# London 2 North East

Counties 1 Eastern Counties (formerly 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. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 1 Eastern Counties.
Promoted teams move up to Regional 2 Anglia whilst relegated teams go to Counties 2 Eastern Counties.

## Participating Clubs 2022-23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review with the league adopting its new name of Counties 1 Eastern Counties.
Six teams returned and the league was supplemented with four teams from the upper end of London 3 Eastern Counties and two reserve sides.
The London and Essex teams moved to Counties 1 Essex or were promoted to Regional 2 Anglia.

## Teams for 2021–22

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.

## Season 2020–21

On 30 October the RFU announced that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 2 North East was not contested.

## Teams for 2016-17

* Campion
* Cantabrigian
* Diss
* Epping Upper Clapton (promoted from London 3 North East)
* Holt
* Ipswich
* Norwich
* Old Cooperians (promoted from London 3 North East)
* Rochford Hundred
* Romford & Gidea Park
* South Woodham Ferrers
* Woodford (transferred from London 2 North West)

## Teams for 2015-16

* Basildon
* Campion
* Cantabrigian (promoted from London 3 North East)
* Diss
* Holt
* Ipswich (relegated from London 1 North)
* Norwich
* Rochford Hundred
* Romford & Gidea Park (relegated from London 1 North)
* Saffron Walden
* South Woodham Ferrers
* Sudbury (promoted from London 3 North East)

## Teams for 2014-15

* Basildon
* Braintree
* Campion (promoted from London 3 North East)
* Chelmsford
* Diss (relegated from London 1 North)
* Enfield Ignatians
* Holt
* Norwich
* Old Cooperians (promoted from London 3 North East)
* Rochford Hundred
* Saffron Walden
* South Woodham Ferrers

## Teams for 2013-14

* Basildon (relegated from London 1 North)
* Braintree
* Chelmsford
* Enfield Ignatians
* Holt
* Ipswich
* Lowestoft & Yarmouth
* Norwich (promoted from London 3 North East)
* Rochford Hundred
* Saffron Walden
* South Woodham Ferrers
* Stowmarket

## Teams for 2012-13

* Braintree
* Chelmsford
* Enfield Ignatians
* Holt
* Ipswich
* Lowestoft & Yarmouth
* North Walsham
* Old Streetonians
* Saffron Walden
* Stevenage Town
* Stowmarket
* Woodford

## Teams for 2009-2010

* Beccles
* Braintree
* Canvey Island
* Chelmsford
* Enfield Ignatians
* Harlow
* Ipswich
* Old Streetonians
* Rochford Hundred
* Romford & Gidea Park
* Saffron Walden
* Sudbury

## Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 3 North East) contained the following teams:
* Barking
* Brentwood
* Bury St Edmunds
* Chingford
* Colchester
* Eton Manor
* Ipswich YMCA
* Old Cantabrigian
* Old Westcliffians
* Saffron Walden

## London 2 North East Honours
### London 3 North East (1987–1993)

Originally known as London 3 North East, this division was a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 North and relegation down to Eastern Counties 1.
London 3 North East :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1987–88 | 11 | Barking | Eton Manor | Bury St Edmunds |
| 1988–89 | 11 | Eton Manor | Chingford | Ipswich YMCA |
| 1989–90 | 11 | Chingford | Harlow | Metropolitan Police (Chigwell) |
| 1990–91 | 11 | Harlow | Romford & Gidea Park | West Norfolk |
| 1991–92 | 11 | Cambridge | Old Edwardians | No relegation |
| 1992–93 | 13 | Brentwood | Rochford Hundred | Old Cantabrigian, Canvey Island |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### London 3 North East (1993–1996)

At the end of the 1992–93 season, the top six teams from London 1 and the top six from South West 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that London 3 North East dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to London 2 North and Eastern Counties 1 respectively.
London 3 North East :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1993–94 | 13 | Romford & Gidea Park | Ipswich | Saffron Walden, Westcliff |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Colchester | Rochford Hundred | Woodbridge, Basildon |
| 1995–96 | 13 | Ipswich | Lowestoft & Yarmouth | Shelford, Campion |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### London 3 North East (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that London 3 North East reverted to being a tier 7 league. Promotion and relegation continued to London 2 North and Eastern Counties 1 respectively.
London 3 North East :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1996–97 | 13 | Diss | Chingford | No relegation |
| 1997–98 | 17 | Lowestoft & Yarmouth | Bury St Edmunds | Upminster |
| 1998–99 | 17 | Chelmsford | Shelford | Bancroft, Old Edwardians, Woodbridge |
| 1999–00 | 17 | Rochford Hundred | Basildon | Multiple teams |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### London 3 North East (2000–2009)

London 3 North East continued to be a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 North. However, the introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that clubs were now relegated into this new division instead of into Eastern Counties 1.
London 3 North East :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 2000–01 | 10 | Southend | Rochford Hundred | Lowestoft & Yarmouth, Braintree, Campion |
| 2001–02 | 10 | Shelford | Basildon | Chelmsford |
| 2002–03 | 10 | Romford & Gidea Park | Saffron Walden | Basildon, Wymondham, West Norfolk, Rochford Hundred |
| 2003–04 | 10 | Shelford | Hadleigh | No relegation |
| 2004–05 | 12 | Chingford | Romford & Gidea Park | Braintree, Chelmsford |
| 2005–06 | 12 | Eton Manor | Diss | Sudbury, Saffron Walden |
| 2006–07 | 12 | Bury St Edmunds | Harlow | Campion |
| 2007–08 | 12 | Westcliff | Diss | Colchester, Ipswich |
| 2008–09 | 12 | Rochford Hundred | Brentwood | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### London 2 North East (2009–2017)

