Eastern Counties 2 is an English level 10 Rugby Union League - currently divided into 3 regional divisions (north, south, west). 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.

In 2014-15 Eastern Counties 2 split into three regional divisions - north, south and west to allow for more 2nd and 3rd teams to take part. Due to the reorganization of the divisions, relegation is now possible to Eastern Counties 3.

Participating Clubs 2013-14 Fakenham Felixstowe Hadleigh (relegated from Eastern Counties 1) Haverhill & District Mildenhall Red Lodge Mistley Norwich Medics Norwich Union Thetford Thurston (relegated from Eastern Counties 1)

Participating Clubs 2012–13 Broadland – Great Yarmouth Felixstowe Haverhill & District Mildenhall Red Lodge Mistley Norwich Medics Norwich Union Sawston Swaffham Thetford

Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

Basildon Braintree Canvey Island Chelmsford Diss East London Ilford Wanderers Port of London Authority Upminster Wanstead Woodbridge

Eastern Counties 2 Honours

Eastern Counties 2 (1987–1993)

The original Eastern Counties 2 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 1 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 3.

Eastern Counties 2SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 11 Basildon Canvey Island Ilford Wanderers 1988–89 11 Old Edwardians Braintree Thetford 1989–90 11 Chelmsford Woodbridge Wanstead 1990–91 11 Campion Port of London Authority Ipswich YMCA 1991–92 11 Maldon Upminster No relegation 1992–93 13 Wymondham Harwich & Dovercourt Redbridge, South Woodham Ferrers Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 2 (1993–96)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 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 Eastern Counties 1 and Eastern Counties 3 respectively.

Eastern Counties 2SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1993–94 13 Diss Holt Ipswich YMCA, Crusaders 1994–95 12 Ilford Wanderers Loughton East London 1995–96 13 Cantabrigian Wanstead Old Bealonians, Lakenham Hewett Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 2 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 2 reverted to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 1, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 3, which would split into two regional divisions - north and south - ahead of the 1997–98 season.

Eastern Counties 2SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1996–97 13 Hadleigh Bancroft Ravens 1997–98 10 Met Police Chigwell Thetford Loughton, Fakenham 1998–99 9 Billericay Old Cooperians Southwold, Old Palmerians 1999–00 9 Wanstead Mersea Island Harwich & Dovercourt Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 2: North / South (2000–2003)

East Counties 2 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - and the introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant the divisions dropped to become tier 10 leagues. Promotion was to Eastern Counties 1 and relegation to Eastern Counties 3 - north or south.

Eastern Counties 2: North / SouthSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague Name2000–01 10 Beccles Ipswich Y.M. Brightlingsea, Norwich Union, Southwold East Counties 2 North 9 Stanford Le Hope Epping Upper Clapton Old Cooperians East Counties 2 South 2001–02 10 Colchester Stowmarket Harwich & Dovercourt East Counties 2 North 10 Wanstead East London May & Baker, Millwall East Counties 2 South2002–03 10 Ipswich Y.M. Southwold No relegation East Counties 2 North 10 Westcliff East London No relegation East Counties 2 South Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 2 (2003–2009)

Eastern Counties 2 re-merged into a single division ahead of the 2003–04 season, continuing to be a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 1 and after the cancellation of Eastern Counties 3 at the end of the 2003–04 season, there was no relegation.

Eastern Counties 2SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2003–04 8 Crusaders Wisbech No relegation 2004–05 9 Newmarket Fakenham No relegation 2005–06 11 Woodbridge Dereham No relegation 2006–07 11 Cantabrigian Ely No relegation 2007–08 11 Thetford Newmarket No relegation 2008–09 10 Southwold Ely No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 2 (2009–2014)

Eastern Counties 2 remained a tier 10 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 1 and there was no relegation.

