| South West 1 East | |
| Current Season: | 2020–21 South West 1 East (cancelled) |
| Sport: | Rugby union |
| Teams: | 14 |
| Founded: | (as South West 2) |
| Champion: | Oxford Harlequins (3rd title) |
| Season: | 2021–22 (promoted to South West Premier) |
| Most Champs: | Maidenhead |
| Count: | 4 |
| Website: | englandrugby.com |
South West 1 East is an English, level six, rugby union league in south and south-west England; mainly Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Gloucester, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire. Originally a single division known as South West 2, since 1996 the division has been split into two regional leagues – South West 1 East and South West 1 West.
The champions are promoted to South West Premier (formerly National League 3 South West) and the runner-up play the second team in South West 1 West, with the winning team gaining promotion. Relegated sides usually play in one of the two seventh-tier leagues (depending on location) – Southern Counties North or Southern Counties South.
The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21. Old Patesians finished 9th in season 2019–20 but were level transferred to South West 1 West.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodicote Park | 2500 (250 seats) | 3rd | ||
| Oak Lodge Meadow | 10th | |||
| Lily Hill | 1,250 (250 seats) | Relegated from SW Premier (13th) | ||
| Buckingham | Floyd Field | 7th | ||
| Allington Fields | 9500 | 8th | ||
| Frome | Gypsy Lane | Promoted from Southern Counties South (runner-up) | ||
| Grove | Cane Lane | Promoted from Southern Counties South (champions) | ||
| The Common | 5th | |||
| Monk's Lane | 8,000 | Relegated from SW Premier (12th) | ||
| Horspath Sports Ground | 1,000 | 4th | ||
| Gainsborough Park | 6th | |||
| Trowbridge | Doric Park | 9550 | 12th | |
| Windsor | Home Park | 11th | ||
| Witney | Witney Road | Promoted from Southern Counties North (champions) | ||
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic the season was cancelled.
The season ended before all the matches were completed because of the coronavirus pandemic and the RFU used a best playing record formula to decide the final table.[1]
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodicote Park | 3rd | |||
| Oak Lodge Meadow | 6th | |||
| Buckingham | Floyd Field | Promoted from Southern Counties North (play-off) | ||
| Allington Fields | 500 | 8th | ||
| The Common | 4th | |||
| Saintbridge Sports Centre | Runner-up (lost play-off) | |||
| Everest Road | Relegated from South West Premier (14th) | |||
| Horspath Sports Ground | 1,000 | 10th | ||
| Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | 5th | |||
| Castle Road | 1,500 | 7th | ||
| Gainsborough Park | Promoted from Southern Counties South (champions) | |||
| Trowbridge | Doric Park | 11th | ||
| Wimborne | Leigh Park | 9th | ||
| Windsor | Home Park | Promoted from Southern Counties North (champions) | ||
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodicote Park | Runners up (lost playoff) | |||
| Oak Lodge Meadow | Promoted from Southern Counties North (champions) | |||
| Allington Fields | 500 | 3rd | ||
| The Common | Promoted from Southern Counties South (playoff) | |||
| Monk's Lane | 8,000 | Relegated from South West Premier (12th) | ||
| Saintbridge Sports Centre | 7th | |||
| Horspath Sports Ground | 1,000 | 4th | ||
| Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | 6th | |||
| Castle Road | 1,500 | 5th | ||
| Stratford-upon-Avon | Pearcecorft | 9th | ||
| Swindon | Greenbridge Road | 11th | ||
| Trowbridge | Doric Park | Promoted from Southern Counties South (champions) | ||
| Wimborne | Leigh Park | 10th | ||
| Witney | Witney Road | 8th | ||
This seasons play-off for promotion to the South West Premier was between Launceston and Old Centralians. Launceston had the better playing record and hosted the match at Polson Bridge, winning 33 – 22.[2] This was the 19th play-off match, the first for Launceston and the second for Old Centralians who won promotion in 2013 beating Camborne by 25 – 15. It was the 13th win for the home team and south-west teams have also won the match on 13 occasions.
