It was noted that the fortunes of the county side mirrored the success of the Gloucester City club side. Despite being based in Bristol, United Bristol Hospitals are not members of the Bristol Combination. The Bristol Combination Cyril Parsons Bowl is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. The Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination is an organisation for the promotion of junior rugby union in the city of Bristol, England. Many notable players have represented the county. The club currently play in South West 1 East, a level six league in the English rugby union system having been relegated from South West Premier at the end of the 2018-19 season. It was first introduced during the 1975–76 season, with the inaugural winners being Gordon League 'B', and is the third most important rugby union cup competition in north Gloucestershire, behind the Senior Cup and Junior Cup. The Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Gloucestershire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union.Formed in 1878, it has won the county championship on numerous occasions. It was first introduced during the 1983–84 season, with the first ever winners being Cirencester III. It is the second most important competition organised by the Bristol Combination, behind the Bristol Combination Cup but in front of the Bristol Combination Cyril Parsons Bowl. Gloucester 3 was an English rugby union league which sat at the eleventh level of league rugby union in England for teams based in Gloucestershire as well as some in Bristol. Promoted clubs move into Gloucester Premier and relegated clubs drop into Gloucester 2. From 1883 to 1889 the team played only 10 times and of these 6 were lost, 3 drawn, and only 1 won. Up until 2017-18 Gloucester 2 was a single division but has since been split into two regional divisions. [1] In its early days, only Gloucester City was rated as a first class side, and this was deemed the county's weakness. The Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Gloucestershire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union. A plate competition was introduced during the 1985–86 season for teams knocked out of the early rounds of the Bristol Combination Cup, with St Brendans Old Boys being the inaugural winners.