 January 2021. Source: ^[28]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for promotion playoff; (R) Relegated
   Notes:

1. 5 points deducted?

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the South West Premier (formerly National League 3 South West) and London & South East Premier (formerly National League 3 London & SE) participate in a play-off for the third promotion place to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Guernsey, hosted the match and beat their opponents Bournemouth 38 – 23 to win promotion. This was Guernsey's first appearance in the play-offs and Bournemouth's second. Bournemouth's previous appearance was in 2011 when they lost to Hertford 23 – 22.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
Guernsey (P)	26	22	0	4	962	446	+516	19	3	110
Bournemouth	26	17	1	8	761	635	+126	9	4	83

Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
(P) Promoted

28 April 2018 15:00

Guernsey	38 – 23	Bournemouth
	Guernsey Bournemouth

Footes Lane

---

2016–17

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Launceston who were relegated from National League 2 South, and by two promoted sides: Camborne and Salisbury. Exmouth (champions) and Barnstaple (play-off) were promoted to National League 2 South, while Chippenham were relegated to South West 1 West, and Old Patesians and Old Centralians to South West 1 East. To address a league imbalance due to only one team coming down from National League 2 South, both Bromsgrove and Bracknell have been level transferred into the league from National League 3 Midlands and National League 3 London & SE respectively, Bromsgrove having finished 9th and Bracknell 11th. ^{[29] [30]}

Bournemouth

Bracknell

Brixham

Bromsgrove

Camborne

Cleve

Dings

Hornets

Ivybridge

Launceston

Lydney

Newton Abbot

Old Redcliffians

Salisbury

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2016-17 South West Premier teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Bournemouth	Chapel Gate	1,500	Bournemouth, Dorset	5th
Bracknell	Lily Hill	1,250 (250 seats)	Bracknell, Berkshire	level transfer from National League 3 London & SE (11th)
Brixham	Astley Park	1,800 (300 stand)	Brixham, Devon	4th
Bromsgrove	Finstall Park		Bromsgrove, Worcestershire	level transfer from National League 3 Midlands (9th)
Camborne	Recreation Ground	7,000 (780 seats)	Camborne, Cornwall	promoted from South West 1 West (champions)
Cleve	The Hayfields		Mangotsfield, Gloucestershire	9th
Dings Crusaders	Landseer Avenue	1,500	Lockleaze, Bristol	10th
Hornets	Hutton Moor Park [31]	1,100 (100 stand)	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	7th
Ivybridge	Cross-in-Hand		Ivybridge, Devon	8th
Launceston	Polson Bridge	3,000 (194 seats)	Launceston, Cornwall	relegated from 2015–16 National League 2 South (16th)
Lydney	Regentsholm	1,500	Lydney, Gloucestershire	3rd
Newton Abbot	Rackerhayes	1,150 (150 stand)	Newton Abbot, Devon	11th
Old Redcliffians	Scotland Lane [31]		Brislington, Bristol	6th
Salisbury	Castle Road	1,500	Salisbury, Wiltshire	promoted from South West 1 East (play-off)

Final league table

2016–17 National League 3 South West table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Old Redcliffians (P)	26	22	1	3	737	467	+270	14	2	106
2	Ding Crusaders (Q)	26	19	0	7	676	448	+228	8	3	87
3	Camborne	26	16	1	9	685	547	+138	12	4	77 [a]
4	Newton Abbot	26	14	1	11	702	717	−15	11	6	75
5	Bournemouth	26	12	3	11	777	551	+226	11	7	72
6	Ivybridge	26	14	0	12	646	618	+28	10	5	71
7	Brixham	26	13	2	11	590	594	−4	10	5	71
8	Hornets	26	13	0	13	714	559	+155	13	4	69
9	Bracknell	26	14	0	12	568	625	−57	8	4	68
10	Cleve	26	13	0	13	643	616	+27	10	3	65
11	Lydney	26	10	0	16	454	653	−199	7	4	51
12	Launceston (R)	26	7	1	18	390	619	−229	2	9	41
13	Salisbury (R)	26	7	0	19	500	807	−307	4	7	39
14	Bromsgrove (R)	26	3	1	22	511	772	−261	4	11	29

Updated to match(es) played on 28 April 2017. Source: ^[32]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the promotion playoff; (R) Relegated
   Notes:

1. 5 points deducted?

