League structure sees Drybrook as county’s top-ranked outfit

DRYBROOK will be the highest-ranked team in the provisional South West rugby structure for next season.

The Mannings side, who won the Forest of Dean Senior Combination Cup at the weekend after beating Cinderford United 13-10, are the sole county representatives in the South West Premier next season after the draft structure for 2019-20 was released.

In South West One West, Lydney and Newent will lock horns once again, while Old Patesians, relegated from South West Premier, join play-off losers Old Centralians in South West One East.

Coney Hill have been relegated into Western Counties North and join city rivals Spartans, who won the Gloucestershire Premier title, while Matson, Stroud and Cheltenham, who narrowly avoided the drop, stay in the division and Stow-on-the-wold again play in Southern Counties North.

Chosen Hill FP and Old Richians drop into Gloucestershire Premier while Gloucestershire One champions Ross-on-wye and runners-up Cheltenham North climb up to face Berry Hill, Cheltenham Saracens, Hucclecote, Longlevens and Widden Old Boys.

Gloucester Old Boys and Gordon League drop into Gloucestershire One and will face promoted pair Fairford and Tewkesbury, with Cirencester, Dursley, Old Cryptians and Smiths also in the division.

Bream have switched to Gloucestershire Two North from the Southern section, where they finished second last season before being edged out 11-10 by Fairford in a play-off.

Bredon Star are relegated along with Brockworth and join Cainscross, Cheltenham Civil Service, Minchinhampton, Norton, Painswick and Westburyon-severn in the nine-team league.

Gloucester All Blues and Tetbury, who were removed from the league last season after failing to fulfill a number of fixtures, are not included in the provisional structure for next season.

South West Premier: Barnstaple, Bracknell, Brixham, Camborne, Drybrook, Exeter University, Exmouth, Ivybridge, L/T from Midlands, Launceston, Maidenhead, Newbury Blues, Okehampton, Weston-super-mare

South West One West: Bridgwater & Albion, Chew Valley, Cleve, Crediton, Devonport Services, Hornets, Keynsham, Lydney, Newent, Newton Abbot, North Petherton, Sidmouth, St Ives, Thornbury

South West One East: Banbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chippenham, Marlborough, Old Centralians, Old Patesians, Oxford Harlequins, Royal Wootton Bassett, Salisbury, Sherborne, Trowbridge, Wimborne, Windsor

Western Counties North: Avonmouth OB, Barton Hill, Bristol Saracens, Cheltenham, Chipping Sodbury, Clevedon, Coney Hill, Gordano, Matson, Midsomer Norton, Old Bristolians, Spartans, Stroud, Winscombe

Southern Counties North: Aylesbury, Bicester, Chesham, Didcot, High Wycombe, L/T from Midlands, Marlow, Reading, Reading Abbey, Stow-on-the-wold, Wallingford, Witney

Gloucestershire Premier: Berry Hill, Cheltenham North, Cheltenham Saracens, Chosen Hill, Frampton Cotterell, Hucclecote, Longlevens, Old Richians, Ross on Wye, St Mary’s OB, Whitehall, Widden OB

Gloucestershire One: Cirencester, Dursley, Fairford, Gloucester Old Boys, Gordon League, North Bristol, Old Colstonians, Old Cryptians, Old Elizabethans, Smiths Rugby, St Brendans OB, Tewkesbury

Gloucestershire Two North: Bream,bredon Star, Brockworth, Cainscross, Cheltenham CS, Minchinhampton, Norton, Painswick, Westburyon-severn