Gloucester 3 was an English rugby union league which sat at the eleventh level of league rugby union in England for teams based in Gloucestershire as well as some in Bristol. Promoted clubs moved into Gloucester 2, and since the cancellation of Gloucester 4 at the end of the 1995–96 season there had been no relegation. The division was discontinued at the end of the 2017–18 season and Gloucester 2 was divided into north and south regional divisions.
Teams 2017–18
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Cainscross Victory Park Cainscross, Stroud, Gloucestershire 6th Fairford Walnut Tree Field Fairford, Gloucestershire 4th Gloucester All Blues The Oxleaze Gloucester, Gloucestershire 7th Kingswood Grimsbury Road Playing Fields Warmley, Kingswood, Gloucestershire Relegated from Gloucester 2 (12th) Norton Norton Parish Grounds Norton, Gloucestershire 5th Painswick Broadham Fields Painswick, Gloucestershire Relegated from Gloucester 2 (11th) Tetbury The Recreation Ground Tetbury, Gloucestershire 3rd United Bristol Hospitals Portway Development Ground Portway, Bristol Transferred from Gloucestershire Reserve Leagues Westbury-on-Severn Parish Playing Field Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire Relegated from Gloucester 2 (10th)
Teams 2016-17 Aretians (relegated from Gloucester 2) Cainscross Cotham Park Fairford Gloucester All Blues Norton Tetbury Wotton
2015–16 The 2015–16 Gloucester 3 consists of seven teams from Gloucestershire. The season starts on 12 September 2015 and is due to end on 16 April 2016. Four of the seven teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Smiths and runners up Minchinhampton were promoted to the Gloucester 2 while Wotton joined from the Gloucestershire Reserve League. As it is the basement league in Gloucestershire there is no relegation.
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious seasonCainscross Victory Park Cainscross, Stroud, Gloucestershire 3rdCheltenham Civil Service Tewkesbury Road Uckington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 5thGloucester All Blues The Oxleaze Gloucester, Gloucestershire 4thNorton Norton Parish Grounds Norton, Gloucestershire 7thOld Elizabethans Severn Road Hallen, Gloucestershire Relegated from Gloucester 2 (11th) Tetbury The Recreation Ground Tetbury, Gloucestershire 6thWotton KLB School Playing Fields Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire Joined from Gloucestershire Reserve League - South 2 (1st)
Teams 2014-15 Cainscross Cheltenham Civil Service (relegated from Gloucester 2) Gloucester All Blues (relegated from Gloucester 2) Hardwicke & Quedgeley Harlequins Minchinhampton Norton Smiths Tetbury
Teams 2013–14 Cainscross (relegated from Gloucester 2) Hardwicke & Quedgeley Minchinhampton Norton Old Elizabethans Smiths Tredworth
Teams 2012–13 Gloucester Civil Service Minchinhampton Norton Old Cryptians (relegated from Gloucester 2) Old Elizabethans (relegated from Gloucester 2) Smiths Tredworth Westbury-on-Severn
Teams 2011-12 Bredon Star Bristol Telephone Area Cainscross Gloucester Civil Service Greyhound RFC (relegated from Gloucester 2) Minchinhampton Smiths (relegated from Gloucester 2)
Teams 2010-11 Bristol Telephone Area Broad Plain Cainscross (relegated from Gloucester 2) Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Minchinhampton Wotton
Teams 2009-10 Bristol Telephone Area Dowty Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Minchinhampton Newent Smiths Wotton
Teams 2008-09 Bristol Telephone Area Cotham Park Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Minchinhampton Newent St. Brendan's Old Boys Smiths Wotton
Teams 2007-08 Bristol Telephone Area Cotham Park (relegated from Gloucester 2) Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Greyhound Minchinhampton Pilning St. Brendon's Old Boys Tredworth Wotton
Teams 2006-07 Bristol Telephone Area Cainscross Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Greyhound Minchinhampton Pilning St. Brendan's Old Boys Smiths (relegated from Gloucester 2) Wotton
Teams 2005-06