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 London & SE, and National League 3 South West participate in a play-off for the third promotion place to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Wimbledon, hosted the match and destroyed their opponents Dings Crusaders 55 – 5 to win promotion.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
Wimbledon (P)	26	23	0	3	936	399	+537	21	2	115
Dings Crusaders	26	19	0	7	676	448	+228	8	3	87

Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
(P) Promoted

29 April 2017 15:00

Wimbledon	55 – 5	Dings Crusaders
	Wimbledon Dings

Beverley Meads Attendance: 350

---

2015–16

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by two teams relegated from National League 2 South, Dings Crusaders and Lydney; and by three promoted teams Cleve, Chippenham and Ivybridge. The teams leaving the league were the 2014–15 champions, Redingensians who were promoted to National League 2 South and the relegated teams, Chard and Weston-super-Mare to play in South West 1 West, and Oxford Harlequins to South West 1 East. Bracknell, who finished 3rd last season, transferred to National League 3 London and SE.

Participating teams

Barnstaple

Bournemouth

Brixham

Cleve

Chippenham

Dings Crusaders

Exmouth

Hornets

Ivybridge

Lydney

Newton Abbot

Old Redcliffians

Old Patesians
Old Centralians

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2015–16 National League 3 South West teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Barnstaple	Pottington Road	2,000 (575 seats)	Barnstaple, Devon	8th
Bournemouth	Chapel Gate	1,500	Bournemouth, Dorset	9th
Brixham	Astley Park	1,800 (300 stand)	Brixham, Devon	5th
Cleve	The Hayfields		Mangotsfield, Gloucestershire	promoted from South West 1 West (champions)
Chippenham	Allington Fields		Chippenham, Wiltshire	promoted from South West 1 East (champions)
Dings Crusaders	Landseer Avenue	1,500	Lockleaze, Bristol	relegated from 2014–15 National League 2 South (16th)
Exmouth	Imperial Recreation Ground	1,250 (250 stand)	Exmouth, Devon	2nd
Hornets	Hutton Moor Park [31]	1,100 (100 stand)	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	6th
Ivybridge	Cross-in-Hand		Ivybridge, Devon	promoted from South West 1 West (play-off)
Lydney	Regentsholm	1,500	Lydney, Gloucestershire	relegated from 2014–15 National League 2 South (14th)
Newton Abbot	Rackerhayes	1,150 (150 stand)	Newton Abbot, Devon	7th
Old Centralians	Saintbridge Sports Centre		Gloucester, Gloucestershire	4th
Old Patesians	Everest Road		Cheltenham, Gloucestershire	10th
Old Redcliffians	Scotland Lane [31]		Brislington, Bristol	11th

Final league table

2015–16 National League 3 South West table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Exmouth (C, P)	26	21	0	5	921	466	+455	17	2	103
2	Barnstaple (Q, P)	26	20	2	4	715	378	+337	12	2	98
3	Lydney	26	16	1	9	547	488	+59	9	4	79
4	Brixham	26	16	0	10	553	517	+36	9	4	77
5	Bournemouth	26	15	0	11	630	441	+189	8	7	75
6	Old Redcliffians	26	15	2	9	474	437	+37	7	4	75
7	Hornets	26	13	2	11	647	508	+139	13	5	74
8	Ivybridge	26	14	0	12	518	467	+51	7	7	70
9	Cleve	26	12	1	13	598	595	+3	10	3	63
10	Ding Crusaders	26	11	0	15	485	568	−83	5	4	53
11	Newton Abbot	26	9	0	17	573	560	+13	6	11	53
12	Old Centralians (R)	26	11	0	15	494	600	−106	6	2	52
13	Old Patesians (R)	26	3	0	23	466	950	−484	5	5	22
14	Chippenham (R)	26	2	0	24	353	999	−646	4	3	15

Updated to match(es) played on 30 April 2016. Source: "National League 3 South West". England Rugby.
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the promotion playoff; (R) Relegated

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 London and SE, and National League 3 South West participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Tonbridge Juddians, host the match and their opponents were Barnstaple, who won the match 30 – 31, scoring the winning points with a penalty in the last seconds of the match. ^[33]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
Tonbridge Juddians	26	21	1	4	833	395	+438	13	2	101
Barnstaple (P)	26	20	2	4	715	378	+337	12	2	98

Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
(P) Promoted

---

30 April 2016 15:00

Tonbridge Juddians	30 – 31	Barnstaple
	Juddians Barnstaple

The Slade Attendance: 600 Referee: Matt Turvey

---

2014–15

Participating teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Barnstaple	Pottington Road	2,000 (575 seats)	Barnstaple, Devon	8th
Bournemouth	Chapel Gate	1,500	Bournemouth, Dorset	relegated from National League 2 South
Bracknell	Lily Hill Park	1,250	Bracknell, Berkshire	3rd
Brixham	Astley Park	1,800 (300 stand)	Brixham, Devon	7th
Chard	The Park, Essex Close [31]		Chard, Somerset	promoted from South West 1 West
Exmouth	Imperial Recreation Ground	1,250 (250 stand)	Exmouth, Devon	relegated from National League 2 South
Hornets	Hutton Moor Park [31]	1,100 (100 stand)	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	promoted from South West 1 West
Newton Abbot	Rackerhayes	1,150 (150 stand)	Newton Abbot, Devon	4th
Old Centralians	Saintbridge Sports Centre		Gloucester, Gloucestershire	11th
Old Patesians	Everest Road		Cheltenham, Gloucestershire	10th
Old Redcliffians	Scotland Lane [31]		Brislington, Bristol	6th
Oxford Harlequins	Marston Ferry Road		North Hinksey, Oxfordshire	promoted from South West 1 East
Redingensians	Old Bath Road		Sonning, Berkshire	2nd
Weston-super-Mare	Recreation Ground [31]	3,000	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset	9th

Final league table

2014–15 National League 3 South West

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Redingensians (C, P)	26	22	0	4	934	359	+575	18	2	108
2	Exmouth (Q)	26	21	0	5	820	426	+394	13	2	99
3	Bracknell	26	17	0	9	747	565	+182	13	6	87
4	Old Centralians	26	18	1	7	672	551	+121	7	3	84
5	Brixham	26	17	0	9	692	577	+115	12	4	84
6	Hornets	26	16	0	10	695	557	+138	13	5	82
7	Newton Abbot	26	11	1	14	654	670	−16	11	7	64
8	Barnstaple	26	11	2	13	605	582	+23	10	5	63
9	Bournemouth	26	11	1	14	590	630	−40	9	4	59
10	Old Patesians	26	9	1	16	533	755	−222	10	6	54
11	Old Redcliffians	26	10	2	14	439	642	−203	2	4	50
12	Weston-super-Mare (R)	26	7	0	19	469	652	−183	5	6	39
13	Oxford Harlequins (R)	26	6	0	20	431	825	−394	6	3	33
14	Chard (R)	26	2	0	24	409	899	−490	2	4	14

Updated to match(es) played on 4 May 2015. Source: "National League 3 South West". England Rugby.
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for promotion playoff; (R) Relegated

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 London and SE, and National League 3 South West participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Exmouth, hosts the match; their opponents were Barnes and the match was played on 25 April 2015. At the end of full-time the match score was 22 – 22, and Barnes scored the only points in extra-time, to win the match 27– 22. ^[34]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
Exmouth	26	21	0	5	820	426	+394	13	2	99
Barnes (P)	26	19	0	7	638	492	+146	13	2	91

Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
(P) Promoted

25 April 2015 14:30

Exmouth	22 – 27	Barnes

Imperial Recreation Ground Attendance: 1,000

After extra time (80 mins: 22 – 22)

2013–14

• Amersham & Chiltern RFC
• Avonmouth Old Boys
• Barnstaple
• Bracknell (promoted from South West 1 East)
• Brixham
• Chippenham
• Lydney (relegated from National League 2 South)
• Newton Abbot
• Old Centralians (promoted from South West 1 East)
• Old Patesians
• Old Redcliffians (promoted from South West 1 West)
• Redingensians
• Weston-super-Mare
• Worcester Wanderers (promoted from Midlands 1 West)

League winners

• Lydney (promoted to National League 2 South)

Relegated

• Avonmouth Old Boys (relegated to South West 1 West)
• Chippenham (relegated to South West 1 East)
• Worcester Wanderers (relegated to Midlands 1 West)

Transferred

• Amersham & Chiltern RFC (transferred to National League 3 London & SE)

Final league table

2013–14 National League 3 South West Final table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Lydney (C, P)	26	24	1	1	919	385	+534	20	1	119
2	Redingensians	26	20	2	4	719	363	+356	16	2	102
3	Bracknell	26	19	1	6	706	425	+281	14	3	95
4	Newton Abbot	26	15	0	11	663	603	+60	12	3	75
5	Amersham & Chiltern RFC	26	12	1	13	595	409	+186	13	6	69
6	O Redcliffians	26	14	2	10	501	500	+1	6	2	68
7	Brixham	26	13	0	13	591	618	−27	10	6	68
8	Barnstaple	26	13	1	12	508	585	−77	7	2	63
9	Weston-super-Mare	26	11	0	15	612	645	−33	8	6	58
10	O Patesians	26	9	0	17	516	778	−262	9	5	50
11	O Centralians	26	9	1	16	500	640	−140	7	6	46 [a]
12	Worcester Wanderers (R)	26	9	0	17	440	696	−256	7	3	46
13	Avonmouth Old Boys (R)	26	5	1	20	373	617	−244	2	7	31
14	Chippenham (R)	26	4	0	22	381	760	−379	5	6	27

