Current season or competition:: | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Number of teams | 18 (across 2 regional divisions) |
Country | |
Holders | Thetford II (North - 1st title) Hadleigh II (South - 1st title) (2016–17) (promoted to East Counties 3) |
Website | ecrurugby.com |
Eastern Counties 4 is an English level 12 Rugby Union league that is currently divided into two regional divisions - north and south - with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. Promoted teams move up to the relevant division in East Counties 3 with no relegation as this is the lowest division in the Eastern Counties league. The league was originally abolished in 1999-00 due to East Counties restructuring and teams moved up to higher divisions only to be reinstated in 2014-15 due to further league restructuring that allowed more 2nd and 3rd teams to take part.
Cambridgeshire is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. The city of Cambridge is the county town. Modern Cambridgeshire was formed in 1974 as an amalgamation of the counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and Huntingdon and Peterborough, the former covering the historic county of Cambridgeshire and the latter covering the historic county of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough, historically part of Northamptonshire. It contains most of the region known as Silicon Fen.
Norfolk is a county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the northwest, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea and, to the north-west, The Wash. The county town is Norwich. With an area of 2,074 square miles (5,370 km2) and a population of 859,400, Norfolk is a largely rural county with a population density of 401 per square mile. Of the county's population, 40% live in four major built up areas: Norwich (213,000), Great Yarmouth (63,000), King's Lynn (46,000) and Thetford (25,000).
Suffolk is an East Anglian county of historic origin in England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Felixstowe, one of the largest container ports in Europe.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
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1998-99 [1] | 5 | Brightlingsea | Norwich Union | No relegation | East Counties 4 North | |||||||||
1998-99 [2] | 7 | Millwall | May & Baker | No relegation | East Counties 4 South | |||||||||
1999-00 [3] | 6 | Haverhill & District | Clacton | No relegation | East Counties 4 North [n 1] | |||||||||
1999-00 [4] | 6 | Witham [n 2] | Old Bealonians Vets | No relegation | East Counties 4 South [n 3] | |||||||||
2001-13 | No competition | |||||||||||||
2014-15 [5] | 11 | Swaffham 2 | Thetford 2 | No relegation | Eastern Counties Greene King Division 4 North | |||||||||
2014-15 [6] | 8 | Colchester IV | University of Essex | No relegation | Eastern Counties Greene King Division 4 South | |||||||||
2015-16 [7] | 8 | Fakenham II | Broadland - Great Yarmouth II | No relegation | Eastern Counties Greene King Division 4 North | |||||||||
2015-16 [8] | 8 | Southwold II | Bury St Edmunds IV | No relegation | Eastern Counties Greene King Division 4 South | |||||||||
2016-17 [9] | 9 | Thetford II | Norwich III | No relegation | Eastern Counties Greene King Division 4 North | |||||||||
2016-17 [10] | 9 | Hadleigh II | Maldon III | No relegation | Eastern Counties Greene King Division 4 South | |||||||||
2017-18 | 9 | |||||||||||||
2017-18 | 9 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The Eastern Counties Rugby Union (ECRU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in England. Clubs in the old Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough are affiliated to the East Midlands Rugby Football Union. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for those counties. The ECRU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in those three counties and administers the Eastern Counties county rugby representative teams.
Rugby union in England consists of 101 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation is in place throughout the system.
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which involved England, was played in Scotland. The English national team compete annually in the Six Nations Championship, and are former world champions after winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The top domestic men's club competition is Premiership Rugby, and English clubs also compete in international competitions such as the European Rugby Champions Cup. The top domestic women's competition is the Premier 15s.
Sussex 1 is an English level 9 Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams predominantly from Sussex. Teams play home and away matches from September through to April. The league champions are automatically promoted up to London 3 South East, while the second placed team plays a promotion playoff against the second placed team from Shepherd Neame Kent 1. Relegated teams drop to Sussex Canterbury Jack Division 2. Only 1st XV sides can be promoted into London 3 South East, although any team can be relegated into Sussex Canterbury Jack Division 2.
London 2 South West is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams predominantly from south-west London, Surrey, and Hampshire. The 12 teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
London 2 South East is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex. The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
London 1 North is an English level 6, rugby union league for clubs in London and the south-east of England including sides from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, north Greater London, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk.
