Counties 1 Western West
English rugby union league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Counties 1 Western West (known as Counties 1 Tribute Ale Western West for sponsorship reasons) is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Western Counties North and Western Counties West. Western Counties West was renamed Counties 1 Western West prior to the 2022–23 season and is currently a seventh tier league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The champions are promoted to Regional 2 South West. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above, but can be one, two or three, to either Counties 2 Cornwall, Counties 2 Devon or Counties 2 Somerset, depending on location.
Current season or competition: 2025–26 Counties 1 Western West | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 (as Western Counties) |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country | England |
| Holders | 'Wiveliscombe (1st title) (2025–26 – promoted to Regional 2 South West) |
| Most titles | Penryn (3 titles) |
| Website | clubs.rfu.com |
'Wiveliscombe are the 2025–26 champions.
Format
The champions are promoted to Regional 2 South West (formerly South West 1 West), while the last two teams, depending on their location, are relegated to Counties 2 Cornwall, Counties 2 Devon or Counties 2 Somerset. In previous seasons teams were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon league. 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.
2026–27
Departing were Wiveliscombe promoted to Regional 2 South West while Penryn (11th) and Plymstock Albion Oaks (12th) were relegated to Counties 2 Cornwall and Counties 1 Devon respectively.
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Locations of the 2026–27 Counties 1 Western West teams in Cornwall Locations of the 2026–27 Counties 1 Western West teams in Devon & Somerset
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2025–26
Participating teams and locations
Teams are based in south-west England, with six from Devon, five from Cornwall and one from Somerset. Eight of the teams played in last seasons competition, departing were the champions Pirates Amateurs promoted to Regional 2 South West, while Bude (10th) were relegated to Counties 2 Cornwall and Tavistock (11th) and Bideford (12th) were relegated to Counties 2 Devon. Incoming teams were Truro (11th) and Newton Abbot (12th) both relegated from Regional 2 South West. Teams promoted to the league were Saltash and Torquay, both champions of Counties 2 Cornwall and Counties 2 Devon respectively.
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Locations of the 2025–26 Counties 1 Western West teams in Cornwall Locations of the 2025–26 Counties 1 Western West teams in Devon & Somerset
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wiveliscombe (P) | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 735 | 450 | 285 | 16 | 2 | 90 | |||||
| 2 | Paignton | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 838 | 602 | 236 | 20 | 2 | 86 | |||||
| 3 | Barnstaple II | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 598 | 536 | 62 | 14 | 5 | 67 | |||||
| 4 | Torquay Athletic | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 650 | 533 | 117 | 13 | 3 | 66 | |||||
| 5 | Truro | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 541 | 573 | −32 | 14 | 1 | 65 | |||||
| 6 | Redruth II | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 629 | 681 | −52 | 15 | 2 | 65 | |||||
| 7 | St Ives | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 524 | 548 | −24 | 14 | 2 | 60 | |||||
| 8 | Kingsbridge | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 535 | 599 | −64 | 12 | 5 | 57 | |||||
| 9 | Newton Abbot | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 606 | 705 | −99 | 15 | 4 | 51 | |||||
| 10 | Saltash | 22 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 566 | 618 | −52 | 12 | 11 | 47 | |||||
| 11 | Penryn (R) | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 543 | 672 | −129 | 13 | 8 | 45 | |||||
| 12 | Plymstock Albion Oaks (R) | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 505 | 753 | −248 | 9 | 2 | 43 | |||||
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Green background is the promotion place.
Pink background are relegation places. | ||||||||||||||||
2024–25
The champions Tiverton were promoted to Regional 2 South West, while Falmouth (12th) were relegated to Counties 2 Cornwall. Barnstaple II and Redruth II were promoted from Counties 2 Devon and Counties 2 Cornwall respectively. Six of the teams are from Devon, five from Cornwall and one from Somerset. Ten of last seasons twelve teams played in that season's competition.
Participating teams and location
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Locations of the 2024–25 Counties 1 Western West teams in Cornwall Locations of the 2024–25 Counties 1 Western West teams in Devon & Somerset
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pirates Amateurs (P) | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 700 | 353 | 347 | 16 | 2 | 96 | |||||
| 2 | Paignton | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 883 | 462 | 421 | 19 | 1 | 93 | |||||
| 3 | Barnstaple II | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 745 | 383 | 362 | 16 | 4 | 84 | |||||
| 4 | Plymstock Albion Oaks | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 786 | 501 | 285 | 15 | 2 | 73 | |||||
| 5 | Redruth II | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 582 | 480 | 102 | 10 | 1 | 63 | |||||
| 6 | Wiveliscombe | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 537 | 439 | 98 | 10 | 2 | 61 | |||||
| 7 | Kingsbridge | 22 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 626 | 562 | 64 | 13 | 1 | 51 | |||||
| 8 | St Ives | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 508 | 566 | −58 | 10 | 3 | 46 | |||||
| 9 | Penryn | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 448 | 699 | −251 | 8 | 2 | 42 | |||||
| 10 | Bude | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 502 | 725 | −223 | 11 | 3 | 42 | |||||
| 11 | Tavistock | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 285 | 1028 | −743 | 4 | 3 | 19 | |||||
| 12 | Bideford | 22 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 305 | 709 | −404 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |||||
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Green background is the promotion place.
Pink background are relegation places (subject to confirmation by the RFU. | ||||||||||||||||
2023–24
Departing were Topsham and Cullompton, promoted to Regional 2 South West. There was no relegation.
