Dorset_&_Wilts_3_South
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.
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1992 (as Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3) |
| Ceased | 2019 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | New Milton III (2nd title) (2018–19) (not promoted to Dorset & Wilts 2 South as 2nd XV in division above) |
| Most titles | East Dorset, New Milton III, North Dorset III (2 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
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.
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Locations of the 2019–20 Dorset & Wilts 3 South teams
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- 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
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.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous 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) | |
- Frome III
- Lytchett Minster
- Oakmeadians III
- Salisbury III
- South Wilts
- Swanage & W III
- Verwood
- Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew
- Wimborne III
- Wincanton
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[lower-alpha 3]:
- Amesbury – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East (4th)
- Colerne – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 East (5th)
- Plessey Christ[lower-alpha 4] – transferred from Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 West (6th)
- Portcastrians[lower-alpha 5] – 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)
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.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | 6 | Poole | Westbury | No relegation | [2] | |||||||||
| 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.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 6 | Berkshire Shire Hall | Pewsey Vale | No relegation | [3] | |||||||||
| 1994–95 | 8 | Portcastrians | Tadley | No relegation | [4] | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | 6 | Dorset Police | Colerne | No relegation | [5] | |||||||||
| 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[lower-alpha 6]
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 7 | Minety | Christchurch | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 7 | Puddletown | Hungerford | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 7 | Bradford-on-Avon | Berkshire Shire Hall | No relegation | [6] | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | 6 | Hungerford | Warminster[lower-alpha 7] | No relegation | [7] | |||||||||
| 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.
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 9 | North Dorset III | Chard II | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 10 | Swanage & Wareham IV[lower-alpha 8] | Blandford II | No relegation | [9] | |||||||||
| 2007–08 | 8 | Bridport II | Lytchett Minster II | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | 9 | Fordingbridge II | Ellingham & Ringwood II | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||
| 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.
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| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 10[lower-alpha 9] | East Dorset | Poole | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||
| 2010–11 | 12 | Wincanton | Weymouth & Portland II | Swanage & Wareham IV, Bournemouth IV, Wimborne III[lower-alpha 10] | [13] | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | 10 | Dorchester II | New Milton II | Lytchett Minster II, Blandford II, Bridport II | [14] | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | 10 | Lytchett Minster | Frome III | Oakmeadians Vets, Wincanton, Verwood | [15] | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | 8 | Bournemouth III | Wimborne III | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | 12 | Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew | Poole | Weymouth & Portland II, Blandford II | [17] | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | 9 | Dorset Dockers II | Lytchett Minster II | No relegation | [18] | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | 12 | New Milton III | Blandford II[lower-alpha 11] | No relegation | [19] | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | 8 | North Dorset III | Wimborne III | No relegation | [20] | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | 7[lower-alpha 12] | New Milton III[21] | Poole[lower-alpha 13] | No relegation | [22] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places | ||||||||||||||
- East Dorset (2)[lower-alpha 14]
- New Milton III (2)
- North Dorset III (2)
- Berkshire Shire Hall (1)[lower-alpha 15]
- Bournemouth III (1)
- Bradford-on-Avon (1)[lower-alpha 16]
- Bridport II (1)
- Dorset Police (1)[lower-alpha 17]
- Dorchester II (1)
- Dorset Dockers II (1)
- Fordingbridge II (1)
- Hungerford (1)[lower-alpha 18]
- Lytchett Minster (1)
- Minety (1)[lower-alpha 19]
- Poole (1)[lower-alpha 20]
- Puddletown (1)[lower-alpha 21]
- Swanage & Wareham IV (1)
- Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew (1)
- Wincanton (1)
- Despite finishing 8th New Milton III were relegated due to New Milton II being relegated into Dorset & Wilts 2 South from Dorset & Wilts 1 South.
- Despite the name for the first season of Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3 there were no actual Berkshire based clubs.
- In Portcastrians would be renamed as East Dorset RFC in 2003[1].
- Berks/Dorset/Wilts 2 would be divided into Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South ahead of the 2000–01 season.
- This would be the last season of Berks/Dorset/Wilts 3. All six Teams would all be promoted into a new regional league for the next season – joining either Dorset & Wilts 2 North or Dorset & Wilts 2 South depending on geographical location. A level 3 regional division would be reinstated in 2005–06.
- Division expanded due to folding of Dorset & Wilts 3 West.
- Reduced from 8 to 6 teams after Fordingbridge II and Blandford II, who had been relegated from Dorset & Wilts 2 North, dropped out. An extra team, Bournemouth IV rejoined to make it 7 teams.
- "PORTCASTRIAN VETS". East Dorset RFC. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7850 4.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7850 4.
- Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1995). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995–96. London: Headline Bookline Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7816 4.
- Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996–97. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 7771 0.
- "1998–99 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- "1999-00 South-West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- "2005–06 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2006–07 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2007–08 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2008–09 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2009–10 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2010–11 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2011–12 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2012–13 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2013–14 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2014–15 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2015–16 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2016–17 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "2017–18 South West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- Despite winning the league New Milton III could not be promoted due to the 2nd XV being in the division above.
- "2018–19 South-West Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2018.