London 1 South is an English level 6 rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in London and the south-east of England including sides from East Sussex, south Essex, south Greater London, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex. It is the feeder league for London & South East Premier into which the champion team each season is promoted. The second-placed team enters a play-off against the runner-up of London 1 North. Three teams are relegated into a mixture of London 2 South East and London 2 South West.
Shepherd Neame Kent 1 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 London 3 South East while the runners up play against the runners up of Sussex 1 for the remaining place. Relegated teams drop down to Shepherd Neame Kent 2.
London 2 North East is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams predominantly from north east London, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Midlands 2 East (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the occasional team from Leicestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Midlands 2 East (South) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the East Midlands region including sides from Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and occasionally Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, who play home and away matches throughout the season. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Herts/Middlesex 2 is a tier 10 English Rugby Union league. It is organised by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union and is the second division competition for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that traditionally was encompassed by the historic county of Middlesex. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Hampshire Premier is an English level 9 Rugby Union league for teams based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Up until the 2017-18 season it was known as Hampshire 1 but was changed to Hampshire Premier due to restructuring of the Hampshire leagues, which would see the re-introduction of a third division as well as 2nd and 3rd XV sides joining for the first time. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
London 2 North West is an English rugby union league which is at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and is made up of teams predominantly from north-west London and Hertfordshire. Promotion is to London 1 North with the league champions going up automatically and the runners up entering a promotion playoff against the league runners up from London 2 North East. Relegated teams typically drop into London 3 North West. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Surrey 1 is a level 9 English Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams predominantly from Surrey and south-west London. Teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to London 3 South West with the league winners going straight up and the runners up playing against the runners up from Hampshire Premier. Relegated teams drop to Surrey 2.
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. 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 2 is an English level 10 Rugby Union League - currently divided into 3 regional divisions. Promoted teams move up to Eastern Counties 1 with teams in this league tending to be from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. Currently a three divisions, Eastern Counties 2 has previously been divided into North and South divisions with teams from Essex taking part, and had relegation to East Counties 3. In 2003-04 the Essex teams broke away, forming a new league - with Essex 2 being the equivalent division to Eastern Counties 2. In 2014-15 Eastern Counties 2 split into three regional divisions - north, south and west to allow for more 2nd and 3rd teams to take part. Due to the reorganization of the divisions relegation is now possible to relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 3.
Essex/Canterbury Jack 1 is an English Rugby Union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and features teams from Essex and parts of north-east London. Promoted clubs tend to move up to London 3 Essex. Relegated clubs used to drop into Essex Spitfire 2 but as that division has been abolished there is currently no relegation. The division was created in 2003 by Essex-based teams who left Eastern Counties 1 and Eastern Counties 2. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
East Counties 3 is an English level 11 Rugby Union league, currently divided into 3 regional leagues. Promoted teams moved up to the relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 2 while relegated teams drop to regional divisions in East Counties 4. For most of its history, East Counties 3 was divided into two regional divisions – north and south – with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. A breakaway of Essex teams at the end of the 2002–03 to form a new league would lead to East Counties 3 being abolished by the end of 2003–04 only to return due to a league restructure to cater for more 2nd and 3rd teams.
London 3 Eastern Counties is an English rugby union league that is at the eighth level of the English rugby union system and is available to club sides based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Promoted teams move up to London 2 North East with league champions going up automatically and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from London 3 Essex, while demoted teams usually drop down to Eastern Counties 1, with new teams also coming up from this league, although only 1st XV sides are allowed in London 3 Eastern Counties. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a level 8 national competition.
London 3 Essex is an English rugby union league that is at the eighth level of the English rugby union system and is available to club sides based in Essex and north-east London. Promoted teams move up to London 2 North East with league champions going up automatically and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from London 3 Eastern Counties, while demoted teams usually drop down to Essex Canterbury Jack 1, with new teams also coming up from this league. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a level 8 national competition.
The RFU Junior Vase is a rugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by the Rugby Football Union, which has been competed for since 1990. It is mostly contested by 1st XV teams at level 9 of the English rugby union system, although sides as low as level 12 or even outside the league system can sometimes enter. The competition is a national one, but split into regions until the national semi-finals with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium in London. Presently, the RFU Junior Vase is the fifth most important club cup competition in England, behind the Premiership Rugby Cup, RFU Championship Cup, RFU Intermediate Cup and RFU Senior Vase.