----
The 2017–18 South West 1 East consisted of fourteen teams; five from Oxfordshire, four from Wiltshire, two from Gloucestershire and one each from Buckinghamshire, Dorset and Warwickshire. Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodicote Park | 6th | |||
| Oxford Road | Promoted from Southern Counties North (play-off) | |||
| Allington Fields | 500 | 9th | ||
| Grove | Cane Lane | 11th | ||
| Riverwoods Drive | Promoted from Southern Counties North (champions) | |||
| Saintbridge Sports Centre | 4th | |||
| Everest Road | 3rd | |||
| Marston Ferry Road | 10th | |||
| Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | 8th | |||
| Castle Road | 1,500 | Relegated from National League 3 South West (13th) | ||
| Stratford-upon-Avon | Pearcecorft | Level transfer from Midlands 1 West (5th) | ||
| Swindon | Greenbridge Road | 7th | ||
| Wimborne | Leigh Park | Promoted from Southern Counties South (champions) | ||
| Witney | Witney Road | 5th | ||
The 2016–17 South West 1 East consisted of fourteen teams; five from Berkshire, four from Oxfordshire, three from Wiltshire and two from Gloucestershire. Eight of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. The season started on 3 September 2016 and the last league matches were played on 22 April 2017. The play-off match was played a week later on 29 April 2017.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodicote Park | promoted from Midlands 2 West (South) (champions) | ||||
| Allington Fields | 500 | relegated from National League 3 South West (14th) | |||
| Cane Lane | Grove, Oxfordshire | 10th | |||
| Braywick Park | 1,750 | 5th | |||
| Monk's Lane | 8,000 | Newbury, Berkshire | 3rd | ||
| Saintbridge Sports Centre | relegated from National League 3 South West (12th) | ||||
| Everest Road | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | relegated from National League 3 South West (13th) | |||
| Marston Ferry Road | Oxford, Oxfordshire | 6th | |||
| Sonning, Reading, Berkshire | 11th | ||||
| Rosehill | Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire | promoted from Southern Counties North (champions) | |||
| Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire | promoted from Southern Counties South (champions) | |||
| Greenbridge Road | Swindon, Wiltshire | 7th | |||
| Home Park | Windsor, Berkshire | 8th | |||
| Witney Road | Hailey, Witney, Oxfordshire | 4th |
Each season, the runners-up in South West 1 East and Tribute South West 1 West, participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 3 South West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Newbury, hosted the match and they beat their opponents Clevedon 25 – 22.
The 2015–16 South West 1 East consisted of fourteen teams; four from Berkshire, three from Oxfordshire, three from Wiltshire and one each from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset and Northamptonshire. The season started on 5 September 2015 and ended on 23 April 2016. Towcestrians finished in first place and were promoted to National League 3 South West for next season, along with the runner-up and play-off winner Salisbury.
Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Chippenham were promoted to National League 3 South West while Bletchley and Buckingham were relegated to Southern Counties North and Devizes to Southern Counties South.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cane Lane | 10th | |||
| Kingsmead Road | promoted from Southern Counties North (champions) | |||
| Wright's Meadow | 7th | |||
| Braywick Park | 1,750 | 11th | ||
| Monk's Lane | 8,000 | Newbury, Berkshire | 6th | |
| Marston Ferry Road | relegated from National League 3 South West (13th) | |||
| 9th | ||||
| Castle Road | 1,500 | promoted from Southern Counties South (play-off) | ||
| Bestwall Road | Wareham, Dorset | promoted from Southern Counties South (champions) | ||
| Greenbridge Road | 4th | |||
| Greens Norton Road | 2nd (lost promotion play-off) | |||
| Doric Park | 8th | |||
| Home Park | Windsor, Berkshire | 3rd | ||
| Witney Road | 5th | |||
Each season, the runners-up in South West 1 East and Tribute South West 1 West, participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 3 South West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Salisbury, hosted the match and they beat their opponents Thornbury 26 – 24.
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as South West 2) contained the following teams:
Originally South West 1 East and South West 1 West were combined in a single division called South West 2. It was a tier 6 league with promotion up to South West 1 and relegation down to either Western Counties or Southern Counties.
| + South West 2 | |||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | 10 | Berry Hill | [3] | |||
| 1988–89 | 11 | 10 | Matson | [4] | |||
| 1989–90 | 11 | 10 | Gordon League | ||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | 10 | Cinderford | [5] | |||
| 1991–92 | 11 | 10 | Henley | [6] | |||
| 1992–93 | 13 | 12 | Stroud | [7] |
The top six teams from South West 1 and the top six from London 1 were combined to create National 5 South, meaning that South West 2 dropped to become a tier 7 league. Promotion continued to South West 1 and relegation to either Western Counties or Southern Counties.
| + South West 2 | ||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | 12 | Gloucester Old Boys | [8] | ||
| 1994–95 | 13 | 12 | Matson | [9] | ||
| 1995–96 | 13 | 12 | Launceston | No relegation | [10] | |
League restructuring by the RFU for the 1996–97 season saw South West 2 split into two regional divisions known as South West 2 East and South West 2 West, and the cancellation of National 5 South meant that both divisions became tier 6 leagues. Promotion continued to South West 1, while relegation was now to either Southern Counties North or Southern Counties South.