Updated to match(es) played on 9 May 2014. Source: ^{[35] [36]}
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
   (C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
   Notes:

1. Old Centralians deducted 5 points

2012–13

• Amersham & Chiltern RFC
• Avonmouth Old Boys
• Barnstaple
• Brixham
• Chippenham
• Exmouth
• London Irish Amateur (transferred from National League 3 London & SE)
• Maidenhead (promoted from South West 1 East)
• Malvern
• Newton Abbot
• Old Patesians
• Oxford Harlequins
• Redingensians
• Weston-super-Mare

2011–12

• Amersham & Chiltern RFC
• Barnstaple
• Bournemouth
• Bridgwater & Albion
• Chinnor
• Chippenham
• Exmouth
• Newbury Blues (relegated from National League 2 South)
• Newton Abbot
• Old Patesians
• Old Redcliffians
• Oxford Harlequins
• Redingensians
• Weston-super-Mare

2010–11

• Barnstaple
• Bournemouth
• Bridgwater & Albion
• Cheltenham
• Chinnor
• Cleve
• Coney Hill
• Exmouth
• Hartpury College
• Newton Abbot
• Old Patesians
• Oxford Harlequins
• Redingensians
• Weston-super-Mare

2009–10

The first season as a national league

• Barnstaple
• Bournemouth
• Chinnor
• Chippenham
• Cleve
• Coney Hill
• Exmouth
• Maidenhead (promoted from South West 1 East )
• Old Patesians
• Oxford Harlequins
• Reading
• Redingensians
• Taunton
• Weston-super-Mare

2007–08

2007–08 South West Division 1 table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Chinnor	22	19	2	1	665	317	+348	40
2	Bracknell	22	19	0	3	640	292	+348	38
3	Weston-super-Mare	22	13	1	8	496	413	+83	27
4	Cleve	22	13	0	9	469	417	+52	26
5	Bournemouth	22	11	1	10	520	405	+115	21 [a]
6	Old Patesians	22	9	2	11	477	362	+115	20
7	Oxford Harlequins	22	9	2	11	472	452	+20	18 [a]
8	Redingensians	22	9	0	13	403	459	−56	18
9	Coney Hill	22	9	0	13	411	534	−123	18
10	Reading	22	7	2	13	483	587	−104	16
11	Maidenhead	22	7	1	14	416	584	−168	15
12	St Ives (SW)*	22	1	1	20	158	788	−630	1 [b]

Updated to match(es) played on 2008 April 19. Source: rfu.com
Notes:

1. Oxford Harlequins and Bournemouth were deducted two points each for fielding ineligible players
2. St Ives were deducted two points for failing to field a team against Bracknell

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

• Bournemouth
• Bridgwater & Albion
• Clifton
• High Wycombe
• Oxford
• Maidenhead
• Redruth
• St Ives
• Taunton
• Torquay Athletic
• Weston-super-Mare

Regional 1 South West honours

In the first season of the English rugby union league pyramid, sponsored by Courage, there was four, tier five leagues. The geographical area for teams in South West Division One covered an area of south-west England from Oxfordshire and Berkshire in the east to Cornwall in the west. There were eleven teams in the league and they played each team once, giving each team ten matches. The other tier five leagues were London 1, Midlands 1 and North 1. ^[37] This system prevailed for five seasons, and in 1992–93 the number of teams increased from eleven to thirteen. The following season (1993–94) the league was reorganised and the four tier five leagues became two; National 5 North and National 5 South. ^[38] After three seasons, in 1996–97, a further reorganisation occurred, and there was a return to four, tier five leagues; with South West Division One covering the area of south-west England from Berkshire westwards. ^[39] This system prevailed until 2009–10 when the number of teams was increased from twelve to fourteen and renamed National League Three South West. There was a name change for the beginning of season 2017–18 when the division was renamed the South West Premier.

South West 1 (1987–1993)

The original South West 1 was a tier 5 league with promotion up to Area League 2 South and relegation down to South West 2 (presently split into two leagues known as South West 1 East and South West 1 West).

