Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier
# Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier is a division at level 8 of the English rugby union system featuring teams from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Promoted teams usually move up to Southern Counties North while relegated teams used to drop to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship, although this division has been discontinued as of the end of the 2018–19 season. Each year three teams (one each from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire unions) are picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase (a level 8 national cup competition).

When the league was introduced in 1987 it was known as Bucks/Oxon 1 and was set up originally for teams from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. It was expanded to include teams from Berkshire (who had been playing teams from Dorset and Wiltshire) from the 2000–01 season onwards.

## Teams 2021–22

In February 2022 Drifters RFC withdrew from the league with their fixtures liquidated meaning it will be completed with eleven teams.

## 2020–21

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.

## Teams 2016–17

* Abingdon
* Alcester
* Chesham
* Crowthorne
* Didcot (promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship)
* Drifters (relegated from Southern Counties North)
* Hungerford
* Phoenix (promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship)
* Risborough
* Slough
* Swindon College Old Boys (relegated from Southern Counties North)
* Tadley

## 2015–16

The 2015–16 Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier consisted of twelve teams; five from Oxfordshire, four from Berkshire and three from Buckinghamshire. The season started on 12 September 2015 and the last league matches were played on 23 April 2016.

### Participating teams and location

Seven of the twelve teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Reading Abbey were promoted to the Southern Counties North along with runner-up, Swindon College Old Boys, while Phoenix were relegated to the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship.

| Team | Ground | Capacity | Town/Village | Previous season |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Abingdon | Southern Sports Park | | Abingdon, Oxfordshire | 4th |
| Alchester | Fritwell Playing Fields | | Fritwell, Oxfordshire | relegated from Southern Counties North (11th) |
| Chesham | Chiltern Hills Academy Playing Fields | | Chesham, Buckinghamshire | 8th |
| Chipping Norton | Greystones | | Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire | 6th |
| Crowthorne | The Crows New Nest | | Reading, Berkshire | promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship (runner-up) |
| Driftera | One Pin Lane | As many as you like. | Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire | relegated from Southern Counties North |
| Gosford All Blacks | Stratfield Brake | | Kidlington, Oxfordshire | 3rd |
| Hungerford | Triangle Field | | Hungerford, Berkshire | 5th |
| Milton Keynes | Emerson Valley | | Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire | Relegated from Southern Counties North (12th) |
| Risborough | Princes Risborough School Playing Fields | | Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire | promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship (champions) |
| Slough | Tamblyn Fields | | Slough, Berkshire | 9th |
| Tadley Tigers | Red Lane | | Aldermaston, Berkshire | relegated from London 2 South West (12th) & level transferred to league |
| Wheatley | Holton Playing Fields | | Holton, Wheatley, Oxfordshire | 7th |

## 2014–15

### Participating teams

* Abingdon (promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship)
* Aylesbury Athletic
* Chesham
* Chipping Norton
* Gosford All Blacks
* Littlemore
* Phoenix
* Reading Abbey (relegated from Southern Counties North)
* Slough
* Swindon College Old Boys (relegated from Southern Counties North)
* Wheatley (promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship)

## 2013–14

### Participating teams

* Aylesbury Athletic
* Bicester
* Chesham (promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship)
* Chipping Norton
* Farnham Royal (promoted from Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship)
* Gosford All Blacks
* Hungerford
* Littlemore
* Phoenix
* Slough (relegated from Southern Counties North)
* Tadley (relegated from Southern Counties North)

## 2012–13

### Participating teams

* Aylesbury Athletic
* Bicester
* Chipping Norton
* Gosford All Blacks
* Harwell
* Hungerford
* Littlemore
* Phoenix
* Risborough
* Stow-on-the-Wold
* Swindon College Old Boys

## 2011–12

### Participating teams

* Bicester
* Chipping Norton
* Drifters
* Gosford All Blacks
* Hungerford
* Littlemore
* Phoenix
* Stow-on-the-Wold and District
* Swindon College Old Boys
* Thatcham

## Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as Bucks/Oxon 1) contained the following teams from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire:

* Abingdon
* Beaconsfield
* Bicester
* Buckingham
* Chiltern
* Chinnor
* Didcot
* Grove
* Littlemore
* Pennanians
* Slough
* Witney

## Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier honours

### Bucks/Oxon 1 (1987–1993)

Originally known as Bucks/Oxon 1, it was a level 8 league for clubs based in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Promotion was to Southern Counties and relegation to Bucks/Oxon 2.

Bucks/Oxon 1 :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1987–88 | 12 | Slough | Bicester | Didcot, Abingdon |
| 1988–89 | 11 | Chiltern | Littlemore | Buckingham, Witney |
| 1989–90 | 11 | Grove | Littlemore | Cholsey, Bicester |
| 1990–91 | 11 | Olney | Oxford Marathon | Didcot, Drifters, Littlemore |
| 1991–92 | 11 | Bicester | Slough | No relegation |
| 1992–93 | 13 | Oxford Marathon | Chiltern | Wheatley, Buckingham |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Bucks/Oxon 1 (1993–1996)

The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Bucks/Oxon 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Southern Counties and relegation to Bucks/Oxon 2.

