Eastern Counties 1

Eastern Counties 1 is an English level 9 Rugby Union League. From the 2017-18 promoted teams move up to the newly created London 3 Eastern Counties with the league champions going up automatically, while relegated teams drop down to Eastern Counties 2 (split into three regional divisions - north, south, west). Teams in this league tend to be based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. In the past teams from Essex used to take part until the 2003–04 season when they formed a new league - with Essex 1 being the top division. Each year some of the 1st XV clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

Eastern Counties 1
Current season or competition:
2019–20 Eastern Counties 1
SportRugby union
Instituted1987 (1987)
Number of teams24 (8 per divisional league)
Country England
HoldersBeccles (2nd title) (2018–19)
(promoted to London 3 Eastern Counties)
Most titlesThetford (3 titles)
Websiteenglandrugby.com

The division was split across three geographic areas (North, South & West) for the 2017-18 as part of an RFU reorganization of the London & South East regional league. The top two teams from each Area Division shall enter the Championship Phase (Shield) to determine the final rankings for promotion to London 3 Eastern Counties. Other teams will play in the Plate, Bowl and Salver competitions, depending on league position, with clubs finishing bottom of the Salver being relegated to Eastern Counties 2.

Participating Clubs 2021-22

North
  • Beccles
  • Diss II
  • Lowestoft & Yarmouth
  • North Walsham II
  • Norwich II
  • Southwold II
  • Watton
  • Wymondham II

South
  • Braintree II
  • Brightlingsea
  • Colchester III
  • Hadleigh
  • Mistley
  • Ipswich II
  • Stowmarket II
  • Sudbury II

West
  • Bury St Edmunds III
  • Cambridge III
  • Cantabrigian II
  • Cottenham Renegades
  • Haverhill and District
  • Mildenhall & Red Lodge
  • Shelford III

Season 2020–21

On 30 October the RFU announced [1] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Eastern Counties 1 was not contested.

Participating Clubs 2019-20

North
  • Diss II
  • Holt
  • North Walsham II
  • Norwich II
  • Norwich Medics
  • Norwich Union
  • Watton
  • Wymondham II

South
  • Braintree II
  • Colchester III
  • Hadleigh
  • Halstead Templars
  • Mersea Island
  • Ipswich II
  • Stowmarket II
  • Sudbury II

West

Participating Clubs 2018-19

North
  • Beccles
  • Diss II
  • Lowestoft & Yarmouth
  • North Walsham II
  • Norwich II
  • Norwich Medics
  • Norwich Union
  • Wymondham II

South

West

Participating Clubs 2017-18
  • Beccles (North)
  • Brightlingsea (South)
  • Bury St. Edmunds III (West)
  • Cambridge Adventurers (West)
  • Cantabrigian II (West)
  • Colchester III (South)
  • Cottenham Renegades (West)
  • Diss II (North)
  • Fakenham (North)
  • Great Yarmouth-Broadland (North)
  • Hadleigh (South)
  • Haverhill & District (West)
  • Ipswich Magpies (South)
  • Ipswich Y.M. (South)
  • Mistley (South)
  • North Walsham II (North)
  • Norwich Medics (North)
  • Norwich Union (North)
  • Saffron Walden II (West)
  • Shelford III (West)
  • Stowmarket II (South)
  • Sudbury Talbots (South)
  • Swaffham (North)
  • Thurston (West)

Participating Clubs 2016-17

Participating Clubs 2015-16
  • Crusaders
  • Ely
  • Ipswich Y.M.
  • Mersea Island
  • Newmarket
  • Swaffham
  • Thetford
  • Thurston
  • Wisbech
  • Woodbridge
  • Wymondham

Participating Clubs 2014-15

Participating Clubs 2013-14
  • Broadland - Great Yarmouth (promoted from Eastern Counties 2)
  • Crusaders
  • Ely
  • Harwich & Dovercourt
  • Ipswich Y.M.
  • Mersea Island
  • Newmarket
  • Swaffham (promoted from Eastern Counties 2)
  • West Norfolk
  • Woodbridge

Participating Clubs 2012-13
  • Crusaders
  • Ely
  • Hadleigh
  • Harwich & Dovercourt
  • Ipswich Y.M.
  • Mersea Island
  • Newmarket
  • Southwold
  • Thurston
  • West Norfolk
  • Woodbridge
  • Wymondham

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

Eastern Counties 1 honours

Eastern Counties 1 (1987–1993)

The original Eastern Counties 1 was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 North East and relegation down to Eastern Counties 2.[2]

Eastern Counties 1
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1987–8811Met Police ChigwellCambridgeThetford
1988–8911HarlowRomford & Gidea ParkLowestoft & Yarmouth
1989–9011Canvey IslandOld EdwardiansIpswich YMCA
1990–9111ChelmsfordBasildonRedbridge
1991–9211Rochford HundredCampion[lower-alpha 1]No relegation[lower-alpha 2]
1992–9313Bury St EdmundsShelfordMet Police Chigwell, Crusaders
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 1 (1993–1996)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 1 dropped from a tier 8 league to a tier 9 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 North East and Eastern Counties 2 respectively.

