Counties 2 Cornwall (sponsored by St Austell Brewery using the Tribute brand name) is an English level eight rugby union league for clubs based in Cornwall. The champions are promoted to Counties 1 Western West and two teams are relegated to Counties 3 Cornwall. For the first time, reserve teams are allowed to participate. The current champions are Bodmin and due league reorganisation, will remain in this league.
Until last season (2021–22) it was known as Tribute Cornwall League 1 and was a level nine league. It has been running continually since the 1987–88 season. The champions were promoted to the Cornwall/Devon, and the runner-up played the second team in Devon 1, with the winning team gaining promotion. One or two teams were usually relegated to Cornwall 2.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion places.
Blue background is the play-off place.
Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 11 August 2021
2017–18
The format was the same as the previous season with Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 playing in a fifteen team Tribute Cornwall League. The teams played each other once in the first phase and after Christmas the teams split into two leagues, with the top eight playing in Cornwall One and the remainder playing in Cornwall Two.[4]
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion places.
Blue background is the play-off place.
Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 20 April 2021
2016–17
For the first time Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 were amalgamated to create the Tribute Cornwall League with fifteen teams playing each other once in the first phase. After Christmas the teams split into two leagues with the top eight playing in Cornwall One and the remainder playing in Cornwall Two. Hayle won the Tribute Cornwall League before Christmas and the Cornwall 1 title with two matches to play, and were promoted to Cornwall/Devon for the following season (2017–18). Newquay Hornets came second and were due to play Torrington (from Devon 1) in the play-off for the third promotion place; Newquay declined to play the match and Torrington were promoted.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion places.
Blue background is the play-off place.
Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 9 April 2017
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Newquay Hornets declined to play the match and Torrington were promoted.
2015–16
The 2015–16 Cornwall League 1 consisted of eight teams; each team playing the others twice, home and away. The season started on 10 October 2015 and the last league matches were played on 16 April 2016. Lanner won the title, in only their second season in league rugby, following promotion last year from Cornwall League 2. Camborne School of Mines finished second and were due to play Topsham from Devon 1 for the remaining promotion place to the Cornwall/Devon League. The match did not take place and Topsham were promoted.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion places.
Blue background is the play-off place.
Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 18 April 2016
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Camborne School of Mines were due to play Topsham at a venue and date to be decided. The match was not played and Topsham were promoted.
2014–15
The 2014–15 Cornwall League 1 consists of eight teams; each team playing the others twice, home and away. The season started on 4 October 2014 and the league matches were due to finish on 24 January 2015, but owing to postponements finished on 14 February.[10] The champions, Newquay Hornets are promoted to Cornwall/Devon while the second place team, Veor lost 3 – 47 against Plymstock Albion Oaks, the runner-up of Devon 1, in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Roseland and Stithians are relegated to Cornwall 2.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion places.
Blue background is the play-off place. There was no relegation this season.
Updated: 21 April 2017
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Plymouth Albion Oaks beat the home team Veor 47 – 3.
The 2013–14 Cornwall 1 kicked off on 28 September 2013 and was due to finish on 8 February 2014, but owing to postponements finished on 1 March. The league consisted of eight clubs, with each team playing the others twice; home and away. Liskeard-Looe were unbeaten winning thirteen of their fourteen matches, finished as champions and will next season play in Cornwall/Devon. The runner-up, Bodmin, beat the second placed team Totnes, from Devon 1 in a play-off for promotion. St Agnes are relegated to Cornwall 2.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 28 July 2015
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Plymouth Albion Oaks beat the home team Veor 47 – 3.
For the previous two season Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 were amalgamated, this season the leagues' returned to their original format with the re-introduction of Cornwall 2. Cornwall 1 was reduced to seven teams playing each other three times to make eighteen games each.[13]
Saltash, the champions, are promoted to the Cornwall/Devon League for season 2012–13. Helston played against the runner–up from Devon 1, losing the play-off for a place in the Cornwall/Devon League. There was no relegation.
