Dorset & Wilts 3 South was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, primarily for clubs based in Dorset, sitting at tier 10 of the English rugby union system. Promoted teams generally moved up to Dorset & Wilts 2 South. Relegated teams dropped to Dorset & Wilts 4 until the cancellation of this division at the end of the 2015–16 season; after that there was no relegation. The league was created in 2005 and disbanded after the 2018–19 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. At the end of the 2018–19 season Dorset & Wilts 3 South was cancelled.
On occasion, clubs in this division also took part in the RFU Junior Vase, a level 9–12 national competition.
2019–20
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Bournemouth IV Chapel Gate Bournemouth, Dorset 5th Dorchester III Coburg Road Dorchester, Dorset 4th Ellingham & Ringwood III Parsonage Barn Lane Ringwood, Hampshire 7th New Milton III Normans Way Ashley, New Milton, Hampshire Champions (not promoted) North Dorset III Slaughtergate 1,000 Gillingham, Dorset Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 South (12th) Oakmedians II Meyrick Park Bournemouth, Dorset Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 South (11th) Salisbury IV Castle Road Salisbury, Wiltshire 6th
2018–19
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Bournemouth IV Chapel Gate Bournemouth, Dorset N/A (re-joined league) Dorchester III Coburg Road Dorchester, Dorset 7th Ellingham & Ringwood III Parsonage Barn Lane Ringwood, Hampshire 6th New Milton III Normans Way Ashley, New Milton, Hampshire Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 South (8th) Poole Recreation Ground Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset 2nd Salisbury IV Castle Road Salisbury, Wiltshire 8th Swanage & Wareham III Bestwall Road Wareham, Dorset 5th
2017–18
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Dorchester III Coburg Road Dorchester, Dorset N/A (joined league) Ellingham & Ringwood III Parsonage Barn Lane Ringwood, Hampshire 10th Fordingbridge II The Recreation Ground Fordingbridge, Hampshire 9th North Dorset III Slaughtergate 1,000 Gillingham, Dorset N/A (joined league) Poole Recreation Ground Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset 5th Salisbury IV Castle Road Salisbury, Wiltshire 8th Swanage & Wareham III Bestwall Road Wareham, Dorset 6th Wimborne III Leigh Park Wimborne, Dorset 4th
2016–17 Blandford II Bournemouth V Dinton Ellingham & Ringwood III Fordingbridge II (relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 South) New Milton III Oakmedians III Poole (relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 South) Salisbury IV Swanage & Wareham III Weymouth & Portland II Wimborne III
2015–16 The division consisted of ten teams, seven in Dorset, two in Wiltshire and one in Hampshire.
Seven of the teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions, Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew were promoted to Dorset & Wilts 2 South along with Poole (2nd) and Fordingbridge II (3rd), while Weymouth & Portland II and Blandford II were relegated to Dorset & Wilts 4.
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season Bournemouth IV Chapel Gate Bournemouth, Dorset 6th Dinton The Recreation Ground Dinton, Wiltshire 9th Dorchester III Coburg Road Dorchester, Dorset Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 4 (champions) Dorset Dockers II Potterne Park Verwood, Dorset 5th Lytchett Minster II Lytchett Park Lytchett Minster, Poole, Dorset Promoted from Dorset & Wilts 4 (runners up) Newton Milton III Normans Way Ashley, New Milton, Hampshire 10th Oakmedians II Meyrick Park Bournemouth, Dorset 8th Salisbury III Castle Road Salisbury, Wiltshire 7th Swanage & Wareham III Bestwall Road Wareham, Dorset 4th Wimborne III Leigh Park Wimborne, Dorset Relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 South (11th)
2012–13 Frome III Lytchett Minster Oakmeadians III Salisbury III South Wilts Swanage & W III Verwood Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew Wimborne III Wincanton
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 South 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 South (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 South and there was no relegation.
Dorset & Wilts 3 SouthSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref 2005–06 9 North Dorset III Chard II No relegation 2006–07 10 Swanage & Wareham IV Blandford II No relegation 2007–08 8 Bridport II Lytchett Minster II No relegation 2008–09 9 Fordingbridge II Ellingham & Ringwood II No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places
Dorset & Wilts 3 South (2009–present)
Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Dorset & Wilts 3 South remained a tier 10 league, with promotion continuing to Dorset & Wilts 2 South and, between 2011 and 2016, relegation was to the since discontinued Dorset & Wilts 4. Dorset & Wilts 3 South was itself cancelled at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Dorset & Wilts 3 SouthSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated team(s)Ref 2009–10 10 East Dorset Poole No relegation 2010–11 12 Wincanton Weymouth & Portland II Swanage & Wareham IV, Bournemouth IV, Wimborne III 2011–12 10 Dorchester II New Milton II Lytchett Minster II, Blandford II, Bridport II 2012–13 10 Lytchett Minster Frome III Oakmeadians Vets, Wincanton, Verwood 2013–14 8 Bournemouth III Wimborne III No relegation 2014–15 12 Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew Poole Weymouth & Portland II, Blandford II 2015–16 9 Dorset Dockers II Lytchett Minster II No relegation 2016–17 12 New Milton III Blandford II No relegation 2017–18 8 North Dorset III Wimborne III No relegation 2018–19 7 New Milton III Poole No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places
Number of league titles
East Dorset (2) New Milton III (2) North Dorset III (2) Berkshire Shire Hall (1) Bournemouth III (1) Bradford-on-Avon (1) Bridport II (1) Dorset Police (1) Dorchester II (1) Dorset Dockers II (1) Fordingbridge II (1) Hungerford (1) Lytchett Minster (1) Minety (1) Poole (1) Puddletown (1) Swanage & Wareham IV (1) Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew (1) Wincanton (1)
Notes
See also South West Division RFU Dorset & Wilts RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References