| + South West 2 East | |||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 12 | 22 | Bracknell | [11] | |||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 12 | 22 | Salisbury | [12] | |||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 12 | 22 | Dorchester | [13] | |||||||||||
| 1999–00 | 12 | 22 | Swanage & Wareham | [14] | |||||||||||
| 2000–01 | 12 | 22 | Chinnor | [15] | |||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 12 | 22 | Marlow | [16] | |||||||||||
| 2002–03 | 12 | 22 | Oxford Harlequins | Swanage & Wareham | [17] | ||||||||||
| 2003–04 | 12 | 22 | Maidenhead | [18] | |||||||||||
| 2004–05 | 14 | 26 | Reading Abbey | [19] | |||||||||||
| 2005–06 | 12 | 26 | Cleve | [20] | |||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 12 | 22 | Redingensians | [21] | |||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 12 | 22 | Chippenham | [22] | |||||||||||
| 2008–09 | 12 | 22 | Maidenhead | [23] | |||||||||||
| Green background are the promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
League restructuring by the RFU meant that South West 2 East and South West 2 West were renamed as South West 1 East and South West 1 West, with both leagues remaining at tier 6. Promotion was to National League 3 South West, while relegation continued to either Southern Counties North or Southern Counties South.
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 14 | 26 | Cheltenham | [24] | |||||||||||
| 2010–11 | 14 | 26 | Amersham & Chiltern | [25] | |||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 14 | 26 | Maidenhead | [26] | |||||||||||
| 2012–13 | 14 | 26 | Bracknell | [27] | |||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 14 | 26 | Oxford Harlequins | [28] | |||||||||||
| 2014–15 | 14 | 26 | Chippenham | [29] | |||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 14 | 26 | Towcestrians | [30] | |||||||||||
| 2016–17 | 14 | 26 | Maidenhead | [31] | |||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 14 | 26 | Old Patesians | [32] | |||||||||||
| 2018–19 | 14 | 26 | Newbury Blues | [33] | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 14 | 26 | Old Centralians | [34] | |||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 14 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | |||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 14 | 26 | Oxford Harlequins | Banbury | Awaiting decision from the RFU | ||||||||||
| Green background are the promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of South West 1 East and South West 1 West for the third and final promotion place to South West Premier. The team with the superior league record has home advantage. As of the end of the 2019–20 season the South West 1 West teams' have been the stronger with thirteen wins to the South West 1 East teams' six, while the home team has won promotion thirteen times to the away teams six.
| + South West 1 (east v west) promotion play-off results | ||||||||||||||
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[35] | Stroud (W) | 37–8 | Slough (E) | |||||||||||
| 2001–02[36] | Chippenham (E) | 5–20 | Berry Hill (W) | |||||||||||
| 2002–03[37] | Clevedon (W) | 22–8 | Swanage & Wareham (E) | |||||||||||
| 2003–04[38] | Swanage & Wareham (E) | 19–23 | Penryn (W) | |||||||||||
| 2004–05[39] | Chippenham (E) | 24–18 | Coney Hill (W) | |||||||||||
| 2005–06[40] | Swanage & Wareham (E) | 10–26 | St Ives (W) | |||||||||||
| 2006–07[41] | Bournemouth (E) | 43–12 | Brixham (W) | |||||||||||
| 2007–08[42] [43] | Barnstaple (W) | 17–6 | Salisbury (E) | |||||||||||
| 2008–09[44] [45] | Reading (E) | 16–10 | Newton Abbot (W) | |||||||||||
| 2009–10[46] [47] | Newton Abbot (W) | 23–14 | High Wycombe (E) | |||||||||||
| 2010–11[48] [49] | Old Redcliffians (W) | 52–8 | Maidenhead (E) | |||||||||||
| 2011–12[50] [51] | Salisbury (E) | 13–13 (aet) | Avonmouth Old Boys (W) | |||||||||||
| 2012–13[52] [53] | Old Centralians (E) | 25–15 | Camborne (W) | 500 | ||||||||||
| 2013–14[54] [55] | Towcestrians (E) | 18–22 | Chard (W) | |||||||||||
| 2014–15[56] [57] | Towcestrians (E) | 20–25 | Ivybridge (W) | |||||||||||
| 2015–16[58] [59] | Salisbury (E) | 26–24 | Thornbury (W) | 500 | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[60] | Newbury Blues (E) | 25−22 | Clevedon (W) | |||||||||||
| 2017–18[61] | Exeter University (W) | 42−31 | Banbury (E) | |||||||||||
| 2018–19[62] | Launceston (W) | 33–22 | Old Centralians (E) | 1,200[63] | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Royal Wootton Bassett (E) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | |||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | Cancelled due to the reorganisation of the league structure | |||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds represent promoted teams. E stands for South West 1 East while W stands for South West 1 West (or SW2E/SW2W for versions prior to 2009). | ||||||||||||||