Eastern Counties 1
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1993–9413MaldonWest NorfolkWanstead, Cantabrigian
1994–9513Lowestoft & YarmouthCanvey IslandWestcliff, Ravens
1995–9613DissWoodbridgeLoughton, Bancroft
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 1 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 1 reverted to being a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 North East and Eastern Counties 2 respectively.

Eastern Counties 1
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1996–9713BasildonCampion[lower-alpha 3]No relegation[lower-alpha 4]
1997–9810HadleighBancroftHarwich & Dovercourt
1998–99[3]10ThetfordElyWanstead, Ilford Wanderers, Met Police Chigwell
1999–00[4]9Saffron WaldenWoodbridgeOld Cooperians, Westcliff
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 1 (2000–2009)

The introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Eastern Counties 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2 - split into north and south regional divisions between 2000 and 2003.

Eastern Counties 1
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2000–01[5]10Eton ManorUpminsterBancroft, Wanstead, Cantabrigian
2001–02[6]10Mersea IslandBecclesOld Edwardians, Newmarket
2002–03[7]10ColchesterElyNo relegation[lower-alpha 5]
2003–04[8]9ThetfordStowmarketNo relegation[lower-alpha 6]
2004–05[9]10WisbechCrusadersWoodbridge, Southwold, Ely
2005–06[10]10BecclesMersea IslandThetford, Ipswich Y.M., Cantabrigian
2006–07[11]10Mersea IslandThurstonDereham, Newmarket
2007–08[12]11WymondhamWest NorfolkEly
2008–09[13]10Lowestoft & YarmouthWisbechNo relegation[lower-alpha 7]
2009–10[14]11NewmarketStowmarketThetford, Fakenham
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 1 (2009–2017)

Eastern Counties 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 North East (formerly London 4 North East) and relegation to Eastern Counties 2, which split into three regional divisions - north, south, west - from the 2014–15 season onward.

Eastern Counties 1
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2010–11[15]10StowmarketHoltThurston
2011–12[16]11CantabrigianWisbechBroadland - Great Yarmouth
2012–13[17]12WymondhamIpswich Y.M.Thurston, Hadleigh, Southwold
2013–14[18]12West NorfolkNewmarketBroadland - Great Yarmouth, Harwich & Dovercourt
2014–15[19]12SouthwoldElyWoodbridge
2015–16[20]11ElyWymondhamNo relegation[lower-alpha 8]
2016–17[21]12ThetfordWymondham[lower-alpha 9]Swaffham
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 1 (2017–present)

The cancellation of London 3 North East and subsequent introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties ahead of the 2017–18 meant that Eastern Counties 1 remained a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to the regionalised Eastern Counties 2 (north, south, west).

Eastern Counties 1
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2017–18[22]24[lower-alpha 10]FakenhamIpswich Y.M.[lower-alpha 11]Broadland-Great Yarmouth, Stowmarket II, Haverhill & District[23]
2018–19[24]24Beccles[lower-alpha 12]HadleighEly II, Harwich & Dovercourt II[lower-alpha 13]
2019–20[25]24
2020–2124
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

Between 2004 and 2017 there was a play-off between the runners-up of Eastern Counties 1 and Essex 1 for the third and final promotion place to London 3 North East. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2016–17 season the Essex 1 teams had been the most successful with seven wins to the Eastern Counties 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on eight occasions compared to the away teams four. Since the introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex at the end of the 2016–17 season the playoff has been cancelled.

Eastern Counties 1 v Essex Canterbury Jack promotion play-off results
Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance
2004-05[26]Crusaders (EC)41-24Upminster (EX)Beckhithe, Little Melton, Norfolk
2005–06[27]Canvey Island (EX)31-18Mersea Island (EC)Tewkes Creek, Canvey Island, Essex
2006–07[28]Thurston (EC)22-33South Woodham Ferrers (EX)Robinson Field, Thurston, Suffolk
2007–08[29]Maldon (EX)15-20West Norfolk (EC)Drapers Farm Playing Fields, Heybridge, Essex
2008–09[30]Wisbech (EC)38-14Campion (EX)Chapel Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
2009–10[31]Bancroft (EX)37-29Stowmarket (EC)Buckhurst Way, Buckhurst Hill, Essex
2010–11[32]Holt (EC)HWO[lower-alpha 14]Millwall (EX)Bridge Road, Holt, Norfolk
2011–12[33]Wisbech (EC)38-12Maldon (EX)Chapel Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
2012–13[34]Ipswich Y.M. (EC)20-27Old Cooperians (EX)The Street, Rushmere St Andrew, Ipswich, Suffolk
2013–14[35]Newmarket (EC)17-18Clacton (EX)The NSDA Pavilion, Newmarket, Suffolk
2014–15[36]Epping Upper Clapton (EX)36-22Ely (EC)Upland Road, Thornwood, Essex400
2015–16[37]Ilford Wanderers (EX)66-17Wymondham (EC)Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground, Barkingside, Greater London
2016–17No promotion playoff this season due to restructuring of Eastern Counties and Essex leagues.[38]
Green background is the promoted team. EC = Eastern Counties 1 and EX = Essex Canterbury Jack (formerly Essex 1)