Participating teams and location
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiverton (P) | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 750 | 280 | 470 | 12 | 2 | 87 | |||||
| 2 | Paignton | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 777 | 487 | 290 | 15 | 2 | 87 | |||||
| 3 | Plymstock Albion Oaks | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 750 | 476 | 274 | 18 | 4 | 78 | |||||
| 4 | Kingsbridge | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 656 | 452 | 204 | 15 | 3 | 75 | |||||
| 5 | Pirate Amateurs | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 632 | 543 | 89 | 14 | 5 | 67 | |||||
| 6 | Penryn | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 474 | 455 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 63 | |||||
| 7 | Tavisock | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 566 | 609 | −43 | 13 | 6 | 57 | |||||
| 8 | St Ives | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 371 | 473 | −102 | 8 | 0 | 54 | |||||
| 9 | Bideford | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 373 | 578 | −205 | 7 | 4 | 39 | |||||
| 10 | Wiveliscombe | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 436 | 604 | −168 | 5 | 5 | 34 | |||||
| 11 | Bude | 22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 382 | 769 | −387 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |||||
| 12 | Falmouth (R) | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 326 | 767 | −441 | 2 | 5 | 21 | |||||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
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Green background is the promotion place.
Pink background are relegation places. | ||||||||||||||||
2022–23
Participating teams and location
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topsham (P) | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 912 | 421 | 421 | 16 | 1 | 97 | |||||
| 2 | Cullompton (P) | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 932 | 306 | 626 | 15 | 3 | 95 | |||||
| 3 | Kingsbridge | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 664 | 493 | 171 | 14 | 3 | 73 | |||||
| 4 | Pirates Amateur | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 698 | 524 | 174 | 14 | 4 | 72 | |||||
| 5 | Tiverton | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 577 | 486 | 91 | 11 | 4 | 69 | |||||
| 6 | Wiveliscombe | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 586 | 525 | 61 | 9 | 3 | 56 | |||||
| 7 | Penryn | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 618 | 662 | −44 | 13 | 5 | 56 | |||||
| 8 | Bideford | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 446 | 598 | −152 | 8 | 3 | 52 | |||||
| 9 | Plymstock Albion Oaks | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 554 | 658 | −104 | 9 | 4 | 49 | |||||
| 10 | Bude | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 427 | 771 | −344 | 8 | 4 | 40 | |||||
| 11 | Paignton | 22 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 524 | 687 | −163 | 8 | 7 | 37 | |||||
| 12 | Falmouth | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 242 | 1049 | −807 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
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Green background is the promotion place.
Pink background are relegation places. | ||||||||||||||||
2021–22
Participating teams and location
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  Burnham-on-Sea Honiton Kingsbridge Wiveliscombe Locations of the 2021-22 Western Counties West teams
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Points adj | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadebridge Camels | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 1136 | 410 | 726 | 24 | 0 | 128 | |||||
| 2 | Truro | 26 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 768 | 550 | 218 | 17 | 1 | 92 | |||||
| 3 | Newton Abbot | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 828 | 576 | 252 | 18 | 3 | 92 | |||||
| 4 | Teignmouth | 26 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 794 | 524 | 270 | 15 | 4 | 83 | |||||
| 5 | Chard | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 748 | 545 | 203 | 18 | 5 | 83 | |||||
| 6 | Burnham-on-Sea | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 818 | 529 | 289 | 19 | 4 | 78 | −5 | ||||
| 7 | Kingsbridge | 26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 836 | 532 | 304 | 16 | 3 | 72 | −5 | ||||
| 8 | Tiverton | 26 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 586 | 656 | −70 | 10 | 2 | 68 | |||||
| 9 | Wiveliscombe | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 567 | 628 | −61 | 10 | 4 | 60 | |||||
| 10 | Penryn | 26 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 575 | 599 | −24 | 10 | 3 | 59 | |||||
| 11 | Bideford | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 438 | 740 | −302 | 6 | 5 | 45 | |||||
| 12 | Paignton | 26 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 470 | 716 | −246 | 5 | 2 | 39 | |||||
| 13 | Falmouth | 26 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 363 | 973 | −610 | 5 | 1 | 24 | |||||
| 14 | Honiton | 26 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 380 | 1329 | −949 | 5 | 0 | 13 | |||||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
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Green background is the promotion place.
Pink background are relegation places. | ||||||||||||||||
2020–21
Due to the coronavirus pandemic the season was cancelled.
2019–20
Participating teams and location
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Cullompton Honiton Kingsbridge Saltash Wellington Wiveliscombe Locations of the 2019–20 Western Counties West teams
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Final position |
Team | Points (adjusted) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Austell | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 654 | 334 | 320 | 12 | 2 | 90 | 1 | Wellington (P) | 107 | |||
| 2 | Wellington (P) | 20 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 582 | 324 | 258 | 14 | 3 | 81 | 2 | St Austell | 106 | |||
| 3 | Kingsbridge | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 736 | 399 | 337 | 15 | 4 | 75 | 3 | Teignmouth | 94 | |||
| 4 | Teignmouth | 19 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 534 | 304 | 230 | 9 | 5 | 68 | 4 | Kingsbridge | 89 | |||
| 5 | Wadebridge Camels | 21 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 548 | 418 | 130 | 7 | 4 | 65 | 5 | Wadebridge Camels | 80 | |||
| 6 | Penryn | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 516 | 378 | 138 | 9 | 4 | 65 | 6 | Penryn | 74 | |||
| 7 | Chard | 21 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 473 | 562 | −89 | 8 | 3 | 57 | 7 | Chard | 72 | |||
| 8 | Bideford | 21 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 373 | 420 | −47 | 9 | 1 | 52 | 8 | Bideford | 63 | |||
| 9 | Tiverton | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 319 | 522 | −203 | 3 | 2 | 39 | 9 | Tiverton | 46 | |||
| 10 | Falmouth | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 360 | 530 | −170 | 5 | 2 | 37 | 10 | Falmouth | 44 | |||
| 11 | Honiton | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 366 | 615 | −249 | 4 | 5 | 37 | 11 | Honiton | 42 | |||
| 12 | Wiveliscombe | 22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 362 | 689 | −327 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 12 | Saltash | 39 | |||
| 13 | Saltash | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 388 | 538 | −150 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 13 | Wiveliscombe | 39 | |||
| 14 | Cullompton | 22 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 369 | 547 | −178 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 14 | Cullompton | 34 | |||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
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Green background is the promotion place.
