Counties 4 Kent

Last updated

Counties 4 Kent
Current season or competition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2024-25 Counties 4 Kent
Sport Rugby union
Instituted1987;37 years ago (1987)
Number of teams10
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Most titles Ashford, Aylesford Bulls, Betteshanger, Brockleians, Erith, New Ash Green, Old Gravesendians, Sittingbourne (2 titles)
Website englandrugby.com

Counties 4 Kent (formerly known as Kent 2 or Shepherd Neame Kent 2 for sponsorship reasons) is an English level 10 Rugby Union League [1] and is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London and Kent. The teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Currently promoted teams move up to Kent 1 and there is no relegation although until the 2007–08 season teams could drop down to Kent 3 (now folded). Now a single division, in the past Kent 2 was divided into regional divisions - Kent 2 East and Kent 2 West. Relegated teams drop down to Counties 5 Kent. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 4 Kent.

Contents

Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

Teams for 2024-25

Departing were Beckenham II, Brockleians and Old Gravesendians, all promoted to Counties 3 Kent. Sidcup III (9th) and Lordswood (12th) were relegated to Counties 5 Kent. Footscray had finished 11th and would ordinarily have been relegated but for Sidcup electing to drop down a division.

Joining were Faversham relegated from Counties 3 Kent. Bromley II, Canterbury III, Old Colfeians II, all promoted from Counties 5 Kent. Rye completed the line-up having re-joined the RFU leagues after an extended absence.

Teams for 2023-24

Departing were Tonbridge Juddians III and Sittingbourne promoted to Counties 3 Kent. Four clubs Beccehamian II (11th), Greenwich (12th) and Askeans (14th) were relegated to Counties 5 Kent. Weavering Warriors (13th) elected to drop into the Kent RFU merit leagues.

Joining were King's College Hospital and Footscray, both relegated from Counties 3 Kent, together with Beckenham II and Medway III

Teams for 2022-23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review [2] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 4 Kent.

Returning were 7 of the 9 teams who competed in the previous season's league.

Departing were Dartford Valley and Whitstable, promoted to Counties 3 Kent. There was no relegation.

Joining from Kent 1 were Brockleians, Cliffe Crusaders and Old Willamsonians. The league was supplemented by the addition of Tonbridge Juddians III, Beccehamian II, Dartfordians II and Sidcup III.

Teams for 2021-22

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.

Bexley, who finished 8th in 2019-20, played several of the early fixtures but withdrew from the league in November 2021.

Swanley RFC, a new entry, competed until January 2022 before withdrawing from the league.

Season 2020–21

On 30th October 2020 the RFU announced [4] that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Kent 2 was not contested.

Teams for 2019-20

Teams for 2018-19

Teams for 2017-18

Teams for 2016-17

Teams for 2015-2016

Teams for 2014-2015

Teams for 2013-2014

Teams for 2009-2010

Original teams

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

Kent 2 honours

Kent 2 (1987–1993)

he original Kent 2 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to Kent 1 and relegation down to Kent 3.

Kent 2
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams
1987–8811 Betteshanger Snowdown C.W. Orpington, Met Police Hayes, Thames Polytechnic
1988–8911 Sevenoaks Dover Lloyds Bank, Greenwich
1989–9011 Sittingbourne Met Police Hayes Midland Bank
1990–9111 Tonbridge Sheppey Linton, Cranbrook, NatWest Bank
1991–9211 Canterbury Snowdown C.W. [lower-alpha 2] No relegation [lower-alpha 3]
1992–9313 Thames Polytechnic NatWest Bank Old Gravesendians, Linton
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 2 (1993–1996)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Kent 2 dropped from a tier 9 league to a tier 10 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to Kent 1 and Kent 3 respectively.

Kent 2
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams
1993–9413 Old Shootershillians Old Elthamians Lloyds Bank, Tonbridge, Bexley
1994–9513 Ashford Dover Midland Bank, New Ash Green
1995–9613 Betteshanger Cranbrook Vigo
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 2 (1996–1998)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Kent 2 reverted to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and Kent 3 respectively.

Kent 2
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams
1996–9713 Folkestone Whitstable [lower-alpha 4] No relegation [lower-alpha 5]
1997–9814 Midland Bank Tonbridge No relegation [lower-alpha 6]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 2 East / West (1998–2000)

The cancellation of Kent 3 ahead of the 1997–98 season saw Kent 2 restructured into two regional division - Kent 2 East and Kent 2 West - both of which were tier 9 leagues. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and there was no relegation until Kent 3 was reintroduced.

Kent 2: East / West
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague Name
1998–99
[6] [7]
14 New Ash Green Old Elthamians No relegationKent 2 East
4 Greenwich Dartford Valley No relegationKent 2 West
1999–00
[8] [9]
8 Aylesford Bulls [lower-alpha 7] Sittingbourne Multiple teams [lower-alpha 8] Kent 2 East
9 [lower-alpha 9] Erith [lower-alpha 10] Dartford Valley Multiple teams [lower-alpha 11] Kent 2 West
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 2 (2000–2009)

Kent 2 was restructured back into a single division for the 2000–01 season, although the introduction of London 4 South East meant that it fell to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Kent 1, while the reintroduction of Kent 3 meant that there was relegation until this league was cancelled at the end of the 2007–08 season.

