Current season or competition: 2019–20 London 3 South East | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 2000 | (as London 4 South East)
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Holders | Ashford (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to London 2 South East) |
Most titles | Aylesford Bulls, Crowborough (2 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
London 3 South East is an English level 8 Rugby Union League involving club sides from Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and the south-east London. [1] It is made up of teams predominantly from London, Sussex and Kent. The twelve teams play home and away matches from September to April. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase, a national competition at level 8.
Promoted teams move up to London 2 South East, while demoted teams move down to Sussex 1 and Kent 1. Although 2nd XV rugby is part of the Sussex regional system, only 1st XV sides are eligible to play in London 3 South East.
The teams competing in 2021-22 season earned their places in the league based on their performances in the 2019-20, Thus, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to the 2019-20 season, not the 2020-21 season.
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On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced [2] 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 London 3 South East was not contested.
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When this division was introduced in 2000 (as London 4 South East) it contained the following teams:
Originally known as London 4 South East, this division was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 South East and relegation down to either Kent 1 or Sussex 1.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2000–01 [3] | 10 | Dartfordians | Old Dunstonians | Park House, Chichester, Heathfield & Waldron | ||||||||||
2001–02 [4] | 10 | Betteshanger | Eastbourne | Askean, Cranbrook, Uckfield | ||||||||||
2002–03 [5] | 10 | Chichester | Bognor | Heathfield & Waldron, Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital, Beccehamian | ||||||||||
2003–04 [6] | 10 | Aylesford Bulls | Folkestone | Uckfield | ||||||||||
2004–05 [7] | 10 | Old Dunstonians | Lordswood | Crawley, Ashford | ||||||||||
2005–06 [8] | 10 | Old Elthamians | Betteshanger | East Grinstead, Horsham, Sittingbourne | ||||||||||
2006–07 [9] | 10 | Eastbourne | Dover | Dartfordians, Brighton, Ashford | ||||||||||
2007–08 [10] | 10 | Bognor | Hove | No relegation [lower-alpha 1] | ||||||||||
2008–09 [11] | 12 | Tonbridge Juddians | Bromley | Beccehamian | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
League restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 4 South East renamed as London 3 South East. Remaining as a tier 8 league promotion was to London 2 South East (formerly London 3 South East), while relegation continued to either Kent 1 or Sussex 1.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2009–10 [12] | 12 | East Grinstead | Brighton | Old Gravesendians, Whitstable, Hastings & Bexhill | ||||||||||
2010–11 [13] | 12 | Heathfield & Waldron | Charlton Park | Dartfordians, Cranbrook, Crawley | ||||||||||
2011–12 [14] | 12 | Crowborough | Medway | Eastbourne, Uckfield | ||||||||||
2012–13 [15] | 12 | Maidstone | Tunbridge Wells | Vigo, Pulborough, Park House | ||||||||||
2013–14 [16] | 12 | Thanet Wanderers | Ashford | Beccehamian, Burgess Hill, Sheppey | ||||||||||
2014–15 [17] | 12 | Horsham | Dartfordians | Hastings & Bexhill, Lewes | ||||||||||
2015–16 [18] | 12 | Bromley | Heathfield & Waldron | Uckfield, Burgess Hill | ||||||||||
2016–17 [19] | 12 | Pulborough | Haywards Heath | Ashford, Eastbourne | ||||||||||
2017–18 [20] | 12 | Aylesford Bulls | Thanet Wanderers | Crawley, Sheppey | ||||||||||
2018–19 [21] | 11 [lower-alpha 2] | Crowborough | Beccehamian | Lewes, Hastings & Bexhill | ||||||||||
2019–20 [22] | 12 | Ashford | Folkestone | Old Williamsonians, Park House, Uckfield | ||||||||||
2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Regional 1 South East is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London Division 1. 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 was the highest regional rugby union league covering London and south east England. Following the RFU Adult Competition Review the league was decreased from 14 to 12 and the name changed to Regional 1 South East. Part of the area formerly covered by London & South East Premier is now covered by a new league Regional 1 South Central.
Counties 4 Surrey is a rugby union competition covering the English county of Surrey and parts of south-west London. It sits at the 10th tier of the English rugby union system. The teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to Surrey 3 and relegated teams move down to Counties 5 Surrey. At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Surrey 4 was cancelled with teams automatically going up to Surrey 3 or dropping out of the league. After a hiatus of four seasons the division was reinstated.
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 Kent 1. Relegated teams drop to Sussex 2 although in recent season there has been no relegation. Only 1st XV sides can be promoted into London 3 South East.
The Sussex Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Sussex, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union.
London 2 South West is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 South West, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. The division 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. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 South East, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. The division is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London, Kent, 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.
Sussex 2 is an English level 10 Rugby Union League. It is run by the Sussex Rugby Football Union and contains teams predominantly from West Sussex. The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to Sussex 1 and demoted teams fall to Sussex 3. Up until 2003-04 the league was known as Sussex 2 which was abolished at the end of that season. Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate emerged in 2010-11 as the second-tier competition for Sussex with a large number of 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams taking part. The division name changed to Sussex Canterbury Jack Division 2 for the 2016–17 season. A further name change resulted in Sussex Canterbury Jack 2 becoming Sussex 2 Armada Ale for the 2017–18 season.
London 1 North was 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. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 2 North, changing to its final name ahead of the 2009–10 season.
Regional 2 South East, previously known as 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. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 2 South, changing to London 1 South ahead of the 2009–10 season. It used to be the feeder league for London & South East Premier into which the champion team each season was promoted whilst the second-placed team entered a play-off against the runner-up of London 1 North. Three teams were relegated into either London 2 South East and London 2 South West depending on their location. The league was renamed as Regional 2 South East for the 2022-23 season and moved from a 14 team, to a 12 team competition. The champion would be promoted to either Regional 1 South Central or Regional 1 South East depending on geographical location, whilst relegated sides would go to either Counties 1 Kent or Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex.
Kent 2 is an English level 10 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. 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 a single division, in the past Kent 2 was divided into regional divisions - Kent 2 East and Kent 2 West.
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 Kent 2.
London 2 North East is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 North East, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. 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.
Counties 2 Surrey is a level 8 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 Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex while relegated teams drop down to Counties 3 Surrey. It was previously known as Surrey 2 and a 10 team team league prior to the RFU Adult Competition Review.
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 Eastern 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.
Sussex 4 is an English level 12 rugby union league traditionally divided into two regional divisions. It is run by the Sussex Rugby Football Union and features teams from this county. Teams play home and away matches from September to April. Promoted teams move up to Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 and there is no relegation. The division has changed format several times in its history, originally being a regional division before changing to a single division and then back to a regional for the 2016-17 season.
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