The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination is an organisation for the promotion of junior
rugby union in the city of
Bristol, England
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 S ...
.
The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination is one of two pillars on which the rugby union heritage of
Bristol is based - the other being the city's senior rugby club the
Bristol Bears. The Bristol Combination, on the other hand, is the body which nurtures junior rugby in the city. From its ranks have come many great players, but also it has provided the framework within which rugby as recreation is developed for thousands of people.
The Bristol Combination was founded in 1901 for "the promotion of rugby union and the mutual well being of clubs", tasks which remain at the core of its mission today. Its members are those 53 rugby clubs of Bristol and its surrounding area, which includes
North Somerset and
South Gloucestershire. No comparable body of a similar size exists in England.
As well as its representative role, the Combination organises the Charles Saunders Combination Cup, merit tables and leagues for clubs and teams not participating in
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 ...
competitions, as well as an important role in youth and rugby development. It is also responsible for a ground where several clubs play at
Lockleaze, in the north of the city.
The Combination regularly organises fixtures of the area's best players against Bristol Rugby Club's first team, or its second team, Bristol United.
Constituent Clubs
*Abbey Wood
*Aretians
*Ashley Down Old Boys
*Avon
*
Avonmouth Old Boys
*Barton Hill
*Bishopston
*Blagdon
*
Bristol Bears (honorary member)
*Bristol Aeroplance Corporation
*Bristol Barbarians
*Bristol Harlequins
*
Bristol Ladies
Bristol Bears Women, formerly Clifton Ladies RFC, then Bristol Ladies, is a women's rugby union team based in Bristol, England. They are a standalone, independent rugby club, running in partnership with the Bristol Bears (formerly Bristol Rugby) s ...
*Bristol Saracens
*
Broad Plain
*Bristol Telephone Area
*Chew Valley
*
Chippenham
Chippenham is a market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village ...
*Chipping Sodbury
*
Cleve
*Clevedon
*
Clifton
Clifton may refer to:
People
*Clifton (surname)
*Clifton (given name)
Places
Australia
* Clifton, Queensland, a town
**Shire of Clifton
*Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong
*Clifton, Western Australia
Canada
*Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
*
Cotham Park
*
Dings Crusaders
* Frampton Cotterell
*Gordano
*
Hornets
Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to their close relatives yellowjackets. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by th ...
*Imperial
*Keynsham
*Kingswood
*HMP Leyhill
*Midsomer Norton
*Nailsea & Backwell
*North Bristol
*Old Ashtonians
*
Old Bristolians
*
Old Colstonians
*Old Elizabethans
*
Old Redcliffians
Old Redcliffians Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Brislington, a suburb of Bristol. The club runs four senior sides and a sevens team as well as a ladies side and the full range of junior teams. The first XV currently ...
*Oldfield Old Boys
*Pilning
*St. Bernadette Old Boys
*St. Brendans Old Boys
*St Mary's Old Boys
*Southmead
*The Tor
*Thornbury
*United Bristol Hospitals
*University of Bristol
*University of the West of England
*Walcot Old Boys
*Wells
*
Weston-Super-Mare
*Whitehall
*
Winscombe
*Yatton
*Yate RFC
Competitions
The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination currently runs the following cup competitions for clubs in
Bristol and the surrounding area:
*
Bristol Combination Cup
The Bristol Combination Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first intr ...
(club sides at tiers 4-6 of the
English rugby union system)
*
Bristol Combination Vase
The Bristol Combination Vase is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first int ...
(tiers 7–8)
*
Bristol Combination Cyril Parsons Bowl
The Bristol Combination Cyril Parsons Bowl is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It ...
(tiers 9–11)
See also
*
Gloucestershire RFU
*
North Gloucestershire Combination
The North Gloucestershire Combination is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the city of Gloucester and surrounding area in the county of Gloucestershire, England. The combination is responsible for organising clubs and cup comp ...
*
English rugby union system
*
History of the English rugby union system
England has a comprehensive league structure in place, including national fully professional leagues to amateur regional leagues.
The format and competitiveness of the leagues have changed greatly since their beginnings in 1987. Likewise the le ...
References
External links
Bristol Combination Official Website
Rugby union governing bodies in England
Rugby union in Bristol
Sports organizations established in 1901
Rugby union in Gloucestershire
Rugby union in Somerset
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