Blue background is the play-off place.
Pink background are relegation places. | |||||||||||||||||
2018–19
Participating teams and location
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Crediton Kingsbridge Saltash Sidmouth Wellington Locations of the 2018–19 Western Counties West teams
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Points (adjusted) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidmouth (P) | 26 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 805 | 406 | 399 | 17 | 2 | 103 | ||||
| 2 | Crediton (P) | 26 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 643 | 423 | 220 | 12 | 1 | 101 | ||||
| 3 | Wellington | 26 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 816 | 402 | 414 | 17 | 2 | 100 | −5 | |||
| 4 | St Austell | 26 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 597 | 392 | 205 | 14 | 7 | 93 | ||||
| 5 | Tiverton | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 605 | 547 | 58 | 9 | 6 | 69 | ||||
| 6 | Wadebridge Camels | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 554 | 644 | −90 | 9 | 3 | 66 | ||||
| 7 | Falmouth | 26 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 468 | 625 | −157 | 6 | 1 | 57 | ||||
| 8 | Kingsbridge | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 502 | 548 | −46 | 7 | 8 | 53 | ||||
| 9 | Winscombe | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 453 | 605 | −152 | 5 | 6 | 51 | ||||
| 10 | Bideford | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 495 | 485 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 49 | ||||
| 11 | Saltash | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 396 | 626 | −230 | 3 | 7 | 46 | ||||
| 12 | Chard | 26 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 456 | 796 | −340 | 8 | 3 | 43 | ||||
| 13 | Truro | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 491 | 651 | −160 | 4 | 4 | 42 | ||||
| 14 | Paignton | 26 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 350 | 481 | −131 | 1 | 9 | 36 | ||||
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| Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 13 February 2021 | |||||||||||||||
Promotion play-off
In the play-off for promotion, Crediton played Midsomer Norton from Western Counties North for promotion to South West 1 West. Midsomer Norton had the best playing record and hosted the match, losing 15 – 19. This was the first time either team had participated in the play-offs, at this level, and Crediton's win was the sixth time the away team had won match. Teams from Western Counties North lead 10–9 in the nineteen play-off matches played since 2001.
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midsomer Norton | 26 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 750 | 595 | 155 | 20 | 2 | 102 |
| Crediton (P) | 26 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 643 | 423 | 220 | 12 | 1 | 101 |
| 27 April 2019 15:00 |
| Midsomer Norton | 15 – 19 | Crediton |
| Norton Down Playing Fields, Midsomer Norton, Somerset |
2017–18
Participating teams and location
The 2017–18 Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; seven from Devon, five from Cornwall and two from Somerset. The season started on 2 September 2017 and finished on 21 April 2018. Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. The 2016–17 champions, Exeter University were promoted to South West 1 West, along with the play-off winners Cullompton, while Chard (12th place) and Kingsbridge (13th) were relegated from that league. Bude and Wellington were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon League and were replaced by Falmouth (champions) and Paignton (runner-up).
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Locations of the 2017–18 Western Counties West teams in Cornwall |
Locations of the 2017–18 Western Counties West teams in Devon and Somerset
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League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Points (adjusted) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Ives (P) | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 809 | 478 | 331 | 20 | 1 | 109 | ||||
| 2 | Devonport Services (P) | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 719 | 456 | 263 | 14 | 6 | 90 | ||||
| 3 | St Austell | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 598 | 444 | 154 | 8 | 5 | 83 | ||||
| 4 | Kingsbridge | 26 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 714 | 391 | 323 | 11 | 3 | 82 | ||||
| 5 | Wadebridge Camels | 26 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 596 | 527 | 69 | 8 | 1 | 75 | ||||
| 6 | Sidmouth | 26 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 668 | 548 | 120 | 10 | 4 | 69 | −5 | |||
| 7 | Chard | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 462 | 532 | −70 | 9 | 5 | 56 | ||||
| 8 | Truro | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 539 | 632 | −93 | 8 | 7 | 53 | ||||
| 9 | Paignton | 26 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 462 | 528 | −66 | 3 | 4 | 51 | ||||
| 10 | Crediton | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 427 | 514 | ÷87 | 4 | 5 | 51 | ||||
| 11 | Tiverton | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 462 | 653 | −191 | 3 | 5 | 50 | ||||
| 12 | Falmouth | 26 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 488 | 636 | −148 | 7 | 2 | 49 | ||||
| 13 | Torquay Athletic | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 446 | 621 | −175 | 8 | 4 | 47 | −5 | |||
| 14 | Burnham-on-Sea | 26 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 343 | 773 | −430 | 2 | 4 | 24 | ||||
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| Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 19 May 2017 | |||||||||||||||
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Western Counties West and Western Counties North, participate in a play-off for promotion to South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Chew Valley, host the match, and for the second successive season they lost, this time to Devonport Services 12 – 22. It is the first time Devonport Services are promoted to a level six league.[13] This match was the eighteenth play-off for promotion; the northern sides lead with ten victories to the west's eight and the home teams are leading thirteen to five.
