Current season or competition: 2024-25 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 2000 | (as London 4 North West)
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Most titles | Old Streetonians (2 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex (formerly London 3 North West) is a level 8 league within the RFU league structure and is made up of teams predominantly from north-west London and Hertfordshire. Promoted sides move up to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex while relegated teams drop to Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Departing were Brunel University and Ealing Trailfinders 1871, both promoted to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex. Hendon were relegated to Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex.
Joining were Enfield Ignatians and Hampstead, both relegated from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex together with Verulamians and UCS Old Boys, both promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex.
With three teams departing and four joining, the league ran with eleven sides.
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Departing were Cheshunt and London Scottish Lions, both promoted to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex. Royston were relegated to Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex.
Joining were Brunel University and Old Millhillians, both promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex.
With three teams departing and two joining, the league ran with ten sides.
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This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review [1] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Returning were six of the ten teams from the previous season supplemented by the top five from Herts/Middlesex 1.
Departing were the top three sides Finchley, Welwyn and Hitchin, all promoted to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex. Finsbury Park, 8th in 2021-22, did not return for the new season instead dropping to Middlesex RFU Merit 2.
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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.
Stevenage Town, 3rd in 2019-20, did not return for the new season instead dropping to Middlesex RFU Merit 3. This meant the league started with eleven clubs competing.
Old Merchant Taylors', who finished 9th in 2019-20, withdrew from the league in November 2021, [2] consequently it was completed with ten teams.
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On 30 October the RFU announced [3] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 3 North West was not contested.
Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
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Cheshunt | Rosedale Sports Club | Cheshunt, Hertfordshire | 8th | |
Enfield Ignatians | Donkey Lane | Enfield Town, London | Relegated from London 2 NW (11th) | |
Finchley | Summers Lane | 1,000 | Finchley, London | 10th |
Finsbury Park | Downhills Park | West Green, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up) | |
Harrow | Grove Field | Stanmore, London | 7th | |
Hitchin | King George V Playing Fields | Hitchin, Hertfordshire | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | |
Kilburn Cosmos | Gladstone Park | Kilburn, London | 9th | |
Old Merchant Taylors' | War Memorial Sports Ground | Northwood, London | 6th | |
Old Streetonians | Haggerston Park | Shoreditch, London | 4th | |
Royston | The Heath Sports Centre | Royston, Hertfordshire | 11th (not relegated) | |
Stevenage Town | North Road | Stevenage, Hertfordshire | 3rd | |
Tabard | Cobden Hill | Radlett, Hertfordshire | 5th | |
Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cheshunt | Rosedale Sports Club | Cheshunt, Hertfordshire | 10th | |
Datchworth | Datchworth Sports Club | Datchworth, Hertfordshire | 8th | |
Finchley | Summers Lane | 1,000 | Finchley, London | 7th |
Harrow | Grove Field | Stanmore, London | Relegated from London 2 NW (11th) | |
Kilburn Cosmos | Gladstone Park | Kilburn, London | 6th | |
London Welsh | Old Deer Park | 5,850 (1,000 seats) | Richmond, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) |
Old Merchant Taylors' | War Memorial Sports Ground | Northwood, London | 9th | |
Old Streetonians | Haggerston Park | Shoreditch, London | 4th | |
Royston | The Heath Sports Centre | Royston, Hertfordshire | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up) | |
Stevenage Town | North Road | Stevenage, Hertfordshire | 3rd | |
Tabard | Cobden Hill | Radlett, Hertfordshire | Relegated from London 2 NW (12th) | |
Verulamians | Cotlandswick | London Colney, Hertfordshire | 5th | |
Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cheshunt | Rosedale Sports Club | Cheshunt, Hertfordshire | 10th | |
