Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
Rugby union competition in England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (formerly Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 1) is an English rugby union league featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Current season or competition: 2024-25 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2004 |
| Country |  England |
| Most titles | Bracknell III (3 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
The division was created in 2004–05 as part of a complete overhaul of the Berks/Bucks & Oxon league, with a large number of 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams entering at various levels, and was divided into north and south regions, with the original Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 division becoming the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier and Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 becoming, in effect, division 2 of the system. Rather confusingly promoted 1st teams would go up into the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier while 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams would move into Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
The league would be restructured further in 2011–12 with the re-introduction of a new tier 2 competition - the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship and the cancellation of Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A. This meant that Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (now merged into one league instead of two regional ones) would be for lower teams and below only with no chance of promotion to a higher league (although relegation was still possible).
Following the RFU Adult Competition Review the structure changed once more with reserve teams and first teams competing in the same leagues, the competition administered centrally rather than by county constituent bodies and a North / South divisional split. Promotion is to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) or Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) depending on location. Relegation is to Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) or Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) again depending on location.
2026-27
North
Departing were Chinnor IV (champions) and Stow-on-the-Wold II (runners-up) promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (East) and Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (West) respectively. Bicester II (9th) and Harwell (10th) were relegated.
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  Aylesbury II  Bucks II Didcot III Faringdon Gosford II Littlemore Wallingford II Witney III Locations of the 2026-27 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) teams in Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire
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South
Departing were Windsor II (champions) and High Wycombe II (runners-up) both promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (East).
Also leaving were Wallingford II (7th) on a level transfer to the North division.
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 Shire Hall Aldermaston Crowthorne Farnham Royal Phoenix Tadley II Thatcham Locations of the 2026-27 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Berkshire
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2025-26
North
Departing were Banbury II (champions) and Risborough (runners-up) promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) and Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) respectively. Also leaving were Wallingford II on a level transfer to the South division.
Chipping Norton II (promoted from Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) in season 2024-25) started but did not complete the season leaving ten clubs to contest the outstanding fixtures.
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Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) teams in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire
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South
Departing were Henley III (champions), Bracknell III (runners-up) and Reading II (4th) all promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South).
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Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Berkshire
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2024–25
North
Departing were Faringdon, promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North). Abingdon II (8th) and Banbury III (10th) were relegated to Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North).
Aylesbury II (2nd in 2023–24) were initially placed in the league but withdrew, their place taken by Oxford II.
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Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) teams in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon teams (North) in Buckinghamshire
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South
Departing were Amersham & Chiltern II (champions) and Marlow II (3rd) promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South). Henley III finished as runners-up but could not be promoted into a league already featuring Henley II. Tadley II (10th) were relegated to Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South).
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Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Berkshire
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2023–24
North
Departing were Oxford Harlequins III, promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North). Grove II (9th) and Didcot II (10th) were relegated.
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Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) teams in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon teams (North) in Buckinghamshire
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South
Departing were Crowthorne promoted to Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) having finished as runners-up to champions Rams IV who did not return for the campaign and returned to their local merit league. Also leaving were Reading Abbey II (8th) and High Wycombe II (9th), both relegated.
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Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Berkshire
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2022–23
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review.
North
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Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (North) teams in Oxfordshire Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon teams (North) in Buckinghamshire
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South
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Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Buckinghamshire Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon (South) teams in Berkshire
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2017–2022
Contested (2020-21 aside) but not as an RFU administered league.
Participating clubs 2016–17
- Amersham & Chiltern II
- Aylesbury II
- Bracknell II
- Chinnor III
- Maidenhead IV
- Reading II
- Reading Abbey II
- Redingensians III
- Thatcham II
- Windsor II
- Witney II
Participating clubs 2012–13
- Beaconsfield II
- Bracknell III
- Chinnor III
- Henley III
- High Wycombe II
- Maidenhead II
- Marlow II
- Reading II
- Redingensians III
- Windsor II
- Witney II
Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North Honours
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05[2] | 10 | Witney II[n 1] | Aylesbury II, Olney 2nd XV (also promoted) | Bicester II, Winslow | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North | |||||||||
| 2005-06[3] | 10 | Chinnor III[n 2] | Aylesbury Athletic | Banbury II, Bletchley II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North | |||||||||
| 2006-07[4] | 11 | Bletchley II[n 3] | Aylesbury Athletic | Bicester II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North | |||||||||
| 2007-08[5] | 11 | Milton Keynes 2nd XV[n 4] | Amersham & Chiltern II[n 5] | Gosford All Blacks II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North | |||||||||
| 2008-09[6] | 10 | Bicester II[n 6] | Aylesbury Athletic | Buckingham III, Bletchley II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North | |||||||||
| 2009-10[7] | 10 | Amersham & Chiltern III | Oxford Harlequins III | Chinnor IV, Banbury II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North | |||||||||
| 2010-11[8] | 10 | Beaconsfield II[n 7] | Risborough[n 8] | No relegation | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North[n 9] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A along with Aylesbury II and Olney 2nd XV.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Transferred into East Midlands Merit League.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Transferred into Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1.
- Transferred into Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier.
- The Berks/Bucks & Oxon league would be completely restructured the following season. 1st teams in this division would transfer to either Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier or Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship while 2nd/3rd teams would transfer to either Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 or Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 depending on league position.
Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South Honours
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05[9] | 10 | Newbury Stags[n 1] | Swindon College Old Boys | Aldermaston | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South | |||||||||
| 2005-06[10] | 12 | Crowthorne[n 2] | Abingdon | Newbury IV, Phoenix II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South | |||||||||
| 2006-07[11] | 11 | Bracknell III[n 3] | Farnham Royal[n 4] | Aldermaston | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South | |||||||||
| 2007-08[12] | 11 | Wallingford II[n 5] | Maidenhead III | Slough II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South | |||||||||
| 2008-09[13] | 10 | Maidenhead III[n 6] | Thatcham[n 7] | Didcot | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South | |||||||||
| 2009-10[14] | 11 | Henley III[n 8] | Hungerford[n 9] | Aldermaston, Berkshire Shire Hall | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South | |||||||||
| 2010-11[15] | 11 | Bracknell III[n 10] | Tadley II[n 11] | No relegation | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South[n 12] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier along with Swindon College Old Boys.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier along with Abingdon.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A.
- Promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier.
- Transferred to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1.
- Transferred to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2.
- The Berks/Bucks & Oxon league would be completely restructured the following season. 1st teams in this division would transfer to either Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier or Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship while 2nd/3rd teams would transfer to either Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 or Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 depending on league position.
Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 Honours
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12[16] | 11 | Witney II | Henley III | Wallingford II, Reading Abbey II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 | |||||||||
| 2012-13[17] | 11 | Bracknell III | Windsor II | High Wycombe II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 | |||||||||
| 2013-14[18] | 11 | Amersham & Chiltern II | Windsor II | Marlow II, Beaconsfield II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 | |||||||||
| 2014-15[19] | 11 | Bracknell II | Witney II | Buckingham II, Windsor II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 | |||||||||
| 2015-16[20] | 11 | Bracknell II | Chinnor III | Oxford Harlequins II, Henley III | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 | |||||||||
| 2016-17[21] | 11 | Chinnor III | Maidenhead II | Thatcham II, Reading II | Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 | |||||||||
| 2017-18 | 11 | |||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||