Kent 2
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams
2000–01 [10] 9 Ashford Erith No relegation [lower-alpha 12]
2001–02 [11] 10 Aylesford Bulls Sheppey Dartford Valley, HSBC, Dover
2002–03 [12] 10 Old Elthamians Sittingbourne Brockleians, Bexley
2003–04 [13] 9 Park House Dover No relegation [lower-alpha 13]
2004–05 [14] 10 Brockleians New Ash Green Dartford Valley
2005–06 [15] 9 Old Gravesendians Sheppey Medway, Bexley
2006–07 [16] 8 Erith Old Olavians New Ash Green, Orpington, Shooters Hill
2007–08 [17] 8 Medway Cranbrook [lower-alpha 14] No relegation [lower-alpha 15]
2008–09 [18] 10 [lower-alpha 16] HSBC Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 2 (2009–present)

Kent 2 remained a tier 10 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and there was no relegation.

Kent 2
SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams
2009–10 [19] 10 Lordswood New Ash Green No relegation
2010–11 [20] 11 Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital Shooters Hill No relegation
2011–12 [21] 9 King's College Hospital Southwark Lancers No relegation
2012–13 [22] 11 Old Williamsonians Footscray No relegation
2013–14 [23] 10 Bexley Lordswood No relegation
2014–15 [24] 10 New Ash Green Brockleians No relegation
2015–16 [25] 12 Sittingbourne Snowdown C.W. No relegation
2016–17 [26] 13 Old Gravesendians Royal Bank of Scotland No relegation
2017–18 [27] 9 Whitstable Footscray No relegation
2018–19 [28] 9 Cliffe Crusaders Faversham No relegation
2019–20 [29] 10 Brockleians Footscray No relegation
2020–2110No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes

  1. Betteshanger merged with Deal Wanderers RFC in 2006 to become Deal & Betteshanger Rugby Club. [5]
  2. 3rd place New Ash Green and 4th place Met Police Hayes were also promoted due to Kent league restructuring.
  3. Kent league restructuring meant that there was no relegation.
  4. Seven teams were promoted from the division due to Kent league restructuring, including Snowdown C.W., Deal Wanderers, NatWest Bank, Sittingbourne and Lordswood.
  5. Kent league restructuring meant that there was no relegation.
  6. Kent league restructuring meant that there was no relegation.
  7. Aylesford Bulls were not promoted this season but instead remained in a new look single division along with runners up Sittingbourne and relegated teams from Kent 1.
  8. Due to the creation of a single division for Kent 2 as well as two new lower divisions there were many relegations this season. Faversham, Vigo, Old Williamsonians joined Kent 4 while Deal & Betteshanger, Old Gravesendians, Edenbridge joined Kent 3.
  9. Multiple teams were transferred from Kent 2 East for this season - previously only 4 teams in division.
  10. Erith were not promoted this season but instead remained in a new look single division along with runners up Dartford Valley and relegated teams from Kent 1.
  11. Due to the creation of a single division for Kent 2 as well as two new lower divisions there were many relegations this season. Footscray, Bexley and Greenwich joined Kent 3 while Orpington and Old Olavians joined Kent 4. Greenwich Academical and Met Police Hayes would drop out of the league for the following season.
  12. No relegation as Kent 4 abolished at end of season and subsequent league restructuring led to division increasing to 10 teams.
  13. No relegation as division would increase to 10 teams the following season.
  14. Vigo and Sheppey were also promoted along with champions Medway and runners up Cranbrook.
  15. No relegation as Kent 3 abolished at the end of the season.
  16. Division increased to 10 teams due to Kent 3 being abolished the previous season.

See also

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Counties 3 Kent is an English level 9 Rugby Union League and is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London and Kent. The teams play home and away matches from September through to April. The league champions move up to Counties 2 Kent. Relegated teams drop down to Counties 4 Kent. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 3 Kent.

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The Kent League was a football league which existed from 1894 until 1959, based in the English county of Kent. Another, unrelated, Kent League was formed in 1966, and is now known as the Southern Counties East Football League.

Counties 5 Kent is an English Rugby Union league that is the lowest RFU league for clubs in south-east London and Kent. Promoted teams go up to Counties 4 Kent and relegation is to the Kent RFU merit leagues.

Kent 4 was an English Rugby Union league that was the fourth tier for clubs in south-east London and Kent. Promoted teams went up to Kent 3 and there was no relegation. Initially created in 1987 the league ran for ten seasons before being cancelled at the end of the 1996–97 season. Kent 4 was brought back in 2000 but after just one season, the six team division folded for the second time and all teams were automatically promoted to Kent 3.

The Kent Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Kent in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Kent, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Kent county rugby representative teams.

The 2009–10 Kent Football League season was the 44th in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2008–09 Kent Football League season was the 43rd in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2007–08 Kent Football League season was the 42nd in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2006–07 Kent Football League season was the 41st in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2005–06 Kent Football League season was the 40th in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2002–03 Kent Football League season was the 37th in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2001–02 Kent Football League season was the 36th in the history of the Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 2000–01 Kent Football League season was the 35th in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The 1996–97 Kent Football League season was the 31st in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition in England.

References

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  3. "Rugby returns to the Rectory Field as Askeans move in". 2 November 2021.
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