Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship

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).

Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship
Current season or competition:
2019–20 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship
SportRugby union
Instituted1987 (1987) (as Bucks/Oxon 2)
Ceased2019 (2019)
Number of teams7
CountryEngland
HoldersChipping Norton (1st title) (2018–19)
(promoted to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier)
Most titlesDrifters, Wheatley (4 titles)
Websiteenglandrugby.com

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.

Teams 2019–20

Teams 2018–19

Teams 2017–18

Participating clubs

2016–17

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.

Didcot
Faringdon
Harwell
Littlemore
Locations of the 2015-16 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Oxfordshire
Aldermaston
Shire Hall
Farnham Royal
Phoenix
Locations of the 2015-16 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship teams in Berkshire & Buckinghamshire
Team Ground Capacity Town/Village Previous season
AldermastonAWE Recreation SocietyAldermaston, Berkshire7th
Berkshire Shire HallBerkshire County Sports ClubSonning, Reading, Berkshire5th
DidcotEdmunds ParkDidcot, Oxfordshire4th
FaringdonFolly Sports ParkFaringdon, Oxfordshire8th
Farnham RoyalFarnham ParkFarnham Royal, Buckinghamshire6th
HarwellAEA Sports GroundHarwell, Oxfordshire3rd
LittlemoreOxford Academy Playing FieldsOxford, OxfordshireRelegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier (11th)
OxfordSt. Peter's Recreation GroundNorth Hinksey, Oxford, OxfordshireN/A - joined league
PhoenixThe Sports GroundTaplow, BuckinghamshireRelegated 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

2012–13

[1]

  • Abingdon
  • Aldermaston
  • Berkshire Shire Hall
  • Chesham
  • Crowthorne
  • Didcot
  • Farnham Royal
  • Faringdon
  • Kingsclere
  • Wheatley
  • Winslow

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Bucks/Oxon 2) contained the following teams from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire:

  • Chesham
  • Chipping Norton
  • Cholsey
  • Drifters
  • Gosford All Blacks
  • Harwell
  • Milton Keynes
  • Olney
  • Phoenix
  • Wheatley

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[lower-alpha 1]. Promotion was to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation.

Bucks/Oxon 2
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated team(s) Ref
1987–8810DriftersMilton KeynesNo relegation[2]
1988–8910CholseyOlneyNo relegation[3]
1989–9010WheatleyDidcotNo relegation[4]
1990–9110BicesterWitneyNo relegation[5]
1991–9212DriftersChesham[lower-alpha 2]No relegation[6]
1992–939LittlemoreChipping NortonNo 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.

Bucks/Oxon 2
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated team(s) Ref
1993–949PhoenixBuckinghamNo relegation[8]
1994–958WheatleyChipping NortonNo relegation[9]
1995–969DriftersLittlemore[lower-alpha 3]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.

Bucks/Oxon 2
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated team(s) Ref
1997–986CheshamAbingdonNo relegation
1998–996WheatleyDidcot[lower-alpha 4]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[lower-alpha 5]. 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).

Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated team(s) Ref
2000–018WheatleyHenley WanderersNo relegation[12]
2001–027LittlemoreAldermastonNo relegation[13]
2002–038BletchleyCheshamNo relegation[14]
2003–049DriftersHarwell [lower-alpha 6]Multiple teams[lower-alpha 7][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.

Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship Honours
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated team(s) Ref
2011–1212HarwellAylesbury AthleticNo relegation[16]
2012–1311Farnham RoyalCheshamNo relegation[17]
2013–1410AbingdonWheatleyNo relegation[18]
2014–158RisboroughCrowthorneNo relegation[19]
2015–169PhoenixDidcotNo relegation[20]
2016–179LittlemoreWheatleyNo relegation[21]
2017–189RisboroughOxfordNo relegation[22]
2018–197[lower-alpha 8]Chipping NortonAbingdonNo relegation[23]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes
  1. Berkshire based clubs would not join the division until 2000, having originally been involved in the Berks/Dorset/Wilts leagues.
  2. Due to the restructuring of Bucks/Oxon 1 to 13 teams, four teams were promoted including 3rd and 4th place Abingdon and Buckingham.
  3. Due to the merging of Bucks/Oxon 1 and Bucks/Oxon 2 into a single division ahead of the 1996–97 season, all clubs were promoted including Gosford All Blacks, Cholsey, Abingdon, Hanwell and Didcot. Winslow would drop out before the start of the new season.
  4. Bucks & Oxon 2 and the league above merged into one division – Bucks & Oxon – for the following season.
  5. Previously Berkshire clubs played in the Berks/Dorset/Wilts leagues.
  6. Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 would be split into regional divisions for the next season - the top 5 teams (Drifters, Harwell, Gosford All Blacks, Farnham Royal and Littlemore) would be promoted up to the newly named Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier.
  7. Due to the restructuring of the Berks/Bucks & Oxon leagues, Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 would be split into regional divisions for the next season - 4 teams would be relegated to one of the newly created divisions - what is now Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1. The relegated clubs were Winslow, Berkshire Shire Hall, Abingdon and Wheatley
  8. Would reduce from 9 to 7 teams after Farnham Royal dropped out and only one team was relegated into the league from the division above.
  9. Drifters titles include three wins when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2.
  10. Wheatley's titles include three wins when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2.
  11. One of Littlemore's titles was won when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2, another when league was known as Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2.
  12. One of Phoenix's titles was won when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2.
  13. Bicester's title was won when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2.
  14. Chesham's title was won when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2.
  15. Cholsey's title was won when league was known as Bucks/Oxon 2.

See also

References
  1. Rugby First Archived October 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89 (17th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 123–139. ISBN 0 356 15884 5.
  3. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1989). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989–90 (18th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 133–136. ISBN 0 356 17862 5.
  4. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1990). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990–91 (19th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 143–146. ISBN 0 356 19162 1.
  5. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1991). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991–92 (20th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 164–167. ISBN 0 356 20249 6.
  6. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1992). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992–93 (21st ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 176–179. ISBN 0 7472 7907 1.
  7. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993–94 (22nd ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing Ltd. pp. 157–160. ISBN 0 7472 7891 1.
  8. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7850 4.
  9. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1995). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995–96. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7816 4.
  10. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996-97. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7771 0.
  11. "1998-99 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  12. "2000-01 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  13. "2001-02 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  14. "2002-03 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  15. "2003-04 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  16. "2011-12 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  17. "2012-13 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  18. "2013-14 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  19. "2014-15 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  20. "2015-16 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  21. "2016-17 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  22. "2017-18 South West Division". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  23. "2018-19 South-West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
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