South West Premier is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of four leagues at this level, alongside London & South East Premier, Midlands Premier and North Premier. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union, and the name change from National League 3 to Premier was introduced for the 2017-18 season by the RFU in order to lessen confusion for what is a series of regional leagues. South West Premier is the highest regional rugby union league covering South West England and part of South East England.
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 are also invited to 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.
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 usually 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, however those clubs based in London rather than the Home Counties are sometimes promoted to London 1 South. 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.
London 3 North East was an English rugby union league that was the eighth level of club rugby union in England and was available to sides from north east London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Promoted clubs move into London 2 North East. Relegated teams tended to drop to Eastern Counties 1 or Essex Canterbury Jack 1 depending on geographical location, with new teams also coming from these leagues.
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.
Essex Spitfire 2 was an English Rugby Union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition. It was the basement division of club rugby in Essex with promoted teams moving up to Essex Canterbury Jack 1 and no relegation. Essex Spitfire 2 was created in 2003 by Essex-based teams who left East Counties 3 South. At the end of 2013-14 the division was abolished with teams either moving up into Essex Canterbury Jack 1 or into various Essex Merit leagues.
Eastern 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.
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.
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 Essex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Essex in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Essex, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Essex county rugby representative teams.
