London & South East Premier is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of four leagues at this level, with its counterparts; South West Premier, Midlands Premier and North Premier. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following re-organisation by the Rugby Football Union while the name change from National League 3 to Premier was introduced for the 2017-18 season to make it more obvious that it is a regional league. London & South East Premier is the highest regional rugby union league covering London and south east England.
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.
Tunbridge Wells RFC is an English Rugby union club that plays in London & South East Premier from Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.
Midlands Premier is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system. It is one of four leagues at this level, with its counterparts, London & South East Premier, South West Premier and North Premier. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following a reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), 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. Midlands Premier is the highest regional rugby union league in the English Midlands.
Midlands 1 West is an English level 6 rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in the western region of the Midlands, including sides from Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, Worcestershire and occasionally Cheshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Oxfordshire.
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.
Tribute Cornwall/Devon League is an English level eight, rugby union league for clubs principally based in Cornwall and Devon. The champions and runner-up are promoted to Tribute Western Counties West. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above, but is usually two or three to Tribute Cornwall One and/or Tribute Devon One.
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.
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.
Tribute Devon 1, as the league is known for sponsorship reasons, is an English level nine, rugby union league for clubs based in Devon. The champions are promoted to Tribute Cornwall/Devon and the runner-up, plays the second team from Tribute Cornwall 1, with the winning team gaining promotion. Up until the end of the 2017-18 season, teams were relegated to Tribute Devon 2 but since that league has been abolished there is currently no relegation.
The 2016–17 National League 2 South was the eighth season of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. New teams to the division include Henley Hawks and Cinderford while Exmouth (champions) and Barnstaple were promoted from National League 3 South West along with London Irish Wild Geese who won National League 3 London & SE. The league system is 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions are promoted to National League 1 while the second-placed team play-off against the second-placed team from National League 2 North for the final promotion place.
