Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship


Berks, Bucks and Oxon Championship was a division at level 9 of the English rugby union system featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Promoted teams moved up to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier and there was no relegation. Each year three teams were picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase.
Originally the league was set up as Bucks & Oxon 2 and then Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 before being disbanded in 2003–04 as the league was restructured to cater for the joining of many second, third and fourth teams and was split into regional divisions. The league returned in 2011–12 to contain only first teams while the second, third and fourth teams were transferred to newly created regional leagues with Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 at the pinnacle and no possibility of promotion to the championship or the league system above it.
At the end of the 2018–19 the league was discontinued. Teams that were not promoted into the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier were transferred into regional Berks/Bucks & Oxon leagues.

Teams 2019–20

TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season
AldermastonAWE Recreation SocietyAldermaston, Berkshire3rd
Berkshire Shire HallBerkshire County Sports ClubSonning, Reading, Berkshire6th
BletchleyManor FieldsBletchley, Milton Keynes, BuckinghamshireRelegated from BBO Premier
FaringdonFolly Sports ParkFaringdon, Oxfordshire5th
HarwellAEA Sports GroundHarwell, Oxfordshire7th
PhoenixThe Sports GroundTaplow, Buckinghamshire4th
RisboroughPrinces Risborough SchoolPrinces Risborough, BuckinghamshireRelegated from BBO Premier

Teams 2018–19

TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season
AbingdonSouthern Sports ParkAbingdon, OxfordshireRelegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier
AldermastonAWE Recreation SocietyAldermaston, Berkshire3rd
Berkshire Shire HallBerkshire County Sports ClubSonning, Reading, Berkshire6th
Chipping NortonGreystonesChipping Norton, Oxfordshire4th
FaringdonFolly Sports ParkFaringdon, Oxfordshire8th
HarwellAEA Sports GroundHarwell, Oxfordshire7th
PhoenixThe Sports GroundTaplow, Buckinghamshire5th

Teams 2017–18

TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season
AldermastonAWE Recreation SocietyAldermaston, Berkshire8th
Berkshire Shire HallBerkshire County Sports ClubSonning, Reading, Berkshire3rd
Chipping NortonGreystonesChipping Norton, Oxfordshire4th
FaringdonFolly Sports ParkFaringdon, Oxfordshire7th
Farnham RoyalFarnham ParkFarnham Royal, Buckinghamshire9th
HarwellAEA Sports GroundHarwell, Oxfordshire6th
OxfordSt. Peter's Recreation GroundNorth Hinksey, Oxford, Oxfordshire5th
PhoenixThe Sports GroundTaplow, BuckinghamshireRelegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier
RisboroughPrinces Risborough SchoolPrinces Risborough, BuckinghamshireRelegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier

Participating clubs

2016–17

  • Aldermaston
  • Berkshire Shire Hall
  • Chipping Norton
  • Faringdon
  • Farnham
  • Harwell
  • Littlemore
  • Oxford
  • Wheatley ''''''

2015–16

The 2015–16 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship consisted of nine teams; five from Oxfordshire and two each from Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The season started on 12 September 2015 and was due to end on 23 April 2016.

Participating teams and location

Six of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Risborough were promoted to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier along with runners up, Crowthorne while Oxford are new to the league having previously been playing friendly matches over the past season. As the basement league in Berks/Bucks & Oxon there was no relegation - although there are a number of leagues below it, mainly for second teams.
TeamGroundCapacityTown/VillagePrevious season
AldermastonAWE Recreation SocietyAldermaston, Berkshire7th
Berkshire Shire HallBerkshire County Sports ClubSonning, Reading, Berkshire5th
DidcotEdmunds ParkDidcot, Oxfordshire4th
FaringdonFolly Sports ParkFaringdon, Oxfordshire8th
Farnham RoyalFarnham ParkFarnham Royal, Buckinghamshire6th
HarwellAEA Sports GroundHarwell, Oxfordshire3rd
LittlemoreOxford Academy Playing FieldsOxford, OxfordshireRelegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier
OxfordSt. Peter's Recreation GroundNorth Hinksey, Oxford, OxfordshireN/A - joined league
PhoenixThe Sports GroundTaplow, BuckinghamshireRelegated from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier

2014–15

  • Aldermaston
  • Berkshire Shire Hall
  • Crowthorne
  • Didcot
  • Faringdon
  • Farnham Royal
  • Harwell
  • Risborough

2013–14

  • Abingdon
  • Aldermaston
  • Berkshire Shire Hall
  • Crowthorne
  • Didcot
  • Faringdon
  • Harwell '
  • Kingsclere
  • Risborough '
  • Wheatley
  • Winslow

2012–13

  • Abingdon
  • Aldermaston
  • Berkshire Shire Hall
  • Chesham
  • Crowthorne
  • Didcot
  • Farnham Royal
  • Faringdon
  • Kingsclere
  • Wheatley
  • Winslow

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire:

Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship honours

Bucks/Oxon 2 (1987–1993)

Originally known as Bucks/Oxon 2, it was a level 9 league for clubs based in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Promotion was to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation.

Bucks/Oxon 2 (1993–1996)

The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Bucks/Oxon 2 dropped to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. The division would be cancelled after the 1995–96 due to the merging of the two Bucks/Oxon divisions into a single league known as Bucks/Oxon.

Bucks/Oxon 2 (1997–1999)

The resplitting of Bucks/Oxon into two divisions ahead of the 1997–98 season, saw the return of Bucks/Oxon 2 after a single season - this time as a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Bucks/Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. After two seasons the division was cancelled again due to the remerging of Bucks/Oxon 1 and Bucks/Oxon 2 into a single Bucks/Oxon division.

Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 (2000–2004)

Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season would see Berkshire based clubs join the Bucks & Oxon leagues. This also saw the reintroduction of Bucks/Oxon 2, remaining a tier 9 league, but this time called Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2. Promotion was to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 2003–04 season, the renaming of Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier, meant that Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 would be cancelled and all clubs transferred to the new regionalised Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1.

Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship (2011–2019)

The Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship was introduced as a tier 9 league ahead of the 2011–12 season, replacing Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 as the second division Berks/Bucks & Oxon league. Promotion was to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier and there was no relegation.

Number of league titles

  • Drifters
  • Wheatley
  • Littlemore
  • Phoenix
  • Risborough
  • Abingdon
  • Bicester
  • Bletchley
  • Chesham
  • Chipping Norton
  • Cholsey
  • Farnham Royal
  • Harwell