Current season or competition: 2023–24 Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1992 | (as Herts/Middlesex)
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Holders | Hemel Hempstead (1st title) (2022–23) (promoted to Regional 2 Thames) |
Website |
Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex is a tier 7 English Rugby Union league. It is organised by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union and is the top-tier competition for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that traditionally was encompassed by the historic county of Middlesex. It was previously known as London 2 North West. After the restructuring of the English rugby union system ahead of the 2022–23 season, the league was renamed to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex.
Each year the two Hertfordshire clubs in this division with the best record against other Hertfordshire clubs also take part in the Hertfordshire Presidents' Cup, the highest level county cup competition in Hertfordshire. Promoted teams typically go up to Regional 2 Thames while relegated teams drop to Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
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The teams competing in 2021-22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.
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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 Herts/Middlesex 1 was not contested.
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When this division was created in 1992 (as Herts/Middlesex) it contained the following teams:
Originally known as Herts/Middlesex, this division was a tier 8 league with promotion to London 3 North West and relegation to either Hertfordshire 1 or Middlesex 1. The introduction of National 5 South ahead of the 1993–94 season meant that Herts/Middlesex dropped to become a tier 9 league.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1992–93 | 13 | Old Meadonians | London New Zealand | Stevenage Town, [lower-alpha 5] Twickenham [lower-alpha 6] | ||||||||||
1993–94 | 13 | Barnet | Old Millhillians | Antlers, Harrow [lower-alpha 7] | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Mill Hill | Fullerians | Harpenden, Hitchin [lower-alpha 8] | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Hampstead | Haringey Rhinos | London New Zealand, Upper Clapton [lower-alpha 9] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Restructuring of the leagues by the RFU, which included the cancellation of National 5 South and the merging of the Hertfordshire and Middlesex regional divisions, meant that Herts/Middlesex was renamed as Herts/Middlesex 1 and was once again a tier 8 league. Promotion continued to London 3 North West, while relegation was now to the new Herts/Middlesex 2.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1996–97 | 13 | Harpenden | St Albans [lower-alpha 10] | No relegation [lower-alpha 11] | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 16 | Twickenham | London Nigerian | Centaurs, Hendon, Wembley [lower-alpha 12] | ||||||||||
1998–99 [4] | 14 | Imperial Medicals | Hemel Hempstead | No relegation [lower-alpha 13] | ||||||||||
1999–00 [5] | 15 | Bank Of England | London New Zealand | Multiple teams [lower-alpha 14] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The introduction of London 4 North West ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Herts/Middlesex 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Herts/Middlesex 2.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2000–01 [6] | 10 | Richmond | London Scottish | No relegation | ||||||||||
2001–02 [7] | 10 | CS Rugby 1863 | Old Hamptonians | Mill Hill, Uxbridge | ||||||||||
2002–03 [8] | 10 | Haringey Rhinos | Enfield Ignatians | Feltham | ||||||||||
2003–04 [9] | 9 | Tring | Stevenage Town | Chiswick | ||||||||||
2004–05 [10] | 10 | Hitchin | Hammersmith & Fulham | Chess Valley, Hemel Hempstead, Old Actonians | ||||||||||
2005–06 [11] | 10 | Finchley | U.C.S. Old Boys | Old Grammarians, Old Millhillians | ||||||||||
2006–07 [12] | 10 | Hemel Hempstead | Old Ashmoleans | Harlequin Amateurs, Mill Hill, Cheshunt | ||||||||||
2007–08 [13] | 10 | Chiswick | Old Merchant Taylors' Lambs (2nd XV) | No relegation [14] | ||||||||||
2008–09 [15] | 10 | Cheshunt | Old Streetonians | Old Millhillians | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Herts/Middlesex 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national league restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 North West (formerly London 4 North West) and relegation to Herts/Middlesex 2.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2009–10 [16] | 10 | Wasps Amateurs | Old Haberdashers | Hillingdon Abbots | ||||||||||
2010–11 [17] | 12 | H.A.C. | London Welsh Amateurs | Kilburn Cosmos, Old Grammarians | ||||||||||
2011–12 [18] | 10 | Wasps Amateurs | Old Priorians | Saracens Amateurs, Hendon, Harlequin Amateurs | ||||||||||
2012–13 [19] | 11 | Harrow | Old Merchant Taylors' | West London, Hendon, London Welsh Amateurs | ||||||||||
2013–14 [20] | 12 | Hackney | Belsize Park | Imperial Medicals | ||||||||||
2014–15 [21] | 12 | Old Actonians | London Nigerian | Feltham, Haringey Rhinos | ||||||||||
2015–16 [22] | 12 | Kilburn Cosmos | Cheshunt | Old Millhillians, Bank Of England | ||||||||||
2016–17 [23] | 11 | Verulamians | Old Streetonians | Hillingdon Abbots RFC | ||||||||||
2017–18 [24] | 12 | London Welsh | Royston | London French, Watford | ||||||||||
2018–19 [25] | 12 | Hitchin | Finsbury Park | Staines, Old Actonians | ||||||||||
2019–20 [26] | 10 [lower-alpha 15] | Hendon | St Albans | Mill Hill | ||||||||||
2020–21 | 10 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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