Nationwide league restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 3 North East renamed as London 2 North East. It remained at level 7 with promotion to London 1 North (formerly London 2 North) and relegation to London 3 North East (formerly London 4 North East).
London 2 North East :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 2009–10 | 12 | Thurrock | Colchester | Mersea Island, Norwich |
| 2010–11 | 12 | Rochford Hundred | Braintree | Harlow, Sudbury |
| 2011–12 | 12 | Romford & Gidea Park | Basildon | Canvey Island, Beccles |
| 2012–13 | 12 | North Walsham | Woodford | Stevenage Town, Old Streetonians |
| 2013–14 | 12 | Ipswich | Saffron Walden | Lowestoft & Yarmouth, Stowmarket |
| 2014–15 | 11 | Chelmsford | Diss | Old Cooperians |
| 2015–16 | 12 | Saffron Walden | Sudbury | Basildon |
| 2016–17 | 12 | Diss | South Woodham Ferrers | Campion, Holt |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### London 2 North East (2017–present)

Further restructuring ahead of the 2017–18 season, which included the cancellation of London 3 North East and introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties or London 3 Essex, meant that relegation was now to either of these new leagues. Overwise, London 2 North East was unchanged, remaining as a tier 7 division with promotion continuing to London 1 North.
London 2 North East :
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 2017–18 | 12 | Rochford Hundred | Sudbury | Old Cooperians, Epping Upper Clapton, Chelmsford |
| 2018–19 | 12 | Woodford | Romford & Gidea Park | Basildon, Harlow, Cantabrigian |
| 2019–20 | 12 | Norwich | Southwold | Epping, Holt, Romford & Gidea Park |
| 2020–21 | 12 | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of London 2 North East and London 2 North West for the third and final promotion place to London 1 North. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2018–10 season the London 2 North East and London 2 North West teams are tied on nine wins apiece, and the home team has won promotion on fourteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
London 2 (north-east v north-west) promotion play-off results :
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance |
| 2000–01 | Twickenham (NW) | 44-8 | Rochford Hundred (NE) | Parkfields, Hampton, Greater London | |
| 2001–02 | Letchworth Garden City (NW) | 31-22 | Basildon (NE) | Baldock Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire | |
| 2002–03 | Ealing Trailfinders (NW) | 36-12 | Saffron Walden (NE) | Trailfinders Sports Ground, Ealing, London | |
| 2003–04 | St Albans (2nd XV) (NW) | 5-22 | Hadleigh (NE) | Oaklands Land, St Albans, Hertfordshire | |
| 2004–05 | Bank of England (NW) | 39-0 | Romford and Gidea Park (NE) | Bank Lane, Roehampton, Greater London | |
| 2005–06 | Tring (NW) | 19-5 | Diss (NE) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | |
| 2006–07 | Welwyn (NW) | 19-6 | Harlow (NE) | Hobbs Way, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire | |
| 2007–08 | Diss (NE) | 50-15 | Imperial Medicals (NW) | Mackenders, Roydon, Norfolk | |
| 2008–09 | Brentwood (NE) | 23-15 | Hampstead (NW) | King George's Playing Fields, Brentwood, Essex | |
| 2009–10 | Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) | 22-29 | Colchester (NE) | Hurlingham Park, Fulham, London | |
| 2010–11 | Braintree (NE) | 24-14 | Harpenden (NW) | Robbs Wood, Braintree, Essex | 300 |
| 2011–12 | Basildon (NE) | 38-13 | Stevenage (NW) | Gardiners Close, Basildon, Essex | |
| 2012–13 | Hemel Hempstead (NW) | 13-16 (aet) | Woodford (NE) | Chaulden Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire | 500 |
| 2013–14 | Twickenham (NW) | 44-43 | Saffron Walden (NE) | Parkfields, Hampton, Greater London | |
| 2014–15 | Diss (NE) | 13-16 | Chiswick (NW) | Mackenders, Roydon, Norfolk | |
| 2015–16 | Sudbury (NE) | 22-18 | Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) | Whittham Field, Sudbury, Suffolk | |
| 2016–17 | H.A.C. (NW) | 48-7 | South Woodham Ferrers (NE) | Artillery Ground, Finsbury, London | |
| 2017–18 | Hampstead (NW) | 7-37 | Sudbury (NE) | Parliament Hill Fields, Highgate, Camden, London | |
| 2018–19 | Harpenden (NW) | 60-6 | Romford and Gidea Park (NE) | Redbourn Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire | |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. |
| 2020–21 | |
| Green background is the promoted team. NE = London 2 North East (formerly London 3 North East) and NW = London 2 North West (formerly London 3 North West) |||||||||||

## Number of league titles

* Rochford Hundred (4)
* Romford & Gidea Park (3)
* Chingford (2)
* Diss (2)
* Chelmsford (2)
* Eton Manor (2)
* Ipswich (2)
* Shelford (2)
* Barking (1)
* Brentwood (1)
* Bury St Edmunds (1)
* Cambridge (1)
* Colchester (1)
* Harlow (1)
* Lowestoft & Yarmouth (1)
* North Walsham (1)
* Norwich (1)
* Saffron Walden (1)
* Southend (1)
* Thurrock (1)
* Westcliff (1)
* Woodford (1)