Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship
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Current season or competition: 2019–20 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 (as Bucks/Oxon 2) |
| Ceased | 2019 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Country | England |
| Holders | Chipping Norton (1st title) (2018–19) (promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier) |
| Most titles | Drifters, Wheatley (4 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
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 (one each from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire unions) were picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase (a national cup competition for clubs at levels 9–12).
Originally the league was set up as Bucks & Oxon 2 and then Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 before being disbanded in 2003–04 as the league was restructured to cater for the joining of many second, third and fourth teams and was split into regional divisions. The league returned in 2011–12 to contain only first teams (along with Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier) while the second, third and fourth teams were transferred to newly created regional leagues with Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 at the pinnacle and no possibility of promotion to the championship or the league system above it.
At the end of the 2018–19 the league was discontinued. Teams that were not promoted into the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier were transferred into regional Berks/Bucks & Oxon leagues.
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Teams 2018–19
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Teams 2017–18
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Participating clubs
2016–17
- Aldermaston
- Berkshire Shire Hall
- Chipping Norton (relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier)
- Faringdon
- Farnham
- Harwell
- Littlemore
- Oxford
- Wheatley (relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier)
2015–16
The 2015–16 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship consisted of nine teams; five from Oxfordshire and two each from Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The season started on 12 September 2015 and was due to end on 23 April 2016.
Participating teams and location
Six of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Risborough were promoted to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier along with runners up, Crowthorne while Oxford are new to the league having previously been playing friendly matches over the past season. As the basement league in Berks/Bucks & Oxon there was no relegation - although there are a number of leagues below it, mainly for second teams.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldermaston | AWE Recreation Society | Aldermaston, Berkshire | 7th | |
| Berkshire Shire Hall | Berkshire County Sports Club | Sonning, Reading, Berkshire | 5th | |
| Didcot | Edmunds Park | Didcot, Oxfordshire | 4th | |
| Faringdon | Folly Sports Park | Faringdon, Oxfordshire | 8th | |
| Farnham Royal | Farnham Park | Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire | 6th | |
| Harwell | AEA Sports Ground | Harwell, Oxfordshire | 3rd | |
| Littlemore | Oxford Academy Playing Fields | Oxford, Oxfordshire | Relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier (11th) | |
| Oxford | St. Peter's Recreation Ground | North Hinksey, Oxford, Oxfordshire | N/A - joined league | |
| Phoenix | The Sports Ground | Taplow, Buckinghamshire | Relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier (10th) | |
2014–15
- Aldermaston
- Berkshire Shire Hall
- Crowthorne
- Didcot
- Faringdon
- Farnham Royal (relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier)
- Harwell
- Risborough
2013–14
- Abingdon
- Aldermaston
- Berkshire Shire Hall
- Crowthorne
- Didcot
- Faringdon
- Harwell (relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier)
- Kingsclere
- Risborough (relegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier)
- Wheatley
- Winslow
2012–13
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Bucks/Oxon 2) contained the following teams from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire:
Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship honours
Bucks/Oxon 2 (1987–1993)
Originally known as Bucks/Oxon 2, it was a level 9 league for clubs based in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.[a] Promotion was to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 10 | Drifters | Milton Keynes | No relegation | [2] | |||||||||
| 1988–89 | 10 | Cholsey | Olney | No relegation | [3] | |||||||||
| 1989–90 | 10 | Wheatley | Didcot | No relegation | [4] | |||||||||
| 1990–91 | 10 | Bicester | Witney | No relegation | [5] | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | 12 | Drifters | Chesham[b] | No relegation | [6] | |||||||||
| 1992–93 | 9 | Littlemore | Chipping Norton | No relegation | [7] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Bucks/Oxon 2 (1993–1996)
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Bucks/Oxon 2 dropped to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. The division would be cancelled after the 1995–96 due to the merging of the two Bucks/Oxon divisions into a single league known as Bucks/Oxon.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 9 | Phoenix | Buckingham | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
| 1994–95 | 8 | Wheatley | Chipping Norton | No relegation | [9] | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | 9 | Drifters | Littlemore[c] | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Bucks/Oxon 2 (1997–1999)
The resplitting of Bucks/Oxon into two divisions ahead of the 1997–98 season, saw the return of Bucks/Oxon 2 after a single season - this time as a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. After two seasons the division was cancelled again due to the remerging of Bucks/Oxon 1 and Bucks/Oxon 2 into a single Bucks/Oxon division.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 6 | Chesham | Abingdon | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 6 | Wheatley | Didcot[d] | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 (2000–2004)
Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season would see Berkshire based clubs join the Bucks & Oxon leagues.[e] This also saw the reintroduction of Bucks/Oxon 2, remaining a tier 9 league, but this time called Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2. Promotion was to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (formerly Bucks/Oxon 1) and there was no relegation. At the end of the 2003–04 season, the renaming of Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier, meant that Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 would be cancelled and all clubs transferred to the new regionalised Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (replacing Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2).
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 8 | Wheatley | Henley Wanderers | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | 7 | Littlemore | Aldermaston | No relegation | [13] | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | 8 | Bletchley | Chesham | No relegation | [14] | |||||||||
| 2003–04 | 9 | Drifters | Harwell [f] | Multiple teams[g] | [15] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship (2011–2019)
The Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship was introduced as a tier 9 league ahead of the 2011–12 season, replacing Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 as the second division Berks/Bucks & Oxon league. Promotion was to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier and there was no relegation.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | 12 | Harwell | Aylesbury Athletic | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | 11 | Farnham Royal | Chesham | No relegation | [17] | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | 10 | Abingdon | Wheatley | No relegation | [18] | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | 8 | Risborough | Crowthorne | No relegation | [19] | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | 9 | Phoenix | Didcot | No relegation | [20] | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | 9 | Littlemore | Wheatley | No relegation | [21] | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | 9 | Risborough | Oxford | No relegation | [22] | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | 7[h] | Chipping Norton | Abingdon | No relegation | [23] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Drifters (4)[i]
- Wheatley (4)[j]
- Littlemore (3)[k]
- Phoenix (2)[l]
- Risborough (2)
- Abingdon (1)
- Bicester (1)[m]
- Bletchley (1)
- Chesham (1)[n]
- Chipping Norton (1)
- Cholsey (1)[o]
- Farnham Royal (1)
- Harwell (1)
