Counties 1 Western West (known as Counties 1 Tribute Western West for sponsorship reasons) 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 West was renamed Counties 1 Western West prior to the 2022–23 season and is currently a seventh tier league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The champions are promoted to Regional 2 South West. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above, but is usually two or three to either Counties 2 Cornwall, Counties 2 Devon or Counties 2 Somerset, depending on location.
Counties 1 Western West
Current season or competition: 2022–23 Counties 1 Western West
The champions are promoted to Regional 2 South West (formerly South West 1 West), while the last two teams, depending on their location, are relegated to Counties 2 Cornwall, Counties 2 Devon or Counties 2 Somerset. In previous seasons teams were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon league. The season runs from September to April 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.
Points are awarded as follows: four points for a win; two points for a draw; no points for a loss; one bonus point for scoring four tries or more in a match; one bonus point for losing by seven points or less.
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
Green background is the promotion place.Pink background are relegation places. Updated:1 July 2023
Points are awarded as follows: four points for a win; two points for a draw; no points for a loss; one bonus point for scoring four tries or more in a match; one bonus point for losing by seven points or less.
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
Green background is the promotion place.Pink background are relegation places. Updated:7 August 2022
Points are awarded as follows: four points for a win; two points for a draw; no points for a loss; one bonus point for scoring four tries or more in a match; one bonus point for losing by seven points or less.
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
Green background is the promotion place.Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 2 April 2021
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: 13 February 2021
Promotion play-off
In the play-off for promotion, Crediton played Midsomer Norton from Western Counties North 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 2017–18 Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; seven from Devon, five from Cornwall and two from Somerset. The season started on 2 September 2017 and finished on 21 April 2018. Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. The 2016–17 champions, Exeter University were promoted to South West 1 West, along with the play-off winners Cullompton, while Chard (12th place) and Kingsbridge (13th) were relegated from that league. Bude and Wellington were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon League and were replaced by Falmouth (champions) and Paignton (runner-up).
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: 19 May 2017
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.[8] 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.
The 2016–17 Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; seven from Devon, five from Cornwall and two from Somerset. The season began on 3 September 2016 and finished on 22 April 2017. Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition, the 2015–16 champions, Okehampton were promoted to South West 1 West, along with the play-off winners Kingsbridge. Two Cornish teams, Penryn and Saltash were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon League and were replaced by Bude (champions) and St Ives (runner-up). The three relegated teams from South West One were all allocated places in Western Counties North so the two most westerly teams from that division, Burnham and Wellington were transferred to this league to bring the number of teams to fourteen.
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: 19 May 2017
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 they lost to Cullompton 12 – 29.
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points for
Points against
Points diff
Try bonus
Loss bonus
Points
Chew Valley
26
22
0
4
822
493
329
18
0
106
Cullompton (P)
26
22
0
4
659
311
348
11
2
101
29 April 2017 15:00
Chew Valley
12 – 29
Cullompton
Chew Lane
2015–16
The 2015–16 Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; nine from Devon and five from Cornwall. The seasons started on 5 September 2015 and the last matches were played on 30 April 2016.
Participating teams and location
Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Teignmouth were promoted to South West 1 West and Tavistock and St Ives were relegated to the Cornwall/Devon League. The only team from Somerset, Wellington, was transferred to Western Counties North.
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: 9 May 2016
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 Kingsbridge, hosted the match against Keynsham and won 16 – 10.
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points for
Points against
Points diff
Try bonus
Loss bonus
Points
Kingsbridge (P)
26
22
0
4
745
264
481
16
2
108
Keynsham
26
20
2
4
681
306
375
14
4
102
8 May 2016 15:00
Kingsbridge
16 – 10
Keynsham
High House
2014–15
Participating teams and location
The 2014–15 Western Counties West consisted of fourteen teams; nine from Devon, four from Cornwall and one from Somerset. The season started on 6 September 2014 and finished on 18 April 2015. Teignmouth became champions with two matches to play after Exeter University had fifty points deducted for playing ineligible players. Teignmouth were promoted to South West 1 West, while the second place team, Kingsbridge, lost to the runner-up of Western Counties North, Newent in the play-off for promotion. The last two teams, Tavistock and St Ives were relegated to Cornwall/Devon.
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: 8 May 2015
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 Newent, hosted the match; their opponents were Kingsbridge who lost the match 26 – 28 to a stoppage time penalty.
In the first season of the English rugby union league pyramid, sponsored by Courage, there was ten, tier seven leagues. The Western Counties League was for teams based in the south-west of England from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucester and Somerset. Each team played one match against each of the other teams with the winning team awarded two points, and there was one point for each team in a drawn match.[17] This system prevailed for five seasons, and in 1992–93 the number of teams increased from eleven to thirteen. The following season Western Counties League was renamed Courage South West 2 League, and three seasons later in 1996–97 a major reorganisation occurred with South West 2 being split into two regional leagues:[18]
Courage Western Counties North consisted of sixteen teams based in Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset, and each team continued to play the others once
Courage Western Counties West consisted of eleven teams based in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, and each team played the other twice.
Western Counties (1987–1993)
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, and there was one point for each team in a drawn match.[17] It was a tier 7 league with promotion up to South West 2[b] and relegation to either Cornwall/Devon or Gloucestershire/Somerset.[c]
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.[e] 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.[18] Promotion from Western Counties West was now to the new South West 2 West division (formerly South West 2)[h] while relegation was now to Cornwall/Devon.[i] From the 2008–09 season the league sponsor is Tribute.
Despite widespread league restructuring by the RFU, Western Counties West continued as a tier 7 league, with promotion to South West 1 West (formerly South West 2 West) and relegation to Cornwall/Devon. Tribute continued to sponsor the league.
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Western Counties North and Western Counties West for the third and final promotion place to South West 1 West. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. As of the end of the 2019–20 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 (west v north) promotion play-off results
The Western Counties League was part of the Courage Clubs Championship and was sponsored by Courage Brewery from the first season, 1987–88 to season 1996–97.[83] The league was unsponsored until season 2007–08 when St Austell Brewery sponsored South-west based leagues under the Tribute Ale label.
2022–23 Counties 1 Western West
