Sport Rugby union Most titles Penryn (3 titles) Number of teams 14 Instituted 1987 | Country England Website clubs.rfu.com Founded 1987 | |
Holders Okehampton (2nd title) (2015–16 promoted to Tribute South West 1 West) | ||
Tribute Western Counties West is an English, level seven, rugby union league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The champions are promoted to Tribute South West 1 West and the runner-up plays the second team in Tribute Western Counties North, with the winning team also 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 Tribute Cornwall/Devon. The current champions are Okehampton who won this league for the second time; their last title was in 1996–97. Kingsbridge beat Keynsham 16 – 10 in the promotion play-off and will join Okehampton in Tribute South West 1 next season.
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Participating teams and location
The 2016–17 Tribute Western Counties West League consists of fourteen teams; seven from Devon, five from Cornwall and two from Somerset. The season starts on 3 September 2016 and is due to be completed on 22 April 2015. Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition, the 2015–16 champions, Okehampton were promoted to Tribute South West 1 West, along with the play-off winners Kingsbridge. Two Cornish teams, Penryn and Saltash were relegated to Tribute Cornwall/Devon League and were replaced by Bude (champions) and St Ives (runner-up). The three relegated teams from Tribute South West One were all allocated places in Tribute 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.
2015–16
The 2015–16 Tribute 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 Tribute South West 1 West and Tavistock and St Ives were relegated to Tribute Cornwall/Devon League. The only team from Somerset, Wellington, was transferred to Tribute Western Counties North.
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Tribute Western Counties North and Tribute Western Counties West, participate in a play-off for promotion to Tribute South West 1 West. The team with the best playing record, in this case Kingsbridge, hosted the match against Keynsham and won 16 – 10.
Participating teams and location
The 2014–15 Tribute Western Counties West League consists 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 are promoted to Tribute South West 1 West, while the second place team, Kingsbirdge, lost to the runner-up of Tribute Western Counties North, Newent in the play-off for promotion. The last two teams, Tavistock and St Ives wee relegated to Tribute Cornwall/Devon.
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in Tribute Western Counties North and Tribute Western Counties West, participate in a play-off for promotion to Tribute 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.
2013–14
2009–10
Western Counties honours
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. 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:
- 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 West
The league system was re-organised for 1996–97 season with South-West 2 being replaced with two divisions; Western Counties West and Western Counties North.
Promotion play-offs
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 and as 2015–16 season the home team has won thirteen of the sixteen ties, and the northern sides have been the more successful with ten victories to the west's six.
Sponsorship
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. The league was unsponsored until season 2007–08 when St Austell Brewery sponsored South-west based leagues under the Tribute Ale label.