Number of league titles
  • Thetford (3)
  • Beccles (2)
  • Lowestoft & Yarmouth (2)
  • Mersea Island (2)
  • Wymondham (2)
  • Basildon (1)
  • Bury St Edmunds (1)
  • Cantabrigian (1)
  • Canvey Island (1)
  • Chelmsford (1)
  • Colchester (1)
  • Diss (1)
  • Ely (1)
  • Eton Manor (1)
  • Fakenham (1)
  • Hadleigh (1)
  • Harlow (1)
  • Maldon (1)
  • Met Police Chigwell (1)
  • Newmarket (1)
  • Rochford Hundred (1)
  • Saffron Walden (1)
  • Southwold (1)
  • Stowmarket (1)
  • West Norfolk (1)
  • Wisbech (1)

See also

Notes
  1. 3rd place Braintree also promoted.
  2. As the league was due to increase from 11 to 13 teams for the following season, there was no relegation.
  3. Due to restructuring of the London & South East leagues for the following season, seven clubs were promoted including Upminster, Holt, Wymondham, Newmarket and Shelford.
  4. Due to restructuring of the London & South East leagues for the following season, there was no relegation.
  5. The creation of Essex 1 ahead of the 2003–04 season would see six Essex teams, including Canvey Island, Stanford Le Hope, Epping Upper Clapton, Billericay, Wanstead and Maldon, transfer from Eastern Counties 1 into Essex 1 for the following season, meaning that there was no relegation.
  6. No relegation as league increased from 9 to 10 teams for the following season.
  7. No relegation as league increased from 10 to 11 teams for the following season.
  8. No relegation as league increased from 11 to 12 teams for the following season.
  9. Due to London 3 North East being split into London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex, six teams would be promoted this season instead of the usual 1 or 2, including Thetford, Wymondham, Crusaders, Newmarket, Woodbridge and Wisbech.
  10. Divided into 3 regional divisions (north/south/west) with 8 teams in each.
  11. 3rd placed Thurston also promoted.
  12. Beccles were winners of the Eastern Counties 1 Shield - the final promotion stage of the Eastern Counties 1 competition.
  13. Ely II and Harwich & Dovercourt Rugby Club II were the two lowest ranked sides in the Eastern Counties 1 Salver - the final relegation stage of the Eastern Counties 1 competition.
  14. Holt were promoted as Millwall did not manage to raise a team for the 2010-11 play-off game.

References
  1. "RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season". RFU. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  2. "EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION HANDBOOK 2015/16" (PDF). Eastern Counties RU. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  3. "1998-1999 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  4. "1999-2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  5. "2000-2001 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  6. "2001-2002 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. "2002-2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  8. "2003-2004 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  9. "2004-2005 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  10. "2005-2006 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  11. "2006-2007 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  12. "2007-2008 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  13. "2008-2009 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  14. "2009-2010 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  15. "2010-2011 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  16. "2011-2012 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  17. "2012-2013 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  18. "2013-2014 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  19. "2014-2015 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  20. "2015-2016 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  21. "2016-2017 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  22. "2017-2018 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  23. Broadland - Great Yarmouth were relegated from the north division, Stowmarket II from the south division, and Haverhill & District from the west division.
  24. "2018-2019 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  25. "Men's London & South East Level 8 and below leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  26. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2004-05". England Rugby. 30 April 2005.
  27. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2005-06". England Rugby. 29 April 2006.
  28. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2006-07". England Rugby. 28 April 2007.
  29. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2007-08". England Rugby. 26 April 2008.
  30. "Rugby: Wisbech's fine win secures promotion". Peterborough Today. 27 April 2009.
  31. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2009-10". England Rugby. 24 April 2009.
  32. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2010-11". England Rugby. 30 April 2010.
  33. "Long delighted as Wisbech Rugby Club win promotion play-off in his final game as skipper". Eastern Daily Press. 27 April 2012.
  34. "OLD COOPERIANS PROMOTED to London North East 3". Old Cooperians RFC (Pitchero). 4 May 2013.
  35. "Newmarket stay down with a narrow defeat to Clacton". Newmarket Journal. 1 May 2014.
  36. "Epping v Ely 25.04.15". Epping Upper Clapton RFC (Pitchero). 25 April 2015.
  37. "Wanderers earn their place in London 3 NE". Ilford Wanderers RFC (Pitchero). 3 May 2016.
  38. "Wymondham v Wisbech EC1 - Sat 8th Apr". Wymondham RFC (Pitchero). 8 April 2017.
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