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chew Valley | 26 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 798 | 458 | 340 | 15 | 5 | 92 |
| Devonport Services (P) | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 719 | 456 | 263 | 14 | 6 | 90 |
2016–17
Participating teams and location
The 2016–17 Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; seven from Devon, five from Cornwall and two from Somerset. The season began on 3 September 2016 and finished on 22 April 2017. Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition, the 2015–16 champions, Okehampton were promoted to South West 1 West, along with the play-off winners Kingsbridge. Two Cornish teams, Penryn and Saltash were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon League and were replaced by Bude (champions) and St Ives (runner-up). The three relegated teams from South West One were all allocated places in Western Counties North so the two most westerly teams from that division, Burnham and Wellington were transferred to this league to bring the number of teams to fourteen.
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Locations of the 2016–17 Western Counties West teams in Cornwall |
Locations of the 2016–17 Western Counties West teams in Devon and Somerset
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| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bude | Bencoolen Meadow | 750 | Bude, Cornwall | promoted from Cornwall/Devon (1st) |
| Burnham-on-Sea | BASC Ground | Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset | level transfer from Western Counties North (6th) | |
| Crediton | Blagdon | Crediton, Devon | 12th | |
| Cullompton | Stafford Park | Cullompton, Devon | 7th | |
| Devonport Services | The Rectory | 2,000 | Devonport, Plymouth, Devon | 9th |
| Exeter University | Duckes Meadow, Salmon Pool Lane | Exeter, Devon | 4th | |
| Sidmouth | Blackmore Field | Sidmouth, Devon | 8th | |
| St Austell | Tregorrick Park | 4,000 (300 seats) | St Austell, Cornwall | 11th |
| St Ives | Recreation Ground | 3,000 (275 seats) | St Ives, Cornwall | promoted from Cornwall/Devon (2nd) |
| Tiverton | Coronation Field | 750 | Tiverton, Devon | 6th |
| Torquay Athletic | Recreation Ground | 3,000 (300 seats) | Torquay, Devon | 5th |
| Truro | St Clement's Hill | 2,000 | Truro, Cornwall | 3rd |
| Wadebridge Camels | Molesworth Field | 500 | Wadebridge, Cornwall | 10th |
| Wellington | Athletic Ground | Wellington, Somerset | level transfer from Western Counties North (10th) |
League table
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| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter University (P) | 25 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 960 | 329 | 631 | 18 | 1 | 103 | ||||
| 2 | Cullompton (P) | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 659 | 311 | 348 | 11 | 2 | 101 | ||||
| 3 | Devonport Services | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 587 | 474 | 113 | 8 | 4 | 82 | ||||
| 4 | Truro | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 603 | 487 | 116 | 11 | 3 | 72 | ||||
| 5 | Wadebridge Camels | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 510 | 548 | −38 | 6 | 5 | 71 | ||||
| 6 | St Ives | 26 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 710 | 503 | 207 | 12 | 10 | 70 | ||||
| 7 | St Austell | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 665 | 511 | 154 | 10 | 7 | 69 | ||||
| 8 | Sidmouth | 26 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 608 | 593 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 61 | ||||
| 9 | Torquay Athletic | 26 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 433 | 697 | −264 | 5 | 6 | 55 | ||||
| 10 | Crediton | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 439 | 574 | −135 | 5 | 7 | 48 | ||||
| 11 | Tiverton | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 390 | 657 | −267 | 4 | 6 | 46 | ||||
| 12 | Burnham-on-Sea | 25 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 429 | 521 | −92 | 4 | 9 | 45 | ||||
| 13 | Bude | 26 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 413 | 892 | −479 | 4 | 3 | 39 | ||||
| 14 | Wellington | 26 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 342 | 651 | −309 | 1 | 4 | 32 | ||||
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| Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 19 May 2017 | |||||||||||||||
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Western Counties West and Western Counties North, participate in a play-off for promotion to South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Chew Valley, host the match and they lost to Cullompton 12 – 29.
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chew Valley | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 822 | 493 | 329 | 18 | 0 | 106 |
| Cullompton (P) | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 659 | 311 | 348 | 11 | 2 | 101 |
| 29 April 2017 15:00 |
| Chew Valley | 12 – 29 | Cullompton |
| Chew Lane |
2015–16
The 2015–16 Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; nine from Devon and five from Cornwall. The seasons started on 5 September 2015 and the last matches were played on 30 April 2016.
Participating teams and location
Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Teignmouth were promoted to South West 1 West and Tavistock and St Ives were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon League. The only team from Somerset, Wellington, was transferred to Western Counties North.