Veor, the champions, are promoted to the Cornwall/Devon for season 2011–12. The runner-up, Pirates Amateurs beat Wessex (Devon 1) 29 – 20 in the play-off and were also promoted. St Day, Perranporth, Illogan Park, St Agnes, and Redruth Albany were relegated to the re-formed Cornwall 2. Lankelly-Fowey withdrew during the season and their results expunged from the table.
For two seasons, 2009–10 and 2010–11, the size of the league was increased to twelve teams by amalgamating with Cornwall League 2.
Roseland, the champions, are promoted to Cornwall/Devon for season 2010–11. Veor, the runner-up lost to Honiton in the promotion play-off and continued to play in the Tribute Cornwall League.[14]
Stithians as champions, were promoted to Cornwall/Devon for season 2009–10. With an increase from twelve to sixteen teams in the aforementioned league, St Austell and Liskeard-Looe were also promoted. The two Cornwall leagues amalgamated for the following season and Camborne School of Mines, Illogan Park, Lankelly-Fowey, Redruth Albany, St Agnes, St Day and Veor joined the remaining teams for 2009–10.[15]
The creation of National 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that the Cornwall League 1 dropped to become a tier 10 league. Promotion was to Cornwall/Devon and relegation to Cornwall 2. The league continued to be sponsored by Courage.
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Cornwall League 1 return to being a tier 9 division. Promotion continued to Cornwall/Devon and relegation to Cornwall 2. From the 2008–09 season onward the league was sponsored by Tribute.
For the 2009–10 season Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 were combined into a single division at tier 9 of the league system. Promotion was to Cornwall/Devon and there was no relegation.
The splitting of the Cornwall League back into two separate divisions, saw Cornwall 1 remain at tier 9 of the league system. Promotion continued to Cornwall/Devon and relegation was once again to Cornwall 2.
The 2016–17 season saw the Cornwall leagues restructured. For the first half of the season, all the clubs from Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 play in a single tier 9 division. In the second half of the season league the teams divided into Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 leagues based on their league positions. Promotion continued to Cornwall/Devon and there was no relegation.
Cornwall League 1
Season
No of teams
Champions
Runners-up
Relegated team(s)
Ref
2016–17
8
Hayle
Newquay Hornets
No relegation
2017–18
8
Liskeard-Looe
Bodmin
St Agnes
Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Cornwall League 1 (2018–2022)
The 2018–19 season saw Cornwall 1 revert to being a tier 9 league with promotion to Cornwall/Devon and relegation to Cornwall 2.
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Cornwall League 1 and Devon League 1 for the third and final promotion place to Cornwall/Devon. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Devon League 1 teams have been the most successful with thirteen wins to the Cornwall League 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on twelve occasions compared to the away teams six.
Cornwall League 1 v Devon League 1 promotion play-off results
^Lankelly-Fowey withdrew during the league season.
^The splitting of the Cornwall League back into Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 at the end of the season meant that five clubs were relegated. They were St Day, Perranporth, Illogan Park, St Agnes and Redruth Albany.
^There was no relegation as Cornwall 1 and Cornwall 2 were combined to form a single division in the first half of the following season.
^The result of the 2003–04 promotion play-off between Old Plymothian & Mannamedian and Perranporth is not listed on the RFU website, although Old Plymothian & Mannamedian would have had home advantage as they had a better league record than Perranporth. We do, however, know that Old Plymothian & Mannamedian won this game as they were in Cornwall/Devon the next season while Perranporth were not.
^Due to the restructuring of the English league system by the RFU for the 2009–10 season there would be no 2008-09 promotion playoff between the league runners up in Cornwall 1 and Devon 1 with the champions and runners up from each league going up automatically.
^Topsham were automatically promoted at the end of the 2015–16 season as Camborne School of Mines did not want to be promoted.[52]
^Torrington were automatically promoted at the end of the 2016–17 season as Newquay Hornets did not want to be promoted.[54]
Sponsorship
The Cornwall One League was part of the Courage Clubs Championship and sponsored by Courage Brewery from the first season, 1987–88 to season 1996–97.[57] The league was unsponsored until season 2007–08 when St Austell Brewery sponsored South-west based leagues under the Tribute Ale label.
2022–23 Counties 2 Cornwall
