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.
History 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. Neither of the Dorset & Wilts 3 divisions featured in plans for the 2020–21 season.
2019–20
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Bath Saracens Sulis Sports Club Bath, Somerset 3rd Bradford-on-Avon II Broom Ground Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 6th Chippenham III Allington Fields Chippenham, Wiltshire 4th Cricklade Fairview Field Cricklade, Wiltshire Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (11th) Minety II Minety Playing Fields Minety, Wiltshire 8th Royal Wootton Bassett III Ballard's Ash Sports Ground Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (12th) Swindon III Greenbridge Road Swindon, Wiltshire 7th Warminister II Folly Lane Warminster, Wiltshire 5th
2018–19
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Amesbury Archers Way Salisbury, Wiltshire N/A (joined league) Bath Saracens Sulis Sports Club Bath, Somerset 6th Bradford-on-Avon II Broom Ground Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 8th Chippenham III Allington Fields Chippenham, Wiltshire 5th Combe Down II Holly's Corner Combe Down, Bath, Somerset Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (12th) Minety II Minety Playing Fields Minety, Wiltshire 7th Swindon III Greenbridge Road Swindon, Wiltshire 4th Warminister II Folly Lane Warminster, Wiltshire 3rd
2017–18
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Bath Saracens Sulis Sports Club Bath, Somerset Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (11th) Bradford-on-Avon II Broom Ground Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 5th Chippenham III Allington Fields Chippenham, Wiltshire Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North (12th) Corsham II Lacock Road Corsham, Wiltshire 3rd Melksham III The Conigre 1,000 Melksham, Wiltshire 11th Minety II Minety Playing Fields Minety, Wiltshire 7th Supermarine II Supermarine Sports and Social Club South Marston, Swindon, Wiltshire 9th Swindon III Greenbridge Road Swindon, Wiltshire 10th Trowbridge III Doric Park Hilperton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire 6th Warminister II Folly Lane Warminster, Wiltshire 4th
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.
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious 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:
Amesbury – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East (4th) Colerne – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East (5th) Plessey Christ – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West (6th) Portcastrians – 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.
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref 1992–93 6 Poole Westbury No relegation 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.
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref 1993–94 6 Berkshire Shire Hall Pewsey Vale No relegation 1994–95 8 Portcastrians Tadley No relegation 1995–96 6 Dorset Police Colerne No relegation 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
Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref1996–97 7 Minety Christchurch No relegation 1997–98 7 Puddletown Hungerford No relegation 1998–99 7 Bradford-on-Avon Berkshire Shire Hall No relegation 1999–00 6 Hungerford Warminster No relegation 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.
Dorset & Wilts 3 NorthSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref2005–06 11 Fairford Sutton Benger No relegation 2006–07 10 Swindon College Old Boys II Malmesbury No relegation 2007–08 9 Calne II Royal Wootton Bassett III No relegation 2008–09 7 Minety II Swindon College Old Boys II No relegation 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.
Dorset & Wilts 3 NorthSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref2009–10 12 Corsham III Marlborough II No relegation 2010–11 11 Swindon III Westbury II No relegation 2011–12 12 Combe Down II Supermarine II No relegation 2012–13 12 Colerne Trowbridge III No relegation 2013–14 12 Trowbridge III Bradford-on-Avon II No relegation 2014–15 9 Combe Down II Devizes III No relegation 2015–16 11 Royal Wootton Bassett III Chippenham III No relegation 2016–17 12 Swindon College Old Boys II Alfred's Nomads No relegation 2017–18 10 Corsham II Trowbridge III No relegation 2018–19 8 Amesbury Combe Down II No relegation 2019–20 7 Bath Saracens Chippenham III No relegation 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) Bradford-on-Avon (1) Calne II (1) Colerne (1) Corsham II (1) Corsham III (1) Dorset Police (1) Fairford (1) Hungerford (1) Minety (1) Minety II (1) Poole (1) Puddletown (1) Portcastrians (1) Royal Wootton Bassett III (1) Trowbridge III (1)
Notes
See also South West Division RFU Dorset & Wilts RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References