South West Premier


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.
The club finishing in first place is automatically promoted to National League 2 South. The runner-up play the second placed team of London & South East Premier, with the winner also gaining promotion. Relegated teams drop down to either South West 1 East or South West 1 West depending on location, and other factors such as the location of relegated and promoted teams in other divisions.

Format

The season runs from September to May and comprises twenty-six 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:

Participating teams

Ten of the thirteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by three promoted sides; Launceston, Newbury Blues and Okehampton. Bournemouth were promoted to National League 2 South, while relegated sides included Newton Abbot and Cleve, and Old Patesians. Initially, Bromsgrove were due to be level transferred from Midlands Premier but the withdrawal of Birmingham & Solihull from the league system meant that they stayed put, leaving South West Premier with just 13 teams.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BarnstaplePottingham Road2,000 Barnstaple, DevonRunners up
BracknellLily Hill1,250 Bracknell, Berkshire10th
BrixhamAstley Park1,800 Brixham, Devon8th
CamborneRecreation Ground7,000 Camborne, Cornwall9th
DrybrookMannings GroundDrybrook, Gloucestershire11th
Exeter UniversityTopsham Sports GroundExeter, Devon4th
ExmouthImperial Recreation Ground1,250 Exmouth, Devon6th
IvybridgeCross-in-HandIvybridge, Devon5th
LauncestonPolson Bridge3,000 Launceston, CornwallPromoted from South West 1 West
MaidenheadBraywick Park1,750 Maidenhead, Berkshire3rd
Newbury BluesMonk's Lane8,000Newbury, BerkshirePromoted from South West 1 East
OkehamptonShowground1,120 Okehampton, DevonPromoted from South West 1 West
Weston-super-MareRecreation Ground6,000Weston-super-Mare, Somerset7th

2018–19

Participating teams

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Barnstaple, who were relegated from National League 2 South, and by three promoted sides; Drybrook, Exeter University and Old Patesians. Dings Crusaders were promoted to National League 2 South, while relegated sides included Hornets and Lydney, and Newbury Blues.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BarnstaplePottingham Road2,000 Barnstaple, DevonRelegated from National 2 South
BournemouthChapel Gate1,500Bournemouth, DorsetRunners up
BracknellLily Hill1,250 Bracknell, Berkshire5th
BrixhamAstley Park1,800 Brixham, Devon10th
CamborneRecreation Ground7,000 Camborne, Cornwall7th
CleveThe HayfieldsMangotsfield, Gloucestershire6th
DrybrookMannings GroundDrybrook, GloucestershirePromoted from South West 1 West
Exeter UniversityTopsham Sports GroundExeter, DevonPromoted from South West 1 West
ExmouthImperial Recreation Ground1,250 Exmouth, Devon11th
IvybridgeCross-in-HandIvybridge, Devon9th
MaidenheadBraywick Park1,750 Maidenhead, Berkshire3rd
Newton AbbotRackerhayes1,150 Newton Abbot, Devon4th
Old PatesiansEverest RoadCheltenham, GloucestershirePromoted from South West 1 East
Weston-super-MareRecreation Ground6,000Weston-super-Mare, Somerset8th

2017–18

Participating teams

Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Exmouth, who were relegated from National League 2 South, and by three promoted sides; Weston-super-Mare, Maidenhead and Newbury Blues. Old Redcliffians were promoted to National League 2 South, while relegated teams included Launceston
, Salisbury and Bromsgrove.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BournemouthChapel Gate1,500Bournemouth, Dorset5th
BracknellLily Hill1,250 Bracknell, Berkshire9th
BrixhamAstley Park1,800 Brixham, Devon7th
CamborneRecreation Ground7,000 Camborne, Cornwall3rd
CleveThe HayfieldsMangotsfield, Gloucestershire10th
Dings CrusadersShaftsbury Park2,250 Frenchay, Bristol2nd
ExmouthImperial Recreation Ground1,250 Exmouth, DevonRelegated from National League 2 South
HornetsHutton Moor ParkWeston-super-Mare, Somerset8th
IvybridgeCross-in-HandIvybridge, Devon6th
LydneyRegentsholm1,500Lydney, Gloucestershire11th
MaidenheadBraywick Park1,750 Maidenhead, BerkshirePromoted from South West 1 East
Newbury BluesMonk's Lane8,000Newbury, BerkshirePromoted from South West 1 East
Newton AbbotRackerhayes1,150 Newton Abbot, Devon4th
Weston-super-MareRecreation Ground6,000Weston-super-Mare, SomersetPromoted from Tribute South West 1 West

2016–17

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Launceston who were relegated from National League 2 South, and by two promoted sides: Camborne and Salisbury. Exmouth and Barnstaple were promoted to National League 2 South, while Chippenham were relegated to Tribute South West 1 West, and Old Patesians and Old Centralians to South West 1 East. To address a league imbalance due to only one team coming down from National League 2 South, both Bromsgrove and Bracknell have been level transferred into the league from National League 3 Midlands and National League 3 London & SE respectively, Bromsgrove having finished 9th and Bracknell 11th.

