National League 2 South, known before September 2009 as National Division Three South, is a league at level 4 in the English rugby union system

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...

. The league is one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart covering the north of England. The format of the league will be changed at the beginning of the 2009-2010 season after proposals on the league system by the Rugby Football Union

Rugby Football Union

The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...

.

The league will remain a semi-professional league for teams across the whole of southern England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 but will increase from 14 to 16 teams. The league will have 30 league games for each team, playing on a home and away basis.

Promotion and relegation will remain with the champion being promoted to National League 1 and also playing the champion of National League 2 North

National League 2 North

National League 2 North, is the 4th tier of the English rugby union system and provides mostly amateur competition for teams in the Northern half of England....

 in a National Final. The runner-up will play their counterpart from the northern section in a one game play-off to decide the third promoted team. Three teams will be relegated to level 5, either National League 3 South-West

South West Division One

National League 3 South West is the fifth level of domestic rugby union competition in southern England.The league consists of twelve teams from around Southern England...

 or National League 3 South-East

London 1

London 1, to be known from September 2009 as National League 3 South-East, is the highest regional rugby union league in south east England, with promoted sides usually entering the R.F.U.'s National League 2 South .On the league hierarchy it is level 5.* English rugby union system- Teams :The...

.

Participating Teams 2011-12

• Barnes
  Barnes R.F.C.
  Barnes Rugby Football Club, formerly known simply as the Barnes Club, is a rugby union club which is claimed by some sources to be the world's first and oldest club in any code of football...
  
  
• Clifton
  Clifton Rugby Football Club
  Clifton Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club founded in Clifton, Bristol, England. Over the years the club's home games have been played in a variety of locations in northern Bristol, though never in Clifton itself; since 1976 they have been based at the southern end of Cribbs Causeway.Clifton...
  
  
• Dings Crusaders
  Dings Crusaders R.F.C.
  Dings Crusaders R.F.C. is a rugby union team based in the Bristol suburb of Lockleaze. It competes in National Division Two South, the fourth tier of English rugby union competition, the 2007–08 season being the club's fifth as a National League club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Bristol, with...
  
  
• Hartpury College
  Hartpury College
  Hartpury College is a further education college and associate faculty of the University of the West of England situated in the village of Hartpury, Gloucestershire.-History:...
  
  
• Henley Hawks
• Hertford
• Launceston
  Launceston RUFC
  Launceston Rugby Club are a Cornish rugby club who play in National League 2 South of the English rugby union leagues.-History:The club was founded in 1948 after an inaugural meeting chaired by the then Headmaster of Launceston College, Mr Spencer Toy with Gordon Reeve, Eric Smith and Arthur...
  
  
• Lydney
  Lydney R.F.C.
  Lydney Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Lydney, Gloucestershire, England. The club is currently in National Division Two South.-History:...
  
  
• Old Albanians
• Redruth
  Redruth R.F.C.
  Redruth RFC is a Rugby union team from Cornwall.- History:Redruth RFC was founded in 1875 by Henry Grylls and W.H. Willimot. By the 1900s, the club was the most successful in Cornwall, a position they were to hold for much of the twentieth century. In 1908, the club defeated Durham to win the...
  
  
• Richmond
  Richmond F.C.
  Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
  
  
• Shelford
• Southend
• Taunton
  Taunton R.F.C.
  Taunton Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club that is based in Taunton, Somerset. They currently play in National League 2 South, having achieved back-to-back promotions in 2009 and 2010.-History:...
  
  
• Westcombe Park
  Westcombe Park R.F.C.
  Westcombe Park R.F.C is a rugby football club based in Orpington in south-east London. It currently plays in National League 2 South. It takes its name from the Westcombe Park area of what is today part of the London Borough of Greenwich, where the club was originally founded; the club subsequently...
  
  
• Worthing
  Worthing Rugby Football Club
  Worthing Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team. The first XV, nicknamed the Worthing Raiders currently plays in National Division Two South, the fourth tier of English rugby union competition...
  
  

League Results

Year	Champions	Runners-Up	Relegated	Teams	Matches
2010/11	Ealing Trailfinders	Jersey	Canterbury, Hinckley, Newbury Blues	16	30
2009/10	Barking	Rosslyn Park	Barnes, Bridgewater	16	30
2008/09 National Division Three South 2008-09 National Division Three South is the fourth tier of the English rugby union system. The 2008-09 season will be the last in its current format, being changed by the RFU league restructuring proposals in 2009-10....	London Scottish	Rosslyn Park	Havant, Chinnor	14	26
2007/08 National Division Three South 2007-08 National Division Three South is the fourth tier of the English rugby union system. It is made up of 14 teams who play each other on a home and away basis....	Mounts Bay	Cinderford	Luton, North Walsham, Clifton	14	26
2006/07	Southend	Westcombe Park	Chinnor, Old Patesians, Hertford	14	26
2005/06	Cambridge	North Walsham	Bracknell, Reading	14	26
2004/05	Barking	Redruth	Weston-Super-Mare, Tabard, Haywards Heath	14	26
2003/04	Blackheath	Launceston	Basingstoke, Old Colfeians	14	26
2002/03	Rosslyn Park	Lydney	Havant, Camberley	14	26
2001/02	Penzance & Newlyn	Launceston	Clifton, Cinderford	14	26
2000/01	Plymouth Albion	Launceston	Basingstoke, Cheltenham, Reading, Weston-Super-Mare	14	26
1999/00	Esher	Penzance & Newlyn	Bridgwater, Norwich, Met. Police	14	26
1998/99	Bracknell	Esher	Havant	14	26
1997/98	Camberley	Henley	None	14	26
1996/97	Newbury	Henley	Berry Hill, Askeans, High Wycombe, Charlton Park	14	26
1995/96	Lydney	Weston-Super-Mare	Cambourne	13	24
1994/95	London Welsh	Lydney	Sudbury, Basingstoke	13	24
1993/94	Reading	Lydney	Southend, Maidstone	13	24
1992/93	Sudbury	London Welsh	Thurrock	13	24
1991/92	Havant	Basingstoke	Sidcup, Ealing	13	24
1990/91	Redruth	Basingstoke	Maidenhead, Cheltenham	13	24
1989/90	Met. Police	Clifton	Salisbury	12	22
1988/89	Lydney	Havant	Sidcup, Stroud, Ealing	12	22
1987/88	Askeans	Sidcup	Streatham Streatham-Croydon RFC The Streatham-Croydon Rugby Football Club, is a historic Rugby Union club, founded in 1871, based at Frant Road, Thornton Heath, in the London Borough of Croydon, South London....	12	22

See also

• English rugby union system
  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...