The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination is an organisation for the promotion of junior rugby union in the city of Bristol, England.
South West Premier is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of four leagues at this level, alongside London & South East Premier, Midlands Premier and North Premier. 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 Premier was introduced for the 2017-18 season by the RFU in order to lessen confusion for what is a series of regional leagues. South West Premier is the highest regional rugby union league covering South West England and part of South East England.
Tribute Somerset Premier is an English rugby union league which sits at the eighth level of league rugby union in England involving teams based in the county of Somerset as well as some teams based in Bristol. The league champions are automatically promoted to Tribute Western Counties North while the runners up play the runners up of Gloucester Premier for their place. Relegated teams drop into Somerset 1. Only 1st XV sides can be promoted into Tribute Western Counties North, although any side can fall to Somerset 1. Each season a 1st XV side from Tribute Somerset Premier is picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a national competition for clubs at level 8.
Simon Hunt is an English rugby union footballer and Director of Rugby for Old Bristolians having most recently played for Dings Crusaders. Simon has played club rugby in England, France and Wales and is known as a prolific try scorer who can also point kick. He also has international pedigree, having played at youth level for England as well as being centrally contracted to the England Sevens squad for the 2011-2012 IRB Sevens World Series. Outside of rugby Simon holds 87th fastest time for a 2000m indoor row. He is now working as a PE teacher.
Tribute South West 1 West is an English, level six, rugby union league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset. The champions are promoted to South West Premier and the runner-up plays the second team in South West 1 East, with the winning team gaining promotion. Relegated sides usually play in one of the three seventh-tier leagues — Tribute Western Counties North, Tribute Western Counties West or occasionally, Southern Counties South. The current champions are Okehampton and they will play in South West Premier for season 2019-20.
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. The champions are promoted to South West Premier and the runners-up play the second team in South West 1 West, with the winning team gaining promotion. Relegated sides usually play in one of the two seventh-tier leagues – Southern Counties North or Southern Counties South.
Mark Woodrow is an English rugby union player-coach for Dings Crusaders currently playing in the English National League 3 South West. His position of choice is fly-half. Mark has played for eleven English national league clubs in addition to appearing for both Paternope (Naples) and later Viadana in the Italian leagues. He is a former England Counties XV international and has previously been involved with England Sevens. Renowned as a prolific and highly accurate points kicker, over his career he has made 300 appearances in English club rugby, scoring 2,613 points as of the end of the 2014-15 season.
Gloucester Premier is an English rugby union league which sits at the eighth level of league rugby union in England with teams largely being based in the county of Gloucestershire and Bristol. The league champions are automatically promoted to Tribute Western Counties North while the runner-up play the runner-up from Tribute Somerset Premier for the third promotion place. Relegated teams drop down into Gloucester 1.
Bristol Ladies, formally Clifton Ladies RFC, is a women's rugby union team based in Bristol, England. They are a standalone, independent rugby club, running in partnership with the Bristol Bears since becoming affiliated to them in 2008 and play their home matches at Cleve RFC in the Premier 15s.
The 2009–10 National League 2 South was the first season of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. Previously known as National Division 3 South, it had been renamed due to widespread changes to the league system by the RFU with National One becoming the Championship, National 2 becoming National 1 and so on. The league system was 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into National League 1 while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from National League 2 North for the final promotion place. A further change to the league system would see the division increase from 14 to 15 teams.
The 2003–04 National Division Three South was the fourth season of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included Launceston who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted clubs included Southend (champions) and Haywards Heath (playoffs) coming up from London Division 1 and Dings Crusaders as champions of South West Division 1. The league system was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw with the league champions going straight up into National Division Two and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from National Division Three North for the final promotion place.
The 2004-05 National Division Three South was the fifth season of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included Lydney who were relegated from 2003–04 National Division Two as well as Havant (champions) and Hertford (playoffs) who were promoted from London Division 1 while Reading came up as champions of South West Division 1. The season would also see the introduction of a new points system with 4 points being awarded for a win, 2 points being awarded for a draw with the addition of a bonus point being given for scoring 4 or more tries as well as a bonus point given if you manage to lose a game within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into National Division Two while the runners up would have a one game playoff against the runners up from National Division Three North for the final promotion place.
The 2016–17 National League 2 South was the eighth season of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. New teams to the division include Henley Hawks and Cinderford while Exmouth (champions) and Barnstaple were promoted from National League 3 South West along with London Irish Wild Geese who won National League 3 London & SE. The league system is 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions are promoted to National League 1 while the second-placed team play-off against the second-placed team from National League 2 North for the final promotion place.
Adam Westall is a current English rugby union player who plays at fly-half. Although he is currently playing for Swindon in South West 1 East, Adam made his name while playing for Lydney where he broke the club's record for most points in a season, and along with a spell spent with Dings Crusaders, became one of the most prolific points scorers of all time in National League 2 South. He has also won the County Championship Shield twice with Dorset & Wilts.
Gert De Kock is a retired South African rugby union player who played at Fly-half or Full-back. A highly skilled player that could both kick points and score tries, he became one of the top try scorers in National League 2 South history, with 80 tries scored during his spells playing for Westcombe Park and Canterbury.
The Bristol Combination Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1970–71 season, with the inaugural winners being Bristol Harlequins. A plate competition was introduced during the 1985–86 season for teams knocked out of the early rounds of the Bristol Combination Cup, with St Brendans Old Boys being the inaugural winners. The plate was discontinued at the end of the 2002–03 season and has since been replaced by the Bristol Combination Vase, which is for lower ranked clubs in the region.
The 2018–19 National League 2 South is the tenth season of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. At the end of the season, Rams became champions when they won away to Clifton on 6 April 2019, sealing promotion with two games to go. It was a fitting reward for the Berkshire club, who were by far the strongest side in the division. The runners up were Canterbury who claimed second spot after beating off stiff competition from the likes of Tonbridge Juddians and Henley Hawks. Despite finishing 21 points behind Rams, Canterbury's league results were still strong enough to enough to book a home promotion playoff against National League 2 North runners up, Chester. On 4 May 2019, Canterbury defeated Chester 19–10 to join Rams in the 2019–20 National League 1. For both clubs, National League 1 is the highest level they have ever reached since the leagues began back in 1987.
The 2019–20 National League 2 South is the eleventh season of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced.
