Our Third XV - who have won BB&O Division 1 three years in a row - are placed in Counties 1 Southern North, formerly Level 7, with ten of the 12 teams in the league being First XVs.

It is a landmark moment for our Wildboys and we congratulate everyone who has worked hard to make this happen, particularly our President John Ashfield, Club Secretary Pete Conway as well as Dan Coulon, Harry Lowe and Rob Nichols.

Our Wildboys will now face High Wycombe, Bicester, Bletchley, Bracknell 2nd, Gosford All Blacks, Marlow, Milton Keynes, Reading Abbey, Swindon College Old Boys, Thatcham and Wallingford in their new league.

Our First XV are, of course, still in National 1, with Esher and Hull joining them at Level 3 with the division now consisting of 14 teams.

Our Outlaws have been placed in Counties 4 BBO South (formerly Level 9 and below). They are in a nine-team league with Bicester 2nd, Buckingham 3rd, Chipping Norton 2nd, Gosford All Blacks 2nd, Harwell, Littlemore, Stow on the Wold 2nd and Tring 3rd.

The Rugby Football Union say the leagues are” now formalised and fixtures will be released at the beginning of June as normal.”

Why can our Wildboys now be promoted?

Quoting the Rugby Football Union:

In September 2022 Lower XV teams are able to enter RFU leagues [English Clubs Championship] up to Counties 1 (formerly level 7) in the men’s game, subject to fulfilling specified criteria. Lower XV are able to enter the league system in line with the core principles of the Future Competition Structure:

Improve player welfare
Reduce travel time/distance
Improve the player experience/quality of the competition
Support club sustainability

The expression of interest forms that clubs were asked to fill out if they wanted to enter a team saw 161 clubs expressing an interest in entering 191 teams.

Why has the rugby pyramid been restructured?

Quoting the Rugby Football Union:

These are the most significant changes made to the competition structure in 30 years and are designed to reboot and re-energise community rugby, improving player retention and attracting new players to the adult men’s game.

Data has shown an increase in the number of players required to fulfil 1st XV fixtures during the season, from approximately 25 two decades ago, to 43 on average currently.

The number is increasing yearly as players are choosing to play fewer games. In some cases, this has led to pressure on Lower XVs in clubs and increased walkovers and postponements, alongside a reduction in the number of teams competing in RFU leagues.

The changes were made in response to feedback from players around what they were looking for in the future for their rugby.

To address this trend and to better suit players’ lifestyles of today, a new competitions structure from Level 3 and below in the men's game will be organised according to four core principles from 2022/2023 onwards:

Putting player welfare/needs at the forefront of decisions
Ensuring a high-quality player experience
Supporting club sustainability
Minimising travel

How does adult male league rugby now look?

Quoting the Rugby Football Union:

A flattening of the pyramid (increasing the number of leagues at each level) will help meet the needs of players by reducing travel for matches, helping club sustainability by reducing travel costs. The geographical grouping meanwhile will bring back, and in some cases introduce more, local derbies, which will attract more attention to games.

All leagues have been grouped geographically. Whilst there will still be some outliers, overall there will be reduced travel time and distances across the whole structure.

The 2022/23 season will also deliver a shortened league season, addressing concerns shared by players around the intensity of the current league structure. Regional 1 (formerly Level 5) and below will see the introduction of a new National cup competition at the end of the season with optional entry to the different tiers dependent on closing league position. This format is designed to remove the conflict of league and cup fixtures within the season, to maintain a variety of competition offering and to provide an exciting finale to the community rugby season, with finals days at leading rugby venues.

For more information, please click HERE.