North Cainscross Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Minchinhampton Ross-on-Wye Tredworth Westbury-on-Severn
South Bristol Aeroplane Co. Cotham Park Kingswood Pilning St. Brendan's Old Boys Tetbury Wotton
Teams 2004-05
North Fairford Gloucester All Blues Hartpury College Ross-on-Wye Smiths Tredworth Westbury-on-Severn
South Bristol Aeroplane Co. Bristol Telephone Area Cainscross Minchinhampton Pilning St. Brendan's Old Boys Tetbury Wotton
Teams 2003-04
North Cainscross Fairford Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Ross-on-Wye Tredworth Newent
South Bristol Aeroplane Co. Bristol Telephone Area Cotham Park Kingswood Pilning St. Brendan's Old Boys Tetbury Wotton
Teams 2002-03
North Cainscross Cheltenham Civil Service Dursley Fairford Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Newent Tredworth
South Bristol Aeroplane Co. Bristol Telephone Area Cotham Park Old Colstonians Pilning St. Brendand's Old Boys Tetbury Wotton
Teams 2001-02
North Fairford Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Newent Smiths Ross-on-Wye Tredworth
South Bristol Aeroplane Co. Bristol Telephone Area Cainscross Cotham Park Minchinhampton Tetbury Wotton
Teams 2000-01
North Fairford Gloucester All Blues Gloucester Civil Service Newent Ross-on-Wye Tredworth Widden Old Boys
South Bristol Aeroplane Co. Cotham Park Minchinhampton Old Colstonians St. Brendan's Old Boys Wotton
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division (then a single division known as Gloucestershire 3) contained the following teams:
Bishopston Chipping Sodbury Chosen Hill Former Pupils Frampton Cotterell Gloucester Civil Service Gloucester Old Boys Kingswood Old Bristolians Painswick Tewkesbury Thornbury
Gloucester 3 honours
Gloucestershire 3 (1987–1991)
Originally a single division known as Gloucestershire 3, it was a tier 11 league with promotion to Gloucestershire 2 and relegation to Gloucestershire 4.
Gloucestershire 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsRef1987–88 11 Old Bristolians Gloucester Old Boys Bishopton, Gloucester Civil Service 1988–89 11 Frampton Cotterell Thornbury Chosen Hill Former Pupils 1989–90 11 Hucclecote Old Boys Chipping Sodbury No relegation 1990–91 13 Bristol Telephone Area Old Richians Smiths Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Gloucester 3 (1991–1993)
Gloucestershire 3 was shorted to Gloucester 3 for the 1991–92 season onward. It remained a tier 11 league with promotion to Gloucester 2 and relegation to Gloucester 4.
Gloucester 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsRef1991–92 13 Painswick Stow-on-the-Wold No relegation 1992–93 13 Dursley Tetbury Tewkesbury Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Gloucester 3 (1993–1996)
The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Gloucester 3 dropped to become a tier 12 league. Promotion continued to Gloucester 2 and relegation to Gloucester 4.
Gloucester 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsRef1993–94 13 Bishopston Kingswood Gloucester All Blues, Bristol Aeroplane Company 1994–95 13 Caincross Broad Plain Minchinhampton 1995–96 13 Southmead Westbury-on-Severn No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Gloucester 3 (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Gloucester 3 reverted to being a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to Gloucester 1 while the cancellation of Gloucester 4 meant there was no longer relegation.
Gloucester 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsRef1996–97 9 Dursley Old Elizabethans No relegation 1997–98 9 Gloucester All Blues Minchinhampton No relegation 1998–99 8 Gloucester Civil Service Old Colstonians No relegation 1999–00 6 St Brendan's Old Boys Wotton No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Gloucester 3 North / South (2000–2006)
Restructuring of the Gloucester leagues at the end of the 1999–00 season saw Gloucester 3 split into two regional leagues - Gloucester 3 North and Gloucester 3 South - both at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion continued to Gloucester 2 and there was no relegation.
