Gloucester 3 was an English

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

league which sat at the eleventh level of league rugby union in England for teams based in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

as well as some in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. Promoted clubs moved into

Gloucester 2 Gloucester 2 North and Gloucester 2 South are English rugby union leagues which sits at the tenth level of league rugby union in England for teams primarily based in Gloucestershire as well as some teams from Bristol. Promoted clubs move into G ...

, and since the cancellation of Gloucester 4 at the end of the 1995–96 season there had been no relegation. The division was discontinued at the end of the 2017–18 season and Gloucester 2 was divided into north and south regional divisions.

Teams 2017–18

Teams 2016-17

*Aretians (relegated from

) *Cainscross * Cotham Park *Fairford *Gloucester All Blues *Norton *Tetbury *Wotton

2015–16

The 2015–16 Gloucester 3 consists of seven teams from

. The season starts on 12 September 2015 and is due to end on 16 April 2016. Four of the seven teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Smiths and runners up

Minchinhampton Minchinhampton is an ancient Cotswolds market town in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, South West England. The town is located on a hilltop, south-east of Stroud. The common offers wide views over the Severn Estuary into Wales and furth ...

were promoted to the

while Wotton joined from the Gloucestershire Reserve League. As it is the basement league in Gloucestershire there is no relegation.

Teams 2014-15

*Cainscross *Cheltenham Civil Service (relegated from

) *Gloucester All Blues (relegated from

) *Hardwicke & Quedgeley Harlequins *Minchinhampton *Norton *Smiths *Tetbury

Teams 2013–14

*Cainscross (relegated from

) *Hardwicke & Quedgeley *Minchinhampton *Norton *Old Elizabethans *Smiths *Tredworth

Teams 2012–13

*Gloucester Civil Service *Minchinhampton *Norton *Old Cryptians (relegated from

) *Old Elizabethans (relegated from

) *Smiths *Tredworth *Westbury-on-Severn

Teams 2011-12

*Bredon Star *Bristol Telephone Area *Cainscross *Gloucester Civil Service *Greyhound RFC (relegated from

) *Minchinhampton *Smiths (relegated from

)

Teams 2010-11

*Bristol Telephone Area *Broad Plain *Cainscross (relegated from

) *Gloucester All Blues *Gloucester Civil Service *Minchinhampton *Wotton

Teams 2009-10

*Bristol Telephone Area *Dowty *Gloucester All Blues *Gloucester Civil Service *Minchinhampton *Newent *Smiths *Wotton

Teams 2008-09

*Bristol Telephone Area * Cotham Park *Gloucester All Blues *Gloucester Civil Service *Minchinhampton *Newent *St. Brendan's Old Boys *Smiths *Wotton

Teams 2007-08

*Bristol Telephone Area * Cotham Park (relegated from

) *Gloucester All Blues *Gloucester Civil Service *Greyhound *Minchinhampton *Pilning *St. Brendon's Old Boys *Tredworth *Wotton

Teams 2006-07

*Bristol Telephone Area *Cainscross *Gloucester All Blues *Gloucester Civil Service *Greyhound *Minchinhampton *Pilning *St. Brendan's Old Boys *Smiths (relegated from

) *Wotton

Teams 2005-06

North

*Cainscross *Gloucester All Blues *Gloucester Civil Service *Minchinhampton *Ross-on-Wye *Tredworth *Westbury-on-Severn

South

*Bristol Aeroplane Co. * Cotham Park *Kingswood *Pilning *St. Brendan's Old Boys *Tetbury *Wotton

Teams 2004-05

North

*Fairford *Gloucester All Blues *

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (then a single division known as Gloucestershire 3) contained the following teams: * Bishopston *

Chipping Sodbury Chipping Sodbury is a market town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sodbury, in the unitary authority area of South Gloucestershire, in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. It was founded in the 12th century by William ...

* Chosen Hill Former Pupils *

Frampton Cotterell Frampton Cotterell is a large village and parish, in South Gloucestershire, South West England, on the River Frome. The village is contiguous with Winterbourne to the south-west and Coalpit Heath to the east. The parish borders Iron Acton to t ...

* Gloucester Civil Service * Gloucester Old Boys * Kingswood * Old Bristolians *

Painswick Painswick is a town and civil parish in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England. Originally the town grew from the wool trade, but it is now best known for its parish church's yew trees and the local Rococo Garden. The village is mainly ...

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Riv ...

Thornbury Thornbury may refer to: Places ;Australia *Thornbury, Victoria * Thornbury railway station, Melbourne ;Canada * Thornbury, Ontario ;England *Thornbury, Devon * Thornbury, Herefordshire *Thornbury, Gloucestershire **Thornbury Castle **Thornbury (UK ...

Gloucester 3 honours

Gloucestershire 3 (1987–1991)

Originally a single division known as Gloucestershire 3, it was a tier 11 league with promotion to Gloucestershire 2 and relegation to Gloucestershire 4.