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Locations of the 2015–16 Western Counties West teams in Cornwall |
Locations of the 2015–16 Western Counties West teams in Devon
|
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crediton | Blagdon | Crediton, Devon | promoted from Cornwall/Devon | |
| Cullompton | Stafford Park | Cullompton, Devon | relegated from South West 1 West | |
| Devonport Services | The Rectory | 2,000 | Devonport, Plymouth, Devon | 6th |
| Exeter University | Duckes Meadow, Salmon Pool Lane | Exeter, Devon | 9th | |
| Kingsbridge | High House | 1,000 (50 seats) | Kingsbridge, Devon | 2nd |
| Okehampton | Showground | 1,120 (120 seats) | Okehampton, Devon | 7th |
| Penryn | Memorial Ground | 4,000 (200 seats) | Penryn, Cornwall | 11th |
| Saltash | Moorlands Lane | Saltash, Cornwall | promoted from Cornwall/Devon | |
| Sidmouth | Blackmore Field | Sidmouth, Devon | 8th | |
| St Austell | Tregorrick Park | 4,000 (300 seats) | St Austell, Cornwall | relegated from South West 1 West |
| Tiverton | Coronation Field | 750 | Tiverton, Devon | 3rd |
| Torquay Athletic | Recreation Ground | 3,000 (300 seats) | Torquay, Devon | 12th |
| Truro | St Clement's Hill | 2,000 | Truro, Cornwall | 4th |
| Wadebridge Camels | Molesworth Field | 500 | Wadebridge, Cornwall | 5th |
League table
| |||||||||||||||
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okehampton (P) | 26 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 605 | 308 | 297 | 15 | 0 | 108 | ||||
| 2 | Kingsbridge (P) | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 745 | 264 | 481 | 16 | 2 | 106 | ||||
| 3 | Truro | 26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 636 | 535 | 101 | 15 | 5 | 85 | ||||
| 4 | Exeter University | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 738 | 492 | 246 | 13 | 3 | 81 | ||||
| 5 | Torquay Athletic | 26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 641 | 611 | 30 | 11 | 3 | 78 | ||||
| 6 | Tiverton | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 478 | 425 | 53 | 7 | 8 | 67 | ||||
| 7 | Cullompton | 26 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 528 | 478 | 50 | 5 | 7 | 60 | ||||
| 8 | St Austell | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 455 | 511 | −56 | 7 | 9 | 58 | ||||
| 9 | Devonport Services | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 478 | 610 | −132 | 10 | 5 | 55 | ||||
| 10 | Wadebridge Camels | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 505 | 530 | −25 | 7 | 8 | 53 | ||||
| 11 | Sidmouth | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 494 | 631 | −137 | 4 | 5 | 49 | ||||
| 12 | Crediton | 26 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 447 | 658 | −211 | 5 | 2 | 49 | ||||
| 13 | Penryn | 26 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 413 | 742 | −329 | 5 | 5 | 38 | ||||
| 14 | Saltash | 26 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 426 | 794 | −368 | 5 | 7 | 32 | ||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 9 May 2016 | |||||||||||||||
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Western Counties North and Western Counties West, participate in a play-off for promotion to South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Kingsbridge, hosted the match against Keynsham and won 16 – 10.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsbridge (P) | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 745 | 264 | 481 | 16 | 2 | 108 |
| Keynsham | 26 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 681 | 306 | 375 | 14 | 4 | 102 |
| 8 May 2016 15:00 |
| Kingsbridge | 16 – 10 | Keynsham |
| High House |
2014–15
Participating teams and location
The 2014–15 Western Counties West consisted of fourteen teams; nine from Devon, four from Cornwall and one from Somerset. The season started on 6 September 2014 and finished on 18 April 2015. Teignmouth became champions with two matches to play after Exeter University had fifty points deducted for playing ineligible players. Teignmouth were promoted to South West 1 West, while the second place team, Kingsbridge, lost to the runner-up of Western Counties North, Newent in the play-off for promotion. The last two teams, Tavistock and St Ives were relegated to Cornwall/Devon.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devonport Services | The Rectory | 2,000 | Devonport, Plymouth, Devon | 8th |
| Exeter University | Duckes Meadow, Salmon Pool Lane | Exeter, Devon | promoted from Cornwall/Devon | |
| Kingsbridge | High House | 1,000 (50 seats) | Kingsbridge, Devon | 3rd |
| Okehampton | Showground | 1,120 (120 seats) | Okehampton, Devon | 9th |
| Penryn | Memorial Ground | 4,000 (200 seats) | Penryn, Cornwall | 6th |
| St Ives | Recreation Ground | 3,000 (275 seats) | St Ives, Cornwall | 12th |
| Sidmouth | Blackmore Field | Sidmouth, Devon | relegated from South West 1 West | |
| Tavistock | Sandy Park | Tavistock, Devon | 11th | |
| Teignmouth | Bitton Sports Ground | 1,210 (210 stand) | Teignmouth, Devon | 2nd |
| Tiverton | Coronation Field | 750 | Tiverton, Devon | promoted from Cornwall/Devon |
| Torquay Athletic | Recreation Ground | 3,000 | Torquay, Devon | 7th |
| Truro | St Clement's Hill | 2,000 | Truro, Cornwall | 5th |
| Wadebridge Camels | Molesworth Field | 500 | Wadebridge, Cornwall | relegated from South West 1 West |
| Wellington | Athletic Ground | Wellington, Somerset | 10th |
League table
| ||||||||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teignmouth (P) | 26 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 989 | 356 | 633 | 18 | 2 | 112 | |||
| 2 | Kingsbridge | 26 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 701 | 422 | 279 | 12 | 4 | 88 | |||
| 3 | Tiverton | 26 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 574 | 281 | 293 | 11 | 4 | 83 | |||
| 4 | Truro | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 770 | 598 | 172 | 12 | 5 | 78 | |||
| 5 | Wadebridge Camels | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 707 | 503 | 204 | 11 | 4 | 75 | |||
| 6 | Devonport Services | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 556 | 466 | 90 | 8 | 2 | 70 | |||
| 7 | Okehampton | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 593 | 504 | 89 | 8 | 6 | 66 | |||
| 8 | Sidmouth | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 526 | 646 | −120 | 8 | 5 | 60 | |||
| 9 | Exeter University | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 898 | 551 | 347 | 16 | 1 | 56[b] | |||
| 10 | Wellington | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 490 | 625 | −135 | 6 | 4 | 46 | |||
| 11 | Penryn | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 531 | 608 | −77 | 7 | 7 | 40 | |||
| 12 | Torquay Athletic | 26 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 510 | 898 | −388 | 8 | 8 | 36 | |||