South West 1

Season	No of teams	No of matches	Champions	Runners-up	Relegated teams	Ref
1987–88	11	10	Redruth	High Wycombe	Bournemouth	[40]
1988–89	11	10	Clifton	High Wycombe	Torquay Athletic, Bridgwater & Albion	[37]
1989–90	11	10	Maidenhead	Weston-super-Mare	Oxford	[37]
1990–91	11	10	High Wycombe	Reading	Matson, Stroud, Taunton	[37]
1991–92	11	10	Berry Hill	Cinderford	No relegation	[41]
1992–93	13	12	Reading	Henley	Penryn	[42]

South West 1 (1993–96)

The top six teams from South West 1 and the top six from London 1 were combined to create National 5 South. South West 1 dropped to become a tier six league and was one of two feeder leagues for National 5 South. Relegation continued to South West 2 (currently South West 1 East and South West 1 West).

South West 1

Season	No of teams	No of matches	Champions	Runners-up	Relegated teams	Ref
1993–94	13	12	Henley	Cheltenham	Gordon League	[43]
1994–95	13	12	Cheltenham	Newbury	Stroud	[44]
1995–96	13	12	Newbury	Gloucester Old Boys	Cinderford	[45]

South West 1 (1996–2009)

At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 South was discontinued and South West 1 returned to being a tier 5 league. Promotion was up to National 4 South (now known as National League 2 South), while the splitting of South West 2 into two regional divisions, meant that relegation was now down to either South West 2 East or South West 2 West (currently South West 1 East / South West 1 West).

South West 1

Season	No of teams	No of matches	Champions	Runners-up	Relegated teams	Ref
1996–97	12	22	Bridgwater & Albion	Launceston	Brixham, Camborne	[46]
1997–98	12	22	Bracknell	Launceston	High Wycombe, St Ives	[47]
1998–99	12	22	Penzance & Newlyn	Launceston	Salisbury	[48]
1999–00	12	22	Launceston	Keynsham	Matson, Stroud	[49]
2000–01	12	22	Old Patesians	Cinderford	Berry Hill, Truro, Torquay Athletic, Gloucester Old Boys	[50]
2001–02	12	22	Weston-super-Mare	Dings Crusaders	Stroud, Maidenhead, Swanage & Warham, Dorcester	[51]
2002–03	12	22	Dings Crusaders	Reading	Berry Hill, Marlow	[52]
2003–04	12	22	Reading	Cinderford	Barnstaple, Truro	[53]
2004–05	12	22	Cinderford	Bridgwater & Albion	St Mary's Old Boys, Gloucester Old Boys, Keynsham	[54]
2005–06	12	22	Chinnor	Clifton	Penryn, Cheltenham, Spartans	[55]
2006–07	12	22	Mounts Bay	Cleve	Chippenham, Clevedon, Reading Abbey	[56]
2007–08	12	22	Chinnor	Bracknell	Reading, Maidenhead, St Ives	[57]
2008–09	12	22	Clifton	Bracknell	No relegation	[58]

National League 3 South West (2009–2017)

The division was renamed National League 3 South West following a restructuring of the national leagues which led to changes at all levels. It remained a tier 5 league with promotion up to National League 2 South (formerly National League 3 South) and relegation to either South West 1 East or South West 1 West (formerly South West 2 East / South West 2 West).

National League 3 South West

Season	No of teams	No of matches	Champions	Runners-up	Relegated teams	Ref
2009–10	14	26	Taunton	Old Patesians	Maidenhead, Chippenham, Reading	[59]
2010–11	14	26	Hartpury College	Bournemouth	Cleve, Coney Hill, Cheltenham	[60]
2011–12	14	26	Bournemouth	Chinnor	Bridgwater & Albion, Newbury Blues, Old Redcliffians	[61]
2012–13	14	26	London Irish Amateur	Exmouth	Maidenhead, Oxford Harlequins, Malvern	[62]
2013–14	14	26	Lydney	Redingensians	Chippenham, Avonmouth Old Boys, Worcester Wanderers	[63]
2014–15	14	26	Redingensians	Exmouth	Chard, Oxford Harlequins, Weston-super-Mare	[64]
2015–16	14	26	Exmouth	Barnstaple	Chippenham, Old Patesians, Old Centralians	[65]
2016–17	14	26	Old Redcliffians	Dings Crusaders	Bromsgrove, Salisbury, Launceston	[66]
Green background are the promotion places.

South West Premier (2017–2022)

For the 2017–18 season all divisions at tier 5 were renamed from National League 3 to Premier meaning that National League 3 South West became known as South West Premier. ^[1] Promotion continued to National League 2 South and relegation to either South West 1 East or South West 1 West.

