3rd Liga South/West
The 3rd Liga South/West (German: 3. Liga Süd/West) is the third-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. It is set below the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West, the second tier of rugby in Southern Germany, and above the Rugby-Regionalliga, the fourth tier.
The league covers the federal states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. However, clubs from the Saarland and Luxembourg are also entitled to play in this league in the future.[1]
History
Location of teams in the 3rd Liga South/West in 2010-11
The league was formed after the 2009-10 season, with the purpose of creating a more competitive level of play for the rugby clubs in Southern Germany above the Regionalligas. The suggestion, made by the Rhineland-Palatinate rugby federation in May 2010, was to form a new league, the Oberliga-Süd-West.[2] On 26 June 2010, the formation of this new league was decided upon in a meeting of the five Southern German rugby federations, and the new league was named 3. Liga Süd/West.[1]
Previously, clubs that were relegated from the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West dropped straight into one of the five Regionalligas below the league, which, because of the regionalisation of these leagues, were considerably less competitive. Championship-winning clubs in the Regionalliga were often too strong for this level but too weak for the level above.[2] In order to bridge the gap between the second and third tier and increase the standard of play at this level,[3] the new league was formed. Northern Germany, below the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East, formed no such league and the three Regionalligas there remain as the third tier of play.
The new league was formed from nine clubs. One was the RC Mainz, which was relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga at the end of the 2009-10 season, while, of the other eight, one came from the Regionalliga Bavaria, two from Hesse, one from Rhineland-Palatinate, one from Baden-Württemberg and three from North Rhine-Westphalia. The two top teams in the league will be promoted to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West at the end of the 2010-11 season.[1]
For the 2011-12 season, the league was scheduled to be expanded to at least twelve teams in two regional divisions,[1] but started play with eleven clubs instead. After the first round, the reserve team of RG Heidelberg joined the competition, thereby equaling both divisions in the number of clubs to six.[4]
Honours
Clubs in the league in 2011-12
The clubs currently playing in the league:
References
External links
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3rd Liga South/West · 2011–12 clubs
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| North/West division |
RC Bonn-Rhein-Sieg • TuS 95 Düsseldorf • Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby • Ramstein Rogues RFC • FSV Trier-Tarforst • Wiedenbrücker TV |
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| South/East division |
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| Governing body |
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| National teams |
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| Competition Division |
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| Competitions |
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| Academies & Selections |
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| Statistics |
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