| 13 | Tavistock | 26 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 393 | 927 | −534 | 6 | 1 | 27 | |||
| 14 | St Ives | 26 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 303 | 1156 | −853 | 5 | 1 | 18 | |||
| ||||||||||||||
| Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 8 May 2015 | ||||||||||||||
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Western Counties North and Western Counties West, participate in a play-off for promotion to South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Newent, hosted the match; their opponents were Kingsbridge who lost the match 26 – 28 to a stoppage time penalty.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newent (P) | 26 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 827 | 399 | 428 | 16 | 1 | 110 |
| Kingsbridge | 26 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 701 | 422 | 279 | 12 | 4 | 88 |
2013–14
- Bude
- Burnham-on-Sea
- Devonport Services
- Ivybridge
- Kingsbridge
- Okehampton
- Paignton Saxons
- Penryn
- St Ives
- Tavistock
- Teignmouth
- Torquay Athletic
- Truro
- Wellington
2009–10
- Bude
- Camborne
- Devonport Services
- Kingsbridge
- Minehead Barbarians
- Newquay Hornets
- North Petherton
- Okehampton
- Penryn
- Tavistock
- Tiverton
- Truro
- Wadebridge Camels
- Withycombe
2007–08
| |||||||||||||
| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points Diff | Bonus Points | Points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paignton | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 629 | 252 | 377 | 0 | 36 | ||||
| Sidmouth | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 495 | 260 | 235 | 0 | 35 | ||||
| Wadebridge Camels | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 618 | 303 | 315 | 0 | 27 | ||||
| Tiverton | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 381 | 316 | 65 | 0 | 25 | ||||
| Bude | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 349 | 354 | −5 | 0 | 24 | ||||
| Ivybridge | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 340 | 329 | 11 | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Devonport Services | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 488 | 501 | −84 | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Minehead Barbarians | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 429 | 421 | −197 | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Kingsbridge | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 408 | 372 | 36 | 0 | 19 | ||||
| Withycombe | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 242 | 439 | −197 | 0 | 18 | ||||
| Hayle | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 235 | 537 | −302 | 0 | 14 | ||||
| Penryn | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 177 | 536 | −359 | 0 | 6 | ||||
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Western Counties) contained the following teams:
- Avon & Somerset Police
- Cirencester
- Clevedon
- Gordon League
- Matson
- Newquay Hornets
- Okehampton
- Old Redcliffians
- Sidmouth
- Tiverton
- Truro
Western Counties honours
In the first season of the English rugby union league pyramid, sponsored by Courage, there was ten, tier seven leagues. The Western Counties League was for teams based in the south-west of England from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucester and Somerset. Each team played one match against each of the other teams with the winning team awarded two points, and there was one point for each team in a drawn match.[22] This system prevailed for five seasons, and in 1992–93 the number of teams increased from eleven to thirteen. The following season Western Counties League was renamed Courage South West 2 League, and three seasons later in 1996–97 a major reorganisation occurred with South West 2 being split into two regional leagues:[23]
- Courage Western Counties North consisted of sixteen teams based in Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset, and each team continued to play the others once
- Courage Western Counties West consisted of eleven teams based in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, and each team played the other twice.
Western Counties (1987–1993)
Originally Western Counties North and Western Counties West was a single division called Western Counties (sponsored by Courage), involving teams based in the south-west of England including Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucester and Somerset. Each team played one match against each of the other teams with the winning team awarded two points, and there was one point for each team in a drawn match.[22] It was a tier 7 league with promotion up to South West 2[c] and relegation to either Cornwall/Devon or Gloucestershire/Somerset.[d]
| |||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | 10 | Matson | Gordon League | Avon & Somerset Police, Sidmouth | [24] | |||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | 10 | Gordon League | Avonmouth Old Boys | Devonport Services, Crediton | [25] | |||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | 10 | Penryn | Avonmouth Old Boys | Cirencester, Devon & Cornwall Police | [25] | |||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | 10 | Coombe Down | Avonmouth Old Boys | Truro | ||||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | 10 | Clevedon | Bridgwater & Albion[e] | Newquay Hornets | [26] | |||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | 12 | Gloucester Old Boys | Launceston | Plymouth Civil Service, Devon & Cornwall Police | [27] | |||||||
Western Counties (1993–1996)
At the end of the 1992–93 season the top six teams from London Division 1 and the top six from South West Division 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that Western Counties dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to South West 2 and relegation down to either Cornwall/Devon or Gloucestershire/Somerset.[f] The league continued to be sponsored by Courage.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | 12 | Old Patesians | Tiverton | Wiveliscombe | [28] | ||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | 12 | Launceston | Devonport Services | Avonmouth Old Boys | [29] | ||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | 12 | Dings Crusaders | Spartans[g] | No relegation[h] | [30] | ||||||||
| Green background are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Western Counties West (1996–2009)
Major restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Western Counties split into two separate leagues, Western Counties North and Western Counties West, which reverted to tier 7 leagues due to the cancellation of National 5 South.[23] Promotion from Western Counties West was now to the new South West 2 West division (formerly South West 2)[i] while relegation was now to Cornwall/Devon.[j] From the 2008–09 season the league sponsor is Tribute.