South West Premier

Season	No of teams	No of matches	Champions	Runners-up	Relegated teams	Ref
2017–18	14	26	Dings Crusaders	Bournemouth	Lydney, Hornets, Newbury Blues	[67]
2018–19	14	26	Bournemouth	Barnstaple	Old Patesians, Newton Abbot, Cleve	[68]
2019–20	13 [a]	20 [b]	Barnstaple	Weston-super-Mare	Bracknell, Newbury Blues	[71]
2020–21	14	26	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
2021–22	14	26	Exeter University	Old Redcliffians	Hornets also promoted.
Green background are the promotion places.

Regional 1 South West (2022–)

From 2022–33 season the number of tier 5 leagues was increased from four to six.

Regional 1 South West

Season	No of teams	No of matches	Champions	Runners-up	Relegated teams	Ref
2022–23	12	22	Camborne	Chew Valley	Old Centralians and Drybrook	[4]
2023–24	12	22	Devonport Services	Barnstaple	Okehampton and Weston-super-Mare	[72] [4]

Promotion play-offs

From 2000–01 season there was a promotion play-off game between the runners-up of London & South East Premier and South West Premier for the third and final promotion place to National League 2 South; with the team with the superior league record having home advantage. As of the 2018–19 season, the London and south-east teams have been most successful with thirteen wins to the south-west teams six, while the home side have won fifteen of the nineteen ties. The last play-off was in 2018–19, with the next two seasons cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and following the increase of leagues at this level to three, only the champions are promoted.

South West Premier v London & South East Premier promotion play-off results

Season	Home team	Score	Away team	Venue	Attendance	Reference
2000–01	Cinderford (SW)	26–10	Havant (LSE)	Dockham Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire
2001–02	Basingstoke (LSE)	29–13	Dings Crusaders (SW)	Down Grange, Basingstoke, Hampshire		[73]
2002–03	Haywards Heath (LSE)	34–21	Reading (SW)	Whiteman's Green, Cuckfield, West Sussex		[74] [75]
2003–04	Hertford (LSE)	25–14	Cinderford (SW)	Highfields, Ware, Hertfordshire		[76]
2004–05	Worthing Raiders (LSE)	26–30	Bridgwater & Albion (SW)	Roundstone Lane, Angmering, West Sussex	1,200	[77] [78]
2005–06	Richmond (LSE)	3–12	Clifton (SW)	Athletic Ground, Richmond, Greater London	1,100	[79] [80]
2006–07	Ealing Trailfinders (LSE)	48–16	Cleve (SW)	Trailfinders Sports Ground, Ealing, Greater London		[81] [82]
2007–08	Worthing Raiders (LSE)	18–5	Bracknell (SW)	Roundstone Lane, Angmering, West Sussex		[83] [84]
2008–09	Barnes (LSE)	39–18	Bracknell (SW)	Barn Elms, Barnes, Greater London		[85] [86]
2009–10	Old Albanian (LSE)	15–0	Old Patesians (SW)	Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans, Hertfordshire		[87] [88]
2010–11	Hertford (LSE)	23–22	Bournemouth (SW)	Highfields, Ware, Hertfordshire	1,000	[89] [90]
2011–12	Chinnor (SW)	19–8	Tonbridge Juddian (LSE)	Kingsey Road, Thame, Oxfordshire		[91] [92]
2012–13	Exmouth (SW)	21–20	Dorking (LSE)	Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth, Devon		[93] [94]
2013–14	Old Elthamians (LSE)	17–10	Redingensians (SW)	Queen Mary Sports Ground, Chislehurst, Kent	1,350	[95] [96]
2014–15	Exmouth (SW)	22–27 (aet)	Barnes (LSE)	Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth, Devon	1,000	[97] [98]
2015–16	Tonbridge Juddian (LSE)	30–31	Barnstaple (SW)	The Slade, Tonbridge, Kent	600	[99] [100]
2016–17	Wimbledon (LSE)	55–5	Dings Crusaders (SW)	Beverley Meads, Raynes Park, Greater London	350	[101]
2017–18	Guernsey (LSE)	38–23	Bournemouth (SW)	Footes Lane, Saint Peter Port, Guernsey		[102]
2018–19	Westcliff (LSE)	44–5	Barnstaple (SW)	The Gables, Eastwood, Essex	750	[103] [104]
2019–20	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up – Guernsey (LSE) – promoted instead.
2021–22	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
2022–23	Cancelled due to national league reorganisation.
Green background represent the promoted teams. (LSE = London & South East teams while SW = South West teams).