Gloucester 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague NameRef 2000–01 7 Widden Old Boys Ross-on-Wye No relegation Gloucester 3 North 6 St Brendan's Old Boys Old Colstonians No relegation Gloucester 3 South 2001–02 7 Ross-on-Wye Smiths No relegation Gloucester 3 North 7 Minchinhampton Cainscross No relegation Gloucester 3 South 2002–03 8 Cheltenham Civil Service Dursley No relegation Gloucester 3 North 8 Old Colstonians Bristol Aeroplane Co. No relegation Gloucester 3 South 2003–04 7 Gloucester Civil Service Cainscross No relegation Gloucester 3 North 8 Kingswood Cotham Park No relegation Gloucester 3 South 2004–05 7 Hartpury College Smiths No relegation Gloucester 3 North 8 Bristol Aeroplane Co. Tetbury No relegation Gloucester 3 South 2005–06 7 Ross-on-Wye Westbury-on-Severn No relegation Gloucester 3 North 7 Tetbury Kingswood No relegation Gloucester 3 South Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Gloucester 3 (2006–2009)
For the 2006–07 season Gloucester 3 North and South were remerged back into a single Gloucester 3 division, remaining at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion continued to Gloucester 2 and there was no relegation. Between 2007 and 2009 Gloucester 3 was sponsored by High Bridge Jewellers.
Gloucester 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsRef2006–07 10 Smiths Cainscross No relegation 2007–08 10 Tredworth Greyhound No relegation 2008–09 9 St Brendan's Old Boys Cotham Park No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Gloucester 3 (2009–2018)
Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Gloucester 2 remained a tier 11 league, with promotion continuing to Gloucester 1 and there was no relegation. From 2017 the league was now sponsored by Wadworth 6x. At the end of the 2017–18 the division was disbanded and all teams promoted to the newly regionalised Gloucester 2 - Gloucester 2 North or Gloucester 2 South.
Gloucester 3SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsRef2009–10 8 Newent Smiths No relegation 2010–11 7 Broad Plain Gloucester All Blues No relegation 2011–12 7 Bredon Star Cainscross No relegation 2012–13 7 Old Cryptians Westbury-on-Severn No relegation 2013–14 7 Old Elizabethans Tredworth No relegation 2014–15 8 Smiths Minchinhampton No relegation 2015–16 6 Old Elizabethans Cheltenham Civil Service No relegation 2016–17 8 Cotham Park Aretians No relegation 2017–18 9 United Bristol Hospitals Norton No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Promotion play-offs
Between 2001 and 2005 there was a promotion play-off between the runners-up of Gloucester 3 North and Gloucester 3 South for the third and final promotion place to Gloucester 2. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. During the 2005–06 season the play-offs were discontinued as Gloucester 3 would merge into one division for the 2006–07 season. Before they were discontinued Gloucester 3 North teams have been the most successful with three wins to the Gloucester 3 South teams' two; and the home team has won promotion on all five occasions.
League v League promotion play-off results Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance 2000–01 Old Colstonians (S) 39-7 Ross-on-Wye (N) Colton's School, Stapleton, Bristol 2001–02 Smiths (N) 23-14 Cainscross (S) Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 2002–03 Dursley (N) 41-19 Bristol Aeroplane Co. (S) Stragglers Sports Ground, Stinchcombe, Dursley, Gloucestershire 2003–04 Cotham Park (S) Cainscross (N) Beggar Bush Lane, Failand, Somerset 2004–05 Smiths (N) 26-20 Tetbury (S) Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 2005–06 No promotion playoff. Green background is the promoted team.
Number of league titles
St Brendan's Old Boys (3) Dursley (2) Gloucester Civil Service (2) Ross-on-Wye (2) Old Elizabethans (2) Smiths (2) Bishopston (1) Bredon Star (1)