Bucks/Oxon 1 :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1993–94 | 13 | Amersham & Chiltern | Chinnor | Chipping Norton |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Chinnor | Oxford Old Boys | Abingdon, Littlemore, Drifters |
| 1995–96 | 13 | Oxford Old Boys | Witney | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Bucks/Oxon (1996–1997)

The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Bucks/Oxon 1 renamed as Bucks/Oxon and once more was a tier 8 league. Further restructuring meant that promotion was now to Southern Counties North and relegation was to Bucks/Oxon 2.

Bucks/Oxon :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1996–97 | 13 | Chipping Norton | Beaconsfield | Didcot, Harwell, Gosford All Blacks, Abingdon | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Bucks/Oxon 1 (1997–1999)

Bucks/Oxon would revert to its former name of Bucks/Oxon 1 for the 1997–98 season, remaining a tier 8 league. Promotion continued to Southern Counties North and relegation to Bucks/Oxon 2

Bucks/Oxon 1 :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1997–98 | 7 | Cholsey | Pennanians | Grove, Wheatley |
| 1998–99 | 7 | Witney | Drifters | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Bucks/Oxon (1999–2000)

Once again Bucks/Oxon 1 became a single league known as Bucks/Oxon, remaining at tier 8. Promotion continued to Southern Counties North, while relegation would be to the new Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2.

Bucks/Oxon :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1999–00 | 11 | Phoenix | Grove | Multiple teams | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (2000–2004)

Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season would see Berkshire based clubs join the Bucks & Oxon leagues. This meant that Bucks/Oxon 1 would be renamed Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1, remaining a tier 8 league. Promotion would continue to Southern Counties North, while relegation was to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2.

Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000–01 | 8 | Oxford | Milton Keynes | Berkshire Shire Hall, Littlemore |
| 2001–02 | 10 | Bicester | Wallingford | Wheatley, Chesham, Bletchley |
| 2002–03 | 10 | Henley Wanderers | Phoenix | Pennanians, Littlemore, Drifters |
| 2003–04 | 9 | Bletchley | Beaconsfield | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Berks/Bucks & Oxon (2004–2009)

Ahead of the 2004–05 season Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 was renamed to Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier, remaining a tier 8 league. Promotion continued to Southern Counties North and relegation was now to Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 (formerly Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2).

Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2004–05 | 12 | Swindon | Chipping Norton | Thatcham, Harwell |
| 2005–06 | 12 | Newbury Stags | Milton Keynes | Farnham Royal, Chesham, Littlemore |
| 2006–07 | 11 | Wallingford | Slough | Swindon College Old Boys |
| 2007–08 | 12 | Chipping Norton | Bicester | Wheatley, Farnham Royal, Crowthorne |
| 2008–09 | 11 | Newbury Stags | Amersham & Chiltern | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier (2009–present)

Despite widespread restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 2008–09 season, Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier remained a tier 8 league, with promotion continuing to Southern Counties South and relegation to the newly introduced Berks/Bucks & Oxon Championship (last known as Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2).

Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier :

| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated team(s) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2009–10 | 11 | Crowthorne | Oxford | Abingdon, Harwell |
| 2010–11 | 10 | Alchester | Slough | No relegation |
| 2011–12 | 11 | Drifters | Thatcham | Phoenix |
| 2012–13 | 11 | Stow-on-the-Wold | Swindon College Old Boys | Risborough, Harwell |
| 2013–14 | 11 | Tadley | Bicester | Farnham Royal, Aylesbury Athletic |
| 2014–15 | 10 | Reading Abbey | Swindon College Old Boys | Phoenix |
| 2015–16 | 12 | Gosford All Blacks | Milton Keynes | Chipping Norton, Wheatley |
| 2016–17 | 11 | Swindon College Old Boys | Drifters | Phoenix, Risborough |
| 2017–18 | 10 | Slough | Littlemore | Abingdon |
| 2018–19 | 11 | Chesham | Didcot | Risborough |
| 2019–20 | 11 | Gosford All Blacks | Milton Keynes | Oxford |
| 2020–21 | 11 | | | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Number of league titles

* Amersham & Chiltern (2)
* Bicester (2)
* Chipping Norton (2)
* Gosford All Blacks (2)
* Newbury Stags (2)
* Slough (2)
* Alchester (1)
* Bletchley (1)
* Chesham (1)
* Chinnor (1)
* Cholsey (1)
* Crowthorne (1)
* Drifters (1)
* Grove (1)
* Henley Wanderers (1)
* Olney (1)
* Oxford (1)
* Oxford Marathon (1)
* Oxford Old Boys (1)
* Phoenix (1)
* Reading Abbey (1)
* Stow-on-the-Wold (1)
* Swindon (1)
* Swindon College Old Boys (1)
* Tadley (1)
* Wallingford (1)
* Witney (1)
