Southern Counties North (also known as Wadworth 6X Southern Counties North for sponsorship reasons) is a division at level 7 of the English rugby union system.[1] When league rugby first began in 1987 it was a single league known as Southern Counties but since 1996 the division was split into two regional leagues - Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South. Southern Counties North currently sits at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and primarily featuring teams based in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
The league champions at the end of each season are automatically promoted to South West 1 East while the runner-up play against the runner-up from Southern Counties South in a play-off for the third promotion place. Relegated teams usually drop to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier. Teams from Southern Counties North also participate in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a national competition for clubs at level 7.
Locations of the 2016-17 Southern Counties North teams
2015–16
The 2015–16 Southern Counties North consisted of twelve teams; six from Buckinghamshire, two each from Berkshire and Oxfordshire, and one each from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The season started on 12 September 2015 and the last league matches were played on 23 April 2016.
At the end of the 1992–93 season the top six teams from London Division 1 and the top six from South West Division 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that Southern Counties dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to South West 2 and relegation down to either Berks/Dorset/Wilts 1 or Bucks/Oxon 1.
Restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Southern Counties split into two separate leagues, Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South, which reverted to tier 7 leagues due to the cancellation of National 5 South. Promotion from Southern Counties North was now to the new South West 2 East[k] while relegation was now only to Bucks/Oxon 1.[l]
Southern Counties North remained a tier 7 league, with promotion continuing to South West 2 East. However, the transfer of Berkshire clubs from the Dorset/Wilts leagues to the Bucks/Oxon leagues, meant that relegation was now to new Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (formerly Bucks/Oxon 1).[m]
Despite widespread league restructuring by the RFU, Southern Counties North continued as a tier 7 league, with promotion to South West 1 East (formerly South West 2 East) and relegation to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier.
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South for the third and final promotion place to South West 1 East. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season Southern Counties North teams have been the most successful with twelve wins to the Southern Counties South teams seven; and the home team has won promotion on thirteen occasions compared to the away teams six.
Southern Counties North v Southern Counties South promotion play-off results
^No relegation due to league expansion from 11 to 13 teams for the 1992–93 season.
^Due to the cancellation of Courage League Division 5 and subsequent restructuring of the leagues at the end of the 1995–96 season, six clubs were promoted from Southern Counties including Chinnor, Chippenham, Marlow and Swindon.
^The cancellation of Courage League Division 5 and splitting of Southern Counties into Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South at the end of the 1995–96 season, meant that there was no relegation.
^Another change at the end of the 1995–96 saw South West 2 also split into two regional divisions - South West 2 East and South West 2 West.
^No relegation due to league expansion from 10 to 12 teams for the 2004–05 season.
^Although the RFU website has Milton Keynes as runners up, third place Windsor actually went into the playoffs and won promotion.[19]
^The result of the 2003-04 playoff between Amersham & Chiltern and Tadley is unknown due to all the south-west promotion playoff games from this season missing from the RFU website. However, as Amersham & Chiltern were in the higher division the next season (and Tadley were not) it is assumed they won the playoff game. Amersham & Chiltern would also have hosted the game as they had a better points record in their league than Tadley did in theirs.
^Both of Banbury's titles were won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^one of Marlow's titles was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^One of Redingensians titles was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^Amersham & Chiltern's title was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^Bournemouth's title was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^Dorchester's title was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^Sherborne's title was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
^Swanage & Wareham's title was won when league was a single division known as Southern Counties.
2019–20 Southern Counties North
England