Participating teams

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BournemouthChapel Gate1,500Bournemouth, Dorset5th
BracknellLily Hill1,250 Bracknell, Berkshirelevel transfer from National League 3 London & SE
BrixhamAstley Park1,800 Brixham, Devon4th
BromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, Worcestershirelevel transfer from National League 3 Midlands
CamborneRecreation Ground7,000 Camborne, Cornwallpromoted from Tribute South West 1 West
CleveThe HayfieldsMangotsfield, Gloucestershire9th
Dings CrusadersLandseer Avenue1,500Lockleaze, Bristol10th
HornetsHutton Moor ParkWeston-super-Mare, Somerset7th
IvybridgeCross-in-HandIvybridge, Devon8th
LauncestonPolson Bridge3,000 Launceston, Cornwallrelegated from 2015–16 National League 2 South
LydneyRegentsholm1,500Lydney, Gloucestershire3rd
Newton AbbotRackerhayes1,150 Newton Abbot, Devon11th
Old RedcliffiansScotland LaneBrislington, Bristol6th
SalisburyCastle Road1,500Salisbury, Wiltshirepromoted from South West 1 East

Final league table

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 London & SE, and National League 3 South West participate in a play-off for the third promotion place to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Wimbledon, hosted the match and destroyed their opponents Dings Crusaders 55 – 5 to win promotion.
ClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPoints
Wimbledon 262303936399537212115
Dings Crusaders2619076764482288387

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2015–16

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by two teams relegated from National League 2 South, Dings Crusaders and Lydney; and by three promoted teams Cleve, Chippenham and Ivybridge. The teams leaving the league were the 2014–15 champions, Redingensians who were promoted to National League 2 South and the relegated teams, Chard and Weston-super-Mare to play in Tribute South West 1 West, and Oxford Harlequins to South West 1 East. Bracknell, who finished 3rd last season, transferred to National League 3 London and SE.

Participating teams

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BarnstaplePottington Road2,000 Barnstaple, Devon8th
BournemouthChapel Gate1,500Bournemouth, Dorset9th
BrixhamAstley Park1,800 Brixham, Devon5th
CleveThe HayfieldsMangotsfield, Gloucestershirepromoted from Tribute South West 1 West
ChippenhamAllington FieldsChippenham, Wiltshirepromoted from South West 1 East
Dings CrusadersLandseer Avenue1,500Lockleaze, Bristolrelegated from 2014–15 National League 2 South
ExmouthImperial Recreation Ground1,250 Exmouth, Devon2nd
HornetsHutton Moor ParkWeston-super-Mare, Somerset6th
IvybridgeCross-in-HandIvybridge, Devonpromoted from Tribute South West 1 West
LydneyRegentsholm1,500Lydney, Gloucestershirerelegated from 2014–15 National League 2 South
Newton AbbotRackerhayes1,150 Newton Abbot, Devon7th
Old CentraliansSaintbridge Sports CentreGloucester, Gloucestershire4th
Old PatesiansEverest RoadCheltenham, Gloucestershire10th
Old RedcliffiansScotland LaneBrislington, Bristol11th

Final league table

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 London and SE, and National League 3 South West participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Tonbridge Juddians, host the match and their opponents were Barnstaple, who won the match 30 – 31, scoring the winning points with a penalty in the last seconds of the match.
ClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPoints
Tonbridge Juddians262114833395438132102
Barnstaple 26202471537833712298

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2014–15

Participating teams

Final league table

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 London and SE, and National League 3 South West participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 South. The team with the best playing record, in this case Exmouth, hosts the match; their opponents were Barnes and the match was played on 25 April 2015. At the end of full-time the match score was 22 – 22, and Barnes scored the only points in extra-time, to win the match 27– 22.
ClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPoints
Exmouth26210582042639413299
Barnes 26190763849214613291

After extra time

2013–14

2012–13

The first season as a national league

Final league table

South West Premier honours

In the first season of the English rugby union league pyramid, sponsored by Courage, there was four, tier five leagues. The geographical area for teams in South West Division One covered an area of south-west England from Oxfordshire and Berkshire in the east to Cornwall in the west. There were eleven teams in the league and they played each team once, giving each team ten matches. The other tier five leagues were London 1, Midlands 1 and North 1. This system prevailed for five seasons, and in 1992–93 the number of teams increased from eleven to thirteen. The following season the league was reorganised and the four tier five leagues became two; National 5 North and National 5 South. After three seasons, in 1996–97, a further reorganisation occurred, and there was a return to four, tier five leagues; with South West Division One covering the area of south-west England from Berkshire westwards. This system prevailed until 2009–10 when the number of teams was increased from twelve to fourteen and renamed National League Three South West. There was a name change for the beginning of season 2017–18 when the division was renamed the South West Premier.

South West Division One

National 5 South

The top six teams from London Division One and the top six from South West Division One were combined to create National 5 South. South West Division One was now the name of a tier six league and was one of two feeder leagues for National 5 South, the other being London Division One.

South West Division One

The division was renamed South West Division One and the top four divisions increased in size. Lydney was promoted to National Division Three and all of the other teams, bar Camborne, were transferred to National 4 South.

National League 3 South West

The division was renamed National League 3 South West following a restructuring of the national leagues which led to changes at all levels.

South West Premier

For the 2017–18 season all divisions at tier 5 were renamed from National League 3 to Premier meaning that National League 3 South West became known as South West Premier.

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been a promotion play-off game between the runners-up of London & South East Premier and South West Premier for the third and final promotion place to National League 2 South with the team with the superior league record having home advantage. As of the 2019–20 season the London and south-east teams have been most successful with thirteen wins to the south-west teams six while the home side have won fifteen of the nineteen ties.

Number of league titles