Dorset & Wilts 3 North
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1992 (as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3) |
| Ceased | 2020 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Bath Saracens (1st title) |
| Most titles | Combe Down II, Swindon College Old Boys II (2 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
Dorset & Wilts 3 North was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Wiltshire, sitting at tier 10 of the English rugby union system. Promoted teams tended to move up to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation. The league was created in 2005 and was disbanded after the 2019–20 season.
Until 2005, Dorset & Wilts 3 was one division with teams from Berkshire included. In that year, three regional divisions were created for teams in Dorset and Wiltshire, namely Dorset & Wilts 3 North, Dorset & Wilts 3 South and Dorset & Wilts 3 West. The West division was disbanded at the end of the 2008–09 season, leaving just the North and South divisions.
On occasion, clubs in this division also took part in the RFU Junior Vase, a level 9–12 national competition.
The 2019–20 season ended early in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, in common with all English leagues.[1] Neither of the Dorset & Wilts 3 divisions featured in plans for the 2020–21 season.[2]
2019–20
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 Locations of the 2019–20 Dorset & Wilts 3 North teams
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2018–19
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Locations of the 2018–19 Dorset & Wilts 3 North teams
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2017–18
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Locations of the 2017–18 Dorset & Wilts 3 North teams
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2016–17
- Alfred's Nomads
- Bradford-upon-Avon II (relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North)
- Corsham II
- Devizes III
- Melksham III
- Minety II
- Swindon III
- Swindon College Old Boys II (relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North)
- Supermarine II
- Trowbridge III
- Warminster II
- Westbury II
2015–16
The division consisted of eleven teams, all based in Wiltshire.
Eight of the eleven teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions, Combe Down II, were promoted to Dorset & Wilts 2 North, while Chippenham III and Supermarine II were relegated from there. No teams were relegated to Dorset & Wilts 4.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred's Nomads | The Common | Marlborough, Wiltshire | 7th | |
| Chippenham III | Allington Fields | Chippenham, Wiltshire | Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (10th) | |
| Corsham II | Lacock Road | Corsham, Wiltshire | Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (12th – dropped from league) | |
| Devizes III | The Sports Club | Devizes, Wiltshire | 2nd | |
| Melksham III | The Conigre | 1,000 | Melksham, Wiltshire | 9th (not relegated) |
| Minety II | Minety Playing Fields | Minety, Wiltshire | 8th | |
| Royal Wootton Bassett III | Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire | 5th | |
| Supermarine II | Supermarine Sports and Social Club | South Marston, Swindon, Wiltshire | Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (11th) | |
| Swindon III | Greenbridge Road | Swindon, Wiltshire | 4th | |
| Warminster II | Folly Lane | Warminster, Wiltshire | 3rd | |
| Westbury II | Knott Field | Westbury, Wiltshire | 6th | |
2012–13
- Bradford-on-Avon II
- Calne II
- Colerne
- Devizes III
- Melksham III
- Minety II
- Pewsey Vale II
- Supermarine III
- Swindon III
- Swindon College Old Boys III
- Trowbridge III
- Warminster II
2011–12
- Calne II
- Colerne
- Combe Down II
- Devizes III
- Melksham III
- Midsomer Norton IV
- Mintey II
- Pewsey Vale II
- Supermarine II
- Swindon College Old Boys III
- Trowbridge III
- Warminster II
Original teams
When this division was introduced in 1992 it was a single division known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3, containing the following teams from Dorset and Wiltshire[b]:
- Amesbury – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East (4th)
- Colerne – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East (5th)
- Plessey Christ[c] – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West (6th)
- Portcastrians[d] – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West (7th)
- Poole – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West (5th)
- Westbury – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West (4th)
Dorset & Wilts 3 North honours
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 (1992–1993)
Originally Dorset & Wilts 3 North and Dorset & Wilts 3 South were combined in a single division known as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3. Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 itself was created ahead of the 1992–93 season by merging the existing Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East and Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West divisions. It was a tier 10 league with promotion to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | 6 | Poole | Westbury | No relegation | [4] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 (1993–1996)
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 dropped to become a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 6 | Berkshire Shire Hall | Pewsey Vale | No relegation | [5] | |||||||||
| 1994–95 | 8 | Portcastrians | Tadley | No relegation | [6] | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | 6 | Dorset Police | Colerne | No relegation | [7] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 reverted to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 1999–00 season the division was cancelled and all teams transferred into the new look Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South[e]
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 7 | Minety | Christchurch | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 7 | Puddletown | Hungerford | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 7 | Bradford-on-Avon | Berkshire Shire Hall | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | 6 | Hungerford | Warminster[f] | No relegation | [9] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Dorset & Wilts 3 North (2005–2009)
After an absence of four years, Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 was reintroduced in the form of two tier 10 regional divisions – Dorset & Wilts 3 North and Dorset & Wilts 3 South. Promotion was to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation.
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 11 | Fairford | Sutton Benger | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 10 | Swindon College Old Boys II | Malmesbury | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||
| 2007–08 | 9 | Calne II | Royal Wootton Bassett III | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | 7 | Minety II | Swindon College Old Boys II | No relegation | [13] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Dorset & Wilts 3 North (2009–present)
Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Dorset & Wilts 3 North remained a tier 10 league, with promotion continuing to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation.
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 12[g] | Corsham III | Marlborough II | No relegation | [14] | |||||||||
| 2010–11 | 11 | Swindon III | Westbury II | No relegation | [15] | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | 12 | Combe Down II | Supermarine II | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | 12 | Colerne | Trowbridge III[h] | No relegation | [17] | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | 12 | Trowbridge III | Bradford-on-Avon II | No relegation | [18] | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | 9 | Combe Down II | Devizes III | No relegation | [19] | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | 11 | Royal Wootton Bassett III | Chippenham III | No relegation | [20] | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | 12 | Swindon College Old Boys II | Alfred's Nomads | No relegation | [21] | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | 10 | Corsham II | Trowbridge III | No relegation | [22] | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | 8[i] | Amesbury | Combe Down II | No relegation | [23] | |||||||||
| 2019–20 | 7[j] | Bath Saracens[k] | Chippenham III | No relegation | [24] | |||||||||
| 2020–21 | 8 | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Combe Down II (2)
- Swindon College Old Boys II (2)
- Amesbury (1)
- Bath Saracens (1)
- Berkshire Shire Hall (1)[l]
- Bradford-on-Avon (1)[m]
- Calne II (1)
- Colerne (1)
- Corsham II (1)[n]
- Corsham III (1)
- Dorset Police (1)[o]
- Fairford (1)
- Hungerford (1)[p]
- Minety (1)[q]
- Minety II (1)
- Poole (1)[r]
- Puddletown (1)[s]
- Portcastrians (1)[t]
- Royal Wootton Bassett III (1)
- Trowbridge III (1)