Eastern Counties 2SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2009–10 10 Harwich & Dovercourt Haverhill & District No relegation 2010–11 10 Ipswich Y.M. Broadland - Great Yarmouth No relegation 2011–12 9 Hadleigh Thurston No relegation 2012–13 9 Swaffham Broadland - Great Yarmouth No relegation 2013–14 10 Thetford Thurston No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Eastern Counties 2: North / South / West (2014–present)

Eastern Counties 2 was once again restructured - this time into three regional divisions - north, south and west. It remained a tier 10 league with promotion to Eastern Counties 1 and the reintroduction of Eastern Counties 3 meant there was once again relegation to one of its regional divisions - north, south or west.

Eastern Counties 2: North / South / WestSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague Name 2014–15 10 Diss II Broadland-Great Yarmouth Watton Eastern Counties 2 North 10 Colchester II Harwich & Dovercourt Brightlingsea Eastern Counties 2 South 10 Cantabrigian II Bury St Edmunds III Sawston Eastern Counties 2 North 2015–16 10 Broadland - Great Yarmouth Norwich Medics Beccles II Eastern Counties 2 North 10 Colchester III Harwich & Dovercourt Aldeburgh & Thorpeness Eastern Counties 2 South 10 Bury St Edmunds III Cantabrigian II March Bears Eastern Counties 2 West 2016–17 10 Fakenham Diss II Dereham Eastern Counties 2 North 9 Mersea Island Ipswich II Felixstowe Eastern Counties 2 South 9 Cottenham Renegades Shelford III Ely II Eastern Counties 2 West 2017–18 11 Wymondham II Norwich II Broadland - Great Yarmouth II Eastern Counties 2 North 9 Halstead Templars Colchester IV Ipswich Y.M. II Eastern Counties 2 South 6 March Bears St Ives II No relegation Eastern Counties 2 West 2018–19 10 Holt II Watton West Norfolk II Eastern Counties 2 North 9 Stowmarket Braintree II Mersea Island II Eastern Counties 2 South 10 Shelford IV Haverhill & District Sawston Eastern Counties 2 West 2019–20 10 Eastern Counties 2 North 9 Eastern Counties 2 South 10 Eastern Counties 2 West 2020–21 10 Eastern Counties 2 North 9 Eastern Counties 2 South 10 Eastern Counties 2 West Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

From 2000 to 2002 there was a playoff between the runners-up of Eastern Counties 2 North and Eastern Counties 2 South for the third and final promotion place to Eastern Counties 1 with the team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. The promotion playoffs were discontinued when a single Eastern Counties 2 division was created for the 2002–03 season.

Eastern Counties 2 North v Eastern Counties 2 North promotion play-off results Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance 2000-01 Epping Upper Clapton (S) 21-15 Ipswich Y.M. (N) Upland Road, Thornwood, Essex 2001-02 Stowmarket (N) 21-12 East London (S) Chilton Fields, Stowmarket, Suffolk Green background is the promoted team. N = Eastern Counties 2 North and S = Eastern Counties 2 South

Number of league titles

Cantabrigian (2) Hadleigh (2) Ipswich Y.M. (2) Thetford (2) Wanstead (2) Basildon (1) Beccles (1) Billericay (1) Broadland - Great Yarmouth (1) Bury St Edmunds III (1) Campion (1) Cantabrigian II (1) Chelmsford (1) Colchester (1) Colchester II (1) Colchester III (1) Cottenham Renegades (1) Crusaders (1) Diss (1) Diss II (1) Fakenham (1) Halstead Templars (1) Harwich & Dovercourt (1) Holt II (1) Ilford Wanderers (1) Maldon (1) March Bears (1) Mersea Island (1) Met Police Chigwell (1) Newmarket (1) Old Edwardians (1) Shelford IV (1) Southwold (1) Stanford Le Hope (1) Stowmarket (1) Swaffham (1) Westcliff (1) Woodbridge (1) Wymondham (1) Wymondham II (1)

See also London & SE Division RFU Eastern Counties RU Essex RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England

Notes

References