| |||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 11 | 20 | Okehampton | St Austell | Old Plymouthians, Crediton, Saltash | [31] | |||||||
| 1997–98 | 10 | 18 | St Austell | Kingsbridge | Sidmouth, Bideford | [32] | |||||||
| 1998–99 | 10 | 18 | Truro | Ivybridge | Devonport Services, Kingsbridge | [33] | |||||||
| 1999–00 | 10 | 18 | Ivybridge | Withycombe | No relegation[k] | [34] | |||||||
| 2000–01 | 12 | 22 | Crediton | Withycombe | St Ives, Wellington, Paignton, Devonport Services[l] | [35][36] | |||||||
| 2001–02 | 12 | 22 | Exmouth | Penryn | South Molton, St Austell | [37] | |||||||
| 2002–03 | 12 | 22 | Penryn | Withycombe | Okehampton, Bideford | [38] | |||||||
| 2003–04 | 12 | 22 | Camborne | Torquay Athletic | Tiverton, St Just | [39] | |||||||
| 2004–05 | 12 | 22 | Mounts Bay | St Ives | Wessex, Devonport Services | [40] | |||||||
| 2005–06 | 12 | 22 | Torquay Athletic | Newton Abbot | Paignton, Ivel Barbarians | [41] | |||||||
| 2006–07 | 12 | 22 | Barnstaple | Hayle | Crediton, Truro | [42] | |||||||
| 2007–08 | 12 | 22 | Paignton | Sidmouth | Hayle, Penryn | [43] | |||||||
| 2008–09 | 14 | 26 | Cullompton | Ivybridge | No relegation[m] (14th Withycombe) | [44] | |||||||
Western Counties West (2009–2022)
Despite widespread league restructuring by the RFU, Western Counties West continued as a tier 7 league, with promotion to South West 1 West (formerly South West 2 West) and relegation to Cornwall/Devon. Tribute continued to sponsor the league.
| |||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 14 | 26 | Camborne | Wadebridge Camels | Minehead Barbarians, Withycombe | [45] | |||||||
| 2010–11 | 14 | 26 | Penryn | Kingsbridge | Tavistock, Newquay Hornets | [46] | |||||||
| 2011–12 | 14 | 26 | North Petherton | Torquay Athletic | Tiverton, St Ives | [47] | |||||||
| 2012–13 | 14 | 26 | St Austell | Bideford | Exeter Saracens, Honiton | [48] | |||||||
| 2013–14 | 14 | 26 | Ivybridge | Teignmouth | Bude, Paignton | [49] | |||||||
| 2014–15 | 14 | 26 | Teignmouth | Kingsbridge | St Ives, Tavistock | [50] | |||||||
| 2015–16 | 14 | 26 | Okehampton | Kingsbridge | Saltash, Penryn | [51] | |||||||
| 2016–17 | 14 | 26 | Exeter University | Cullompton | Wellington, Bude | [52] | |||||||
| 2017–18 | 14 | 26 | St Ives | Devonport Services | Burnham-on-Sea, Torquay Athletic | [53] | |||||||
| 2018–19 | 14 | 26 | Sidmouth | Crediton | Paignton, Truro | [54] | |||||||
| 2019–20 | 14 | 26 | Wellington | St Austell | Cullompton, Saltash | [55] | |||||||
| 2020–21 | 14 | 26 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | ||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 14 | 26 | Wadebridge Camels | Truro | Honiton | ||||||||
Counties 1 Western West (2022– )
Following league reorganisation, Western Counties West is renamed Counties 1 Western West and continues to be a tier 7 league. Promotion is to Regional 2 South West and relegation to Counties 2 Cornwall, Counties 2 Devon or Counties 2 Somerset.
| |||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runner-up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 12 | 22 | Topsham | Cullompton | Falmouth (12th – no relegation) | [56] | |||||||
| 2023–24 | 12 | 22 | Tiverton | Paignton | Falmouth (12th) | [5] | |||||||
| 2024–25 | 12 | 22 | Pirate Amateurs | Paignton | Tavistock (11th) and Bideford (12th) | [4] | |||||||
| 2025–26 | 12 | 22 | Wiveliscombe | Paignton | Penryn (11th) and Plymstock Albion Oaks (12th) | [2] | |||||||
Number of league titles
- Penryn (3)[n]
- Camborne (2)
- Ivybridge (2)
- Okehampton (2)
- St Austell (2)
- Barnstaple (1)
- Clevedon (1)[o]
- Coombe Down (1)[p]
- Crediton (1)
- Cullompton (1)
- Dings Crusaders (1)[q]
- Exeter University (1)
- Exmouth (1)
- Gloucester Old Boys (1)[r]
- Gordon League (1)[s]
- Launceston (1)[t]
- Matson (1)[u]
- Mounts Bay (1)
- North Petherton (1)
- Old Patesians (1)[v]
- Paignton (1)
- Pirates Amateurs (1)
- Sidmouth (1)
- St Ives (1)
- Teignmouth (1)
- Tiverton (1)
- Topsham (1)
- Torquay Athletic (1)
- Truro (1)
- Wadebridge Camels (1)
- Wellington (1)
- Wiveliscombe (1)
Promotion play-offs
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Western Counties North and Western Counties West for the third and final promotion place to South West 1 West. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. As of the end of the 2019–20 season the northern sides have been the more successful with ten victories to the west's nine while the home team has won thirteen times compared to the away teams six.
