Devon League 1 (known as Tribute Devon League 1 for sponsorship reasons), is an English level nine, rugby union league for clubs based in Devon (and sometimes includes one Cornish club — St Columba & Torpoint). The champions are promoted to Cornwall/Devon and the runner-up plays the second team from Cornwall League 1, with the winning team gaining promotion. Up until the end of the 2017–18 season, teams were relegated to Devon League 2 but since that league has been abolished there is currently no relegation.
Each year a team from Devon League 1 is picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase – a national cup competition for clubs at levels 9–12.
The season runs from September to April and comprises twenty-six rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals, home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
4 points are awarded for a win
2 points are awarded for a draw
0 points are awarded for a loss, however
1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.
The top two teams are promoted to Western Counties West and the bottom three teams are relegated to either Cornwall One or Devon One depending on their location.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 21 April 2017
Promotion play-off[]
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, usually participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Newquay Hornets declined to play the match and Torrington were promoted.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 21 April 2017
Promotion play-off[]
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, usually participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Camborne School of Mines were due to play Topsham, but it appears that Camborne School of Mines conceded.
2014–15[]
Plymouth Argaum are the champions and they are promoted to Cornwall/Devon for season 2015–16.[21] The runner-up, Plymstock Albion Oaks won the play-off match against Veor 47 – 3 to also win promotion.[22] The last two teams Old Technicians (8th) and Torrington (9th) are relegated (subject to confirmation) to Devon 2.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 28 April 2015
Promotion play-off[]
Each season, the runners-up of Cornwall 1 and Devon 1, participate in a play-off for promotion to Cornwall/Devon. Plymouth Albion Oaks beat the home team Veor 47 – 3.
The 2013–14 Devon 1 consisted of nine clubs; eight from Devon and one from Cornwall. The season started on 7 September 2013 and ended on 5 April 2014 with each team playing each of the other teams twice. South Molton finished in first place and were promoted to Cornwall/Devon, while the runner-up, Totnes, lost to the second team in Cornwall 1, Bodmin, in a play-off and stay in this league. The bottom team, Salcombe, were relegated to Devon 2.
The creation of National 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Devon 1 became a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Cornwall/Devon and relegation to Devon 2. The league continued to be sponsored by Courage.
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Devon League 1 return to being a tier 9 division. Promotion continued to Cornwall/Devon and relegation to Devon 2. From the 2008–09 season onward the league sponsor was be Tribute.
Despite widespread league restructuring by the RFU, Devon 1 continued as a tier 9 division, with promotion to Cornwall/Devon and relegation to Devon 2. Tribute continued to sponsor the league.
From the 2018–19 Devon 1 continued as a tier 9 division, with promotion to Cornwall/Devon. However, the cancellation of Devon 2 meant there was no longer relegation. Tribute continues to sponsor the league
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Cornwall League 1 and Devon League 1 for the third and final promotion place to Cornwall/Devon. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Devon League 1 teams have been the most successful with thirteen wins to the Cornwall League 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on twelve occasions compared to the away teams six.
Cornwall League 1 v Devon League 1 promotion play-off results
Green background is the promoted team. C = Cornwall League 1 and D = Devon League 1, HWO and AWO = home team or away team walk-over (when the other team declines to participate).
^Exeter Athletic were previously called Wessex RFC until that club merged with Exeter Youth RFC at the end of the 2017-18 season.[1]
^Plymouth Civil Services has since been disbanded.
^Prince Rock would later merge with Woodland Fort to become known as Prince Rock Woodland Fort RFC. The club has since disbanded.
^The restructuring of Devon 2A and Devon 2B into a single division at the end of the season, meant there was no relegation.
^There was no relegation as the division was due to increase from 8 to 10 teams for the following season due to the cancellation of Devon 2.
^The result of the 2003-04 promotion playoff between and is not listed on the RFU website, although Old Plymothian & Mannamedian would have had home advantage as they had a better league record than Perranporth. We do, however, know that Old Plymothian & Mannamedian won this game as they were in Cornwall/Devon the next season while Perranporth were not.
^Due to the restructuring of the English league system by the RFU for the following season there was no promotion play-off. The champions and runners-up from each league having automatic promotion.
^ were automatically promoted as did not want promotion.[92]
^ were automatically promoted at the end of the 2016–17 season as did not want to be promoted.[94]
^Old Plymothian & Mannamedian's titles includes one win by Old Plymothian prior to the clubs merger.
^ abTony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Clubs Championship. Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Horsham: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN1873057024.
^Mick Cleary, ed. (1987). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98. London: Headline Book Publishers. ISBN074727732X.
^Stephen McCormack, ed. (2001). The Official RFU Club Directory 2001–2002. Harpender: Queen Anne Press. ISBN1852916400.
^Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89 (17th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 123–139. ISBN0 356 15884 5.
^Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1989). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989–90 (18th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 133–136. ISBN0 356 17862 5.
^Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1990). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990–91 (19th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 143–146. ISBN0 356 19162 1.
^Jones, Stephen (1991). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991–92. London: Queen Anne Press/Rothmans Publications. p. 448. ISBN0 356 20249 6.