Current season or competition: 2024-25 Counties 4 Kent | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 |
Number of teams | 10 |
Country | 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.
Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
he original Kent 2 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to Kent 1 and relegation down to Kent 3.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1987–88 | 11 | Betteshanger | Snowdown C.W. | Orpington, Met Police Hayes, Thames Polytechnic | ||||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Sevenoaks | Dover | Lloyds Bank, Greenwich | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Sittingbourne | Met Police Hayes | Midland Bank | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Tonbridge | Sheppey | Linton, Cranbrook, NatWest Bank | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Canterbury | Snowdown C.W. [lower-alpha 2] | No relegation [lower-alpha 3] | ||||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Thames Polytechnic | NatWest Bank | Old Gravesendians, Linton | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1993–94 | 13 | Old Shootershillians | Old Elthamians | Lloyds Bank, Tonbridge, Bexley | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Ashford | Dover | Midland Bank, New Ash Green | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Betteshanger | Cranbrook | Vigo | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1996–97 | 13 | Folkestone | Whitstable [lower-alpha 4] | No relegation [lower-alpha 5] | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 14 | Midland Bank | Tonbridge | No relegation [lower-alpha 6] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
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1998–99 [6] [7] | 14 | New Ash Green | Old Elthamians | No relegation | Kent 2 East | |||||||||
4 | Greenwich | Dartford Valley | No relegation | Kent 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 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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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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 remained a tier 10 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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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 | ||||||||||
2020–21 | 10 | No relegation | ||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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Counties 1 Midlands West (North) (formerly Midands 2 West (North)) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of clubs from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, saw it changed to Midlands 2 West (North) and post the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name.
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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.
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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.