Counties 1 Western North (known as Counties 1 Tribute Western North for sponsorship purposes) is an Englishrugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Western Counties North and Western Counties West. Western Counties North was renamed Counties 1 Western North prior to the 2022–23 season and is currently a seventh tier league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset. The champions are promoted to South West 1 West and the runner-up plays the second team in Western Counties West, with the winning team gaining promotion. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above, but is usually two or three to Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier. Although 2nd XV rugby is part of the Somerset regional league system, only 1st XV teams are allowed in Tribute Western Counties North. Since 2021/22 2nd xv teams have been allowed in Counties 1 Tribute Western North but under current RFU Rules they are unable to be promoted beyond here.
The current champions are Matson and they are promoted to Regional 2 Tribute Severn. Due to the reorganisation of the leagues, Cheltenham, Chosen Hill Former Pupils, Gordano and Winscome are also promoted. There is no relegation and the eight remaining teams, along with four promoted teams form the new level 7 Counties 1 Tribute Western North.
Teams also participate in the RFU Intermediate Cup – a national competition for clubs at level 7 - with all clubs affiliated with the Gloucestershire RFU involved and a representative being sent from the Somerset RFU.
Format
The champions are promoted to either Regional 2 South West or Regional 2 Severn, depending on location. The teams finishing in the last two or three places are relegated to the appropriate Counties 2 leagues in Gloucester or Somerset (awaiting confirmation by the RFU) The season runs from September to March and comprises twenty-two rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals, home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
4 points are awarded for a win
2 points are awarded for a draw
0 points are awarded for a loss, however
1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.
2024-25
Departing were Longlevens, promoted as runners-up since although Cinderford 2XV finished top owing to league regulations they were not permitted to be promoted to Level 6, whilst Chipping Sodbury and Clevedon and Midsomer Norton were relegated.
With four teams leaving and five joining the league was restored to twelve sides.
Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 1 Western North teams in Avon & Somerset
2023–24
Departing were Burnham-on-Sea, promoted as runners-up since although Cinderford 2XV finished top owing to league regulations they were not permitted to be promoted to Level 6, whilst Avonmouth Old Boys and Cheltenham North were relegated. Barton Hill, 7th in 2022-23, did not return for the new season. With four teams departing and three joining the league ran with eleven sides.
Locations of the 2018–19 Tribute Western Counties North teams in Somerset
Promotion play-off
In the play-off for promotion, Midsomer Norton played Crediton from Western Counties West for promotion to South West 1 West. Midsomer Norton had the best playing record and hosted the match, losing 15 – 19. This was the first time either team had participated in the play-offs, at this level, and Crediton's win was the sixth time the away team had won match. Teams from Western Counties North lead 10–9 in the nineteen play-off matches played since 2001.
The season started on 2 September and the final league matches were due to be completed by 21 April 2018, with the promotion play-off the following week.
Locations of the 2017–18 Tribute Western Counties North teams in Gloucestershire
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Western Counties West and Western Counties North, participate in a play-off for promotion to South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Chew Valley, host the match, and for the second successive season they lost, this time to Devonport Services 12 – 22. It is the first time Devonport Services are promoted to a level six league.[4] This match was the eighteenth play-off for promotion; the northern sides lead with ten victories to the west's eight and the home teams are leading thirteen to five.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 24 May 2017
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Western Counties North and Western Counties West, participate in a play-off for promotion to South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Chew Valley, host the match and they lost to their opponents Cullompton 12 – 29.
The 2015–16 Tribute Western Counties North consists of fourteen teams; six from Somerset, four from Gloucestershire, three from Bristol and one from Wiltshire. The season started on 5 September 2015 and is finishes on 30 April 2016.
Originally Western Counties North and Western Counties West was a single division called Western Counties (sponsored by Courage), involving teams based in the south-west of England including Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucester and Somerset. Each team played one match against each of the other teams with the winning team awarded two points; there was one point for each team in a drawn match.[6] It was a tier 7 league with promotion up to South West 2[a] and relegation to either Cornwall/Devon or Gloucestershire/Somerset.[b]
At the end of the 1992–93 season the top six teams from London Division 1 and the top six from South West Division 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that Western Counties dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to South West 2 and relegation down to either Cornwall/Devon or Gloucestershire/Somerset.[d] The league continued to be sponsored by Courage.
Major restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Western Counties split into two separate leagues, Western Counties North and Western Counties West, which reverted to tier 7 leagues due to the cancellation of National 5 South.[14] Promotion from Western Counties North was to the new South West 2 West division (formerly South West 2)[g] while relegation was to Gloucestershire/Somerset.[h][i]
Western Counties North remained a tier 7 league, with promotion continuing to South West 2 West. Relegation was to either Gloucester Premier or Somerset Premier following the cancellation of Gloucestershire/Somerset at the end of the 1999–00 season. From the 2008–09 season the league sponsor was Tribute.
Despite widespread league restructuring by the RFU, Western Counties North continues as a tier 7 league, with promotion to South West 1 West (formerly South West 2 West) and relegation to either Gloucester Premier or Somerset Premier. Tribute continue to sponsor the league.
Also promoted: Chosen Hill FP, Gordano and Winscombe. There was no relegation.
Green background are the promotion places.
Promotion play-offs
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a one-off promotion play-off game played between the league runners-up of Western Counties North and Western Counties West for the third and final promotion place to South West 1 West, with the team with the superior league record having home advantage in the tie. As of the end of the 2018–19 season the northern sides have been the more successful with ten victories to the west's nine while the home team has won thirteen times compared to the away teams six.
Western Counties (north v west) promotion play-off results
The Western Counties League and South West 2 were part of the Courage Clubs Championship and was sponsored by Courage Brewery from the first season, 1987–88 to season 1996–97.[65] The league was unsponsored until season 2007–08 when St Austell Brewery sponsored South-west based leagues under the Tribute Ale label.
^There was no relegation this year as the league changed from 12 to 14 teams for the 2009-10 season due to restructuring of the league system by the RFU.
^One of Matson's title wins were back when the league was known as Western Counties.
^One of Gordon League's title wins was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Clevedon's title was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Coombe Down's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Coombe Down's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Gloucester Old Boys title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Launceston's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Old Patesians title win was back when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Penryn's title win was when the league was known as Western Counties.
^Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill (eds.). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92 (4th ed.). Taunton: Football Directories. ISBN1 869833 15 5.
^ abTony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Clubs Championship. Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Horsham: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN1873057024.