Gloucester 3 (1991–1993)

Gloucestershire 3 was shorted to Gloucester 3 for the 1991–92 season onward. It remained a tier 11 league with promotion to

and relegation to Gloucester 4.

Gloucester 3 (1993–1996)

The creation of National League 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Gloucester 3 dropped to become a tier 12 league. Promotion continued to

and relegation to Gloucester 4.

Gloucester 3 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National League 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Gloucester 3 reverted to being a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to

Gloucester 1 Gloucester 1 is an English rugby union league which sits at the ninth level of league rugby union in England for teams based primarily in the county of Gloucestershire but also on occasion teams from Bristol. Promoted clubs move into Gloucester ...

while the cancellation of Gloucester 4 meant there was no longer relegation.

Gloucester 3 North / South (2000–2006)

Restructuring of the Gloucester leagues at the end of the 1999–00 season saw Gloucester 3 split into two regional leagues - Gloucester 3 North and Gloucester 3 South - both at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion continued to

and there was no relegation.

Gloucester 3 (2006–2009)

For the 2006–07 season Gloucester 3 North and South were remerged back into a single Gloucester 3 division, remaining at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion continued to

and there was no relegation. Between 2007 and 2009 Gloucester 3 was sponsored by High Bridge Jewellers.

Gloucester 3 (2009–2018)

Despite widespread restructuring by the

RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It pro ...

at the end of the 2008–09 season, Gloucester 2 remained a tier 11 league, with promotion continuing to

and there was no relegation. From 2017 the league was now sponsored by Wadworth 6x. At the end of the 2017–18 the division was disbanded and all teams promoted to the newly regionalised Gloucester 2 - Gloucester 2 North or Gloucester 2 South.

Promotion play-offs

Between 2001 and 2005 there was a promotion play-off between the runners-up of Gloucester 3 North and Gloucester 3 South for the third and final promotion place to

. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. During the 2005–06 season the play-offs were discontinued as Gloucester 3 would merge into one division for the 2006–07 season. Before they were discontinued Gloucester 3 North teams have been the most successful with three wins to the Gloucester 3 South teams' two; and the home team has won promotion on all five occasions.

Number of league titles

* St Brendan's Old Boys (3) *

Dursley Dursley is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in southern Gloucestershire, England, almost equidistant from the cities of Bristol and Gloucester. It is under the northeast flank of Stinchcombe#Stinchcombe Hill, Stinchco ...

(2) * Gloucester Civil Service (2) *

Ross-on-Wye Ross-on-Wye (Welsh: ''Rhosan ar Wy'') is a market town in England, near the border with Wales. It had a population of 10,582 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 11,309 in 2019. It lies in south-eastern Herefordshire, on the River Wye and ...

(2) * Old Elizabethans (2) * Smiths (2) * Bishopston (1) * Bredon Star (1) * Broad Plain (1) * Bristol Aeroplane Co. (1) * Bristol Telephone Area (1) * Caincross (1) * Cheltenham Civil Service (1) * Cotham Park (1) *

(1) * Gloucester All Blues (1) *

(1) * Hucclecote Old Boys (1) * Kingswood (1) *

(1) *

Newent Newent (; originally called "Noent") is a market town and civil parish about 10½ miles (17 km) north-west of Gloucester, England. Its population was 5,073 at the 2001 census, rising to 5,207 in 2011, The population was 6,777 at the 2021 Census. ...

(1) * Old Bristolians (1) * Old Colstonians (1) * Old Cryptians (1) *

(1) *

Southmead Southmead is a northern suburb and council ward of Bristol, in the south west of England, bordered by Filton in South Gloucestershire and Monks Park, Horfield, Henleaze and Westbury on Trym. The River Trym rises in Southmead and flows south we ...

(1) *

Tetbury Tetbury is a town and civil parish inside the Cotswold district in England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in ...

(1) * Tredworth (1) * United Bristol Hospitals (1) * Widden Old Boys (1)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gloucester 3 Defunct rugby union leagues in England Rugby union in Gloucestershire

Teams 2017–18

Teams 2016-17

2015–16

Teams 2014-15

Teams 2013–14

Teams 2012–13

Teams 2011-12

Teams 2010-11

Teams 2009-10

Teams 2008-09

Teams 2007-08

Teams 2006-07

Teams 2005-06

North

South

Teams 2004-05

North

South

Teams 2003-04

North

South

Teams 2002-03

North

South

Teams 2001-02

North

South

Teams 2000-01

North

South

Original teams

Gloucester 3 honours

Gloucestershire 3 (1987–1991)

Gloucester 3 (1991–1993)

Gloucester 3 (1993–1996)

Gloucester 3 (1996–2000)

Gloucester 3 North / South (2000–2006)

Gloucester 3 (2006–2009)

Gloucester 3 (2009–2018)

Promotion play-offs

Number of league titles

See also

Notes

References