Number of league titles

• Bournemouth (2)
• Chinnor (2)
• Clifton (2)
• Dings Crusaders (2)
• Reading (2)
• Barnstaple (1)
• Berry Hill (1)
• Bracknell (1)
• Bridgwater & Albion (1)
• Camborne (1)
• Cheltenham (1)
• Cinderford (1)
• Devonport Services (1)
• Exeter University (1)
• Exmouth (1)
• Hartpury College (1)
• Henley (1)
• High Wycombe (1)
• Launceston (1)
• London Irish Amateur (1)
• Lydney (1)
• Maidenhead (1)
• Mounts Bay (1)
• Newbury (1)
• Old Patesians (1)
• Old Redcliffians (1)
• Penzance & Newlyn (1) ^[c]
• Redingensians (1)
• Redruth (1)
• Taunton (1)
• Weston-super-Mare (1)

Note

1. League reduced to 13 teams following the withdrawal of Birmingham & Solihull from Midlands Premier, leaving level 5 with an imbalance of teams. ^[12]
2. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom the RFU cancelled all rugby below the Premiership with most clubs in South West Premier having played 20 games, and a best playing record formula was used to decide the final table. ^{[69] [70]}
3. Penzance & Newlyn are now known as the Cornish Pirates.

See also

• South West Division RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

1. "Renaming of RFU National 3 Leagues". Oxfordshire RFU. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
2. "Regional 1 South West". England Rugby. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
3. "RFU announce new men's community structure". RFU. 13 June 2022.
4. "Regional 1 South West". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
5. "Tribute South West Premier. Fixtures & Results". EnglandRugby. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
6. "Update on Structural Changes to National League Rugby". National League Rugby. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
7. "South West Premier Final Standings". EnglandRugby. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
8. "RFU ends the 2019/20 rugby season in England". EnglandRugby. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
9. "Cornish All Blacks promoted after epic comeback over Old Centralians at Polson Bridge". Cornish & Devon Post. 1 May 2019.
10. "Tribute South West 1 West 2018–2019". England Rugby. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
11. "2018-2019 South-West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
12. "Bees apply to join Greater Birmingham Merit League for 2019/20 season". Birmingham & Solihull RFC (Pitchero). 5 June 2019.
13. "South West Premier Final Standings". EnglandRugby. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
14. "Barnstaple and Wimbledon fail to beat the drop". Talking Rugby Union. 30 April 2018.
15. "Tribute South West 1 West 2017–2018". England Rugby. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
16. "2017-2018 South-West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
17. "Bulls' journey comes to an end in play-off defeat". Banbury Guardian. 30 April 2018.
18. "South West Premier". England Rugby. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
19. Phillips, Chief. "Westcliff Rugby Club secure promotion after big win in play-off final". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
20. "Contrasting fortunes for relegation candidates". Talking Rugby Union. 10 April 2017.
21. "PROMOTION FOR 1st XV and WANDERERS!!". Weston-super-Mare RFC. 2 April 2017.
22. "Rugby round-up: Maidenhead RFC and Marlow RFC are both champions while win for Windsor RFC keeps survival hopes alive". Maidenhead Advertiser. 8 April 2017.
23. "Blues win promotion". Newbury Blues (Pitchero). 29 April 2017.
24. "Spiller set for first Bournemouth start against champions Old Redcliffians". Bournemouth Echo. 7 April 2017.
25. "Cornish All Blacks relegated after narrow defeat at Lydney". Bude Today. 7 April 2017.
26. "Relegation's confirmed for Salisbury RFC despite coming close to stunning the champions". Salisbury Journal. 4 April 2017.
27. "Bromsgrove Rugby Club to return to the Midlands Leagues next season". Bromsgrove Advertiser. 6 June 2017.
28. "South West Premier". England Rugby. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
29. "Bromsgrove Rugby Club lose appeal against level transfer to South West leagues". Worcester News. 3 July 2016.
30. "Senior leagues". Bracknell Rugby Club. 16 May 2016.
31. Handbook Season 2014–2015 (PDF). Somerset County Rugby Football Union Limited. 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
32. "National League 3 South West 2016–2017". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
33. "National League Three Round-up". The RugbyPaper. No. 378. 1 May 2016. p. 37.
34. "Exmouth's promotion hopes shattered with extra-time play-off defeat to Barnes". Express & Echo. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
35. RFU
36. "Results". The RUGBYPaper. 27 April 2014. p. 33.
37. Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill (eds.). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92 (4th ed.). Taunton: Football Directories. ISBN   1 869833 15 5.
38. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95 (23rd ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 163–179. ISBN   0 7472 7850 4.
39. Mick Cleary, ed. (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98 (26th ed.). London: Headline Book Publishers. ISBN   0 7472 7732 X.
40. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89 (17th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 123–139. ISBN   0 356 15884 5.
41. Official Handbook and Byelaws. Season 1992–93. Cornwall Rugby Football Union. 1992. p. 111.
42. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993–94 (22nd ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing Ltd. pp. 151–167. ISBN   0 7472 7891 1.
43. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN   0 7472 7850 4.
44. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1995). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995–96. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN   0 7472 7816 4.
45. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996–97. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN   0 7472 7771 0.
46. "Final League Tables, 1996–97". Trelawny's Army. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
47. "Final League Tables, 1997–98". Trelawny's Army. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
48. "South West 1 1998–1999". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
49. "South West 1, 1999–2000". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
50. Mc Cormack, Stephen (2001). The Official RFU Club Directory 2001–2002 (14th ed.). Harpender: Queen Anne Press. pp. 624–630. ISBN   1 85291 640 0.
51. Mc Cormack, Stephen (2002). The Official RFU Club Directory 2002–2003 (15th ed.). Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. pp. 662–668. ISBN   1 85291 645 1.
52. "South West 1, 2002–2003". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
53. "South West 1, 2003–2004". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
54. "South West 1, 2004–2005". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
55. "South West 1, 2005–2006". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
56. "Final League Tables, 2006–2007". Trelawny's Army. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
57. "South West 1, 2007–2008". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
58. "South West 1, 2008–2009". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
59. "National League 3 South West 2009–2010". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
60. "National League 3 South West 2010–2011". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
61. "National League 3 South West 2011–2012". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
62. "National League 3 South West 2012–2013". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
63. "National League 3 South West 2013–2014". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
64. "National League 3 South West 2014–2015". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
65. "National League 3 South West 2015–2016". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
66. "National League 3 South West 2016–2017". England Rugby. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
67. "South West Premier 2017–2018". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
68. "South West Premier 2018–2019". England Rugby. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
69. "Following government advice, the RFU will suspend all rugby activity in England, at both professional and community level". England Rugby. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
70. "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
71. "Men's level 5 – 7 leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
72. "RUGBY REPORTS: Devonport Services dig deep to secure the Regional One South West title at Lydney". Plymouth Gazette. 24 March 2024.
73. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 27 April 2002.
74. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 28 April 2003.
75. "It's play-off agony for Reading". Get Reading. 28 April 2003.
76. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 24 April 2004.
77. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 30 April 2005.
78. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". Worthing Herald. 2 May 2005.
79. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 29 April 2006.
80. "London/SW Play off Match overview Richmond VS Clifton". Rugby Statbunker. 29 April 2006.
81. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 28 April 2007.
82. "Ealing Trailfinders 48 Cleve 16". Ealing Today. 3 May 2007.
83. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 26 April 2008.
84. "Raiders' Play-off glory". Worthing Herald. 28 April 2008.
85. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 25 April 2009.
86. "Barnes RFC 39 Bracknell RFC 18". Get Reading. 30 April 2009.
87. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 17 April 2010.
88. "Pointon has mixed emotions after play-off defeat". Gloucester Citizen. 19 April 2010.
89. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 25 April 2011.
90. "British Lion backs promoted Hertford". Hertfordshire Mercury. 25 April 2011.
91. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 28 April 2012.
92. "Tonbridge Juddians miss out on promotion to National 2 South after play-off defeat to Chinnor". Kent Online. 30 April 2013.
93. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 27 April 2013.
94. "Dorking suffer late heartbreak in Devon". Surrey Mirror. 27 April 2013.
95. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 26 April 2014.
96. "Old Elthamians 17 Redingensians 10". Old Elthamians RFC. 26 April 2014.
97. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 25 April 2015.
98. "Exmouth's promotion hopes shattered with extra-time play-off defeat to Barnes". Exeter Express & Echo. 26 April 2015.
99. "London & SE Division Play-Offs". England Rugby. 30 April 2016.
100. "Tonbridge Juddians 30-31 Barnstaple: National Three play-off match report". North Devon Journal. 30 April 2016.
101. "National 3 round up". The RUGBYPaper. No. 450. Rugby Paper Ltd. 30 April 2017. p. 33.
102. "Reynolds' half-time blast does the trick". Guernsey Press. 30 April 2018.
103. "Playoff game- Westcliff v Barnstaple". Rolling Maul. 28 April 2019.
104. "Westcliff Rugby Club secure promotion after big win in play-off final". Echo News. 30 April 2019.

External links

• Rugby union in the South West
• South West Premier fixtures at the RFU