| ||||||||
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[57] | Taunton Titans (N) | 24–16 | Withycombe (W) | Hyde Park, Taunton, Somerset | ||||
| 2001–02[58] | St Mary's Old Boys (N) | 43–7 | Penryn (W) | Trench Lane, Almondsbury, Bristol | ||||
| 2002–03[59] | Thornbury (N) | 12–5 | Withycombe (W) | Cooper's Farm, Thornbury, Gloucestershire | ||||
| 2003–04[60] | Spartans (N) | 18–7 | Torquay Athletic (W) | Lansdown Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire | ||||
| 2004–05[61] | St Ives (W) | 27–5 | Thornbury (N) | Alexandra Road, St Ives, Cornwall | ||||
| 2005–06[62] | Newton Abbot (W) | 24–12 | Walcot (N) | Rackerhayes, Newton Abbot, Devon | ||||
| 2006–07[63] | Hayle (W) | 11–27 | Barts Rugby (N) | Memorial Park, Hayle, Cornwall | ||||
| 2007–08[64][65] | Sidmouth (W) | 23–20 | Old Redcliffians (N) | Blackmore Field, Sidmouth, Devon | 1,000[66] | |||
| 2008–09[67][68] | Chosen Hill Former Pupils (N) | 33–25 | Ivybridge (W) | Brookfield Road, Churchdown, Gloucester | ||||
| 2009–10[69][70] | Wadebridge Camels (W) | 25–21 | Thornbury (N) | Molesworth Field, Wadebridge, Cornwall | ||||
| 2010–11[71][72] | Thornbury (N) | 54–7 | Kingsbridge (W) | Cooper's Farm, Thornbury, Gloucestershire | ||||
| 2011–12[73][74] | Old Centralians (N) | 39–7 | Torquay Athletic (W) | Saintbridge Sports Centre, Gloucester, Gloucestershire | ||||
| 2012–13[75][76] | Wells (N) | 20–27 | Bideford (W) | Charter Way, Wells, Somerset | 400 | |||
| 2013–14[77][78] | Teignmouth (W) | 10–35 | Matson (N) | Bitton Park Sports Ground, Teignmouth, Devon | ||||
| 2014–15[79][80] | Newent (N) | 28–26 | Kingsbridge (W) | Recreation Ground, Newent, Gloucestershire | ||||
| 2015–16[81] | Kingsbridge (W) | 16–10 | Keynsham (N) | High House, Kingsbridge, Devon | ||||
| 2016–17[82] | Chew Valley (N) | 12–29 | Cullompton (W) | Chew Lane, Chew Magna, Somerset | 700 | |||
| 2017–18[83] | Chew Valley (N) | 12–22 | Devonport Services (W) | Chew Lane, Chew Magna, Somerset | ||||
| 2018–19[84] | Midsomer Norton (N) | 15–19 | Crediton (W) | Norton Down Playing Fields, Midsomer Norton, Somerset | ||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up – St Austell (W) – promoted instead. | |||||||
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | |||||||
| 2021–22 | Cancelled due to league reorganisation | |||||||
| Green background represent the promoted team, (N) stands for Western Counties North teams, (W) stands for Western Counties West teams | ||||||||
Summary of tier seven format since 1987
| |||||||||||||
| Year | Name | No of teams | No of matches | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–92 | Western Counties League | 11 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 1992–96 | Western Counties League | 13 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 1996–97 | Western Counties West | 11 | 20 | ||||||||||
| 1997–00 | Western Counties West | 10 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 2000–08 | Western Counties West | 12 | 22 | ||||||||||
| 2008–22 | Western Counties West | 14 | 26 | ||||||||||
| 2022– | Counties 1 Western West | 12 | 22 | ||||||||||
Sponsorship
The Western Counties League was part of the Courage Clubs Championship and was sponsored by Courage Brewery from the first season, 1987–88 to season 1996–97.[88] The league was unsponsored until season 2007–08 when St Austell Brewery sponsored South-west based leagues under the Tribute Ale label.
Notes
- Also known as the Recreation Ground.
- Exeter University deducted 50 points after playing ineligible players.
- South West 2 is currently two regional divisions - South West 1 East and South West 1 West.
- Gloucestershire/Somerset is currently two separate leagues - Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier.
- Old Culverhaysians also promoted.
- Gloucestershire/Somerset is currently two separate leagues – Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier.
- League restructuring meant that five teams were promoted, including 3rd to 5th place Penzance & Newlyn, Devonport Services and Tiverton.
- There was no relegation as Western Counties was due to split into Western Counties North and Western Counties West.
- From the 1996–97 season South West 2 was split into two regional divisions - South West 2 East and South West 2 West.
- Relegated Western Counties North clubs dropped to Gloucestershire/Somerset (currently Gloucester Premier / Somerset Premier.
- There was no relegation this season due to restructuring of the league system by the RFU.
- At the end of the 2000–01 season there were more relegations from Western Counties West than usual due to with four teams going down, including 9th placed Paignton and 8th placed Devonport Services. Due to the Foot-and-mouth disease teams were unable to fulfil all fixtures which meant that 10th placed South Molton escaped relegation on aggregate points from games played.
- There was no relegation this season due to restructuring of the league system by the RFU.
- One of Penryn's title wins was back when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Clevedon's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Coombe Down title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Dings Crusaders title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Gloucester Old Boys title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Gordon League's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Launceston's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Matson's title win was back when the league was known as Western Counties.
- Old Patesians title win was back when the league was known as Western Counties.