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 addtion 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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