“Galling”, “shocking”, “unexplainable”.

Those are just some of the words used by Wayne Loxton, chairman of Stow-on-the-Wold Rugby Club, after it was confirmed that the Cotswolds club’s flagship team will be playing their league rugby in the South West Division in 2024/25.

They were moved from the South West Division into the Midlands Division only last season and Loxton fumed: “It’s the third season in a row that we will be playing in a completely different division.”

The decision means Stow will be lining up against the likes of Old Centralians, Longlevens and Drybrook in the 12-strong Regional 2 Severn in the new campaign and Loxton continued: “We’re not worried about the rugby, we think we’ll be competitive, but we’re deeply upset on a number of levels.”

He insisted no-one had consulted with the club before making the decision and was adamant that nobody had acknowledged their appeal which was submitted in early May, something he described as “shocking”.

“The decision means that on our way to away games this season we’ll be going past clubs who are still in the Midlands Division, it’s unexplainable,” said Loxton.

Loxton says that the switch will also cost the club financially because their near-neighbours Shipston-on-Stour remain in the Midlands Division.

“We’ve lost our derby games with a club just six miles away,” said Loxton. “That will cost each club £5,000. But it will also affect the community; we’ll lose the banter, the engagement; that’s why we play rugby.”

Stow have enjoyed great success over the past few seasons. They won the South West Division’s Southern Counties North title in 2020/21 and then, following the RFU’s league restructure, finished fourth in Regional 2 South Central.

Last season they were runners-up in Regional 2 Midlands West and Loxton said: “We’ve done exceptionally well over the past two or three seasons and for a village club to be where we are is amazing.

“If we’d have won promotion last season we’d still be in the Midlands Division although Level 5 rugby would have been a massive step up.”

There are still some big clubs in Regional 2 Severn, of course, including Weston-super-Mare, who will also be one of the longer away trips that Stow make this season

“The total mileage to away games is about the same as last season but travelling west from Stow is not easy to do,” said Loxton. “There’s a lack of understanding, it’s galling.”  

Witney have also been moved from the Midlands Division to the South West Division with Loxton adding: “It’s worse for them than it is for us.

“We recognise that sorting out the leagues is a difficult job to do but this is community rugby, we rely on availability.”

David McAteer, chairman of South West Rugby, said he was not unsympathetic with Stow’s situation but added: “There is no formal appeal process for where a club is placed in the league.

“Regional rugby is regional, it’s not county specific, there’s a chance that clubs will get shifted around.

“The decision is made by the RFU – South West Rugby administer it – and it’s all based on keeping travelling to a minimum for all clubs.”

McAteer said that a pre-season briefing document sent out to all clubs at the start of last season outlined the possibilities of what could happen at the end of the campaign and he also said that it was his understanding that an official from South West Rugby had been in a telephone conversation with someone from Stow about their appeal.  

Meanwhile, Loxton said that Stow will play a couple of pre-season friendlies against Shipston-on-Stour and he also confirmed that Stow 2nds would continue to play in Counties 3 Berks, Bucks & Oxon North of the South West Division this season.

Stow’s opening Regional 2 Severn game is at home to Drybrook on Saturday 7^th September.  

The rest of the division is made up of Swindon, Keynsham, Thornbury, Trowbridge, Gordano and Chippenham.