Datchworth | Datchworth Sports Club | Datchworth, Hertfordshire | 6th | |
Finchley | Summers Lane | 1,000 | Finchley, London | 11th (not relegated) |
Grasshoppers | MacFarlane Lane | Isleworth, London | 4th | |
Hitchin | King George V Playing Fields | Hitchin, Hertfordshire | 8th | |
Kilburn Cosmos | Gladstone Park | Kilburn, London | 5th | |
Old Merchant Taylors' | War Memorial Sports Ground | Northwood, London | 9th | |
Old Streetonians | Haggerston Park | Shoreditch, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up) | |
St Albans | Boggymead Springs | St Albans, Hertfordshire | 7th | |
Stevenage Town | North Road | Stevenage, Hertfordshire | 3rd | |
Verulamians | Cotlandswick | London Colney, St Albans, Hertfordshire | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | |
Welwyn | Hobbs Way | Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire | Relegated from London 2 North West (11th) | |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Hackney (C) | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 859 | 245 | +614 | 20 | 0 | 108 | Promoted |
2 | Hemel Hempstead | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 800 | 305 | +495 | 16 | 2 | 90 | |
3 | Stevenage | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 716 | 472 | +244 | 18 | 5 | 83 | |
4 | Grasshoppers | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 564 | 515 | +49 | 11 | 2 | 67 | |
5 | Kilburn Cosmos | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 550 | 560 | −10 | 10 | 4 | 54 | |
6 | Datchworth | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 458 | 633 | −175 | 7 | 3 | 50 | |
7 | St Albans | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 463 | 590 | −127 | 10 | 3 | 47 | |
8 | Hitchin | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 497 | 639 | −142 | 9 | 1 | 46 | |
9 | Old Merchant Taylors' | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 475 | 588 | −113 | 8 | 1 | 45 | |
10 | Cheshunt | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 463 | 558 | −95 | 8 | 3 | 43 | |
11 | Finchley | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 512 | 563 | −51 | 8 | 5 | 41 | Relegated |
12 | Staines | 22 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 310 | 999 | −689 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
When this division was introduced in 2000 (as London 4 North West) it contained the following teams:
Originally known as London 4 North West, this division was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 North West and relegation down to Herts/Middlesex 1.
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2000–01 [4] | 11 | Letchworth Garden City | Bank Of England | Old Millhillians, Tring | ||||||||||
2001–02 [5] | 10 | London Scottish | Fullerians | Hemel Hempstead, Chiswick, Hampstead | ||||||||||
2002–03 [6] | 10 | Civil Service | St Albans | No relegation | ||||||||||
2003–04 [7] | 10 | Welwyn | Ruislip | Old Merchant Taylors' Lambs [lower-alpha 2] | ||||||||||
2004–05 [8] | 9 | Tring | Stevenage Town | Finchley | ||||||||||
2005–06 [9] | 10 | London New Zealand | Datchworth | West London, Cheshunt | ||||||||||
2006–07 [10] | 10 | Hammersmith & Fulham | UCS Old Boys | Verulamians, Hitchin | ||||||||||
2007–08 [11] | 10 | Finchley | Grasshoppers | Harrow | ||||||||||
2008–09 [12] | 11 | Chiswick | Hemel Hempstead | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
League restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 4 North East renamed as London 3 North West. Remaining as a tier 8 league promotion was to London 2 North West (formerly London 3 North West), while relegation continued to Herts/Middlesex 1.
Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2009–10 [13] | 11 | Old Streetonians | West London | Old Hamptonians | ||||||||||
2010–11 [14] | 12 | Old Haberdashers | Fullerians | Old Ashmoleans, Wasps Amateurs | ||||||||||
2011–12 [15] | 12 | H.A.C. | London Nigerian | London Welsh Amateur, Bank Of England, West London | ||||||||||
2012–13 [16] | 12 | Old Priorians | Twickenham | Haringey Rhinos, Cheshunt, Imperial Medicals | ||||||||||
2013–14 [17] | 12 | Harrow | Old Merchant Taylors' | No relegation | ||||||||||
2014–15 [18] | 12 | Fullerians | Welwyn | Old Streetonians, UCS Old Boys | ||||||||||
2015–16 [19] | 12 | London Nigerian | Belsize Park | Wasps, Old Actonians | ||||||||||
2016–17 [20] | 12 | Hackney | Hemel Hempstead | Staines [lower-alpha 3] | ||||||||||
2017–18 [21] | 12 | Grasshoppers | Welwyn | Hitchin, St Albans | ||||||||||
2018–19 [22] | 12 | London Welsh | Datchworth | Verulamians [lower-alpha 4] | ||||||||||
2019–20 [23] | 12 | Old Streetonians | Enfield Ignatians | Harrow | ||||||||||
2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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