London 3 Essex was an English rugby union league at the eighth level of the English rugby union system and was available to club sides based in Essex and north-east London. Promoted teams moved up to London 2 North East with league champions going up automatically and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from London 3 Eastern Counties, while demoted teams usually dropped down to Essex Canterbury Jack 1, with new teams also coming up from this league. Each year all clubs in the division also took part in the RFU Senior Vase – a level 8 national competition.

The division was created for the 2017–18 season as part of an RFU reorganization of the London & South East regional league. Originally there had been a London 3 North East league which had involved teams from Essex and north-east London along with teams from the Eastern Counties (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). Due to the distances involved for teams travelling potentially from London to Norfolk and vice versa, at the end of the 2016–17 season this league was discontinued. Teams in Essex and north-east London who had played in London 3 North East were transferred into the new look London 3 Essex along with additional promoted teams from the Essex regional leagues, while the Eastern Counties sides went into another new division called London 3 Eastern Counties.

Following the Rugby Football Union's Adult Competition Review, the league's place in the English rugby union system was taken by Counties 1 Essex, with the teams placed 1st to 10th in 2021–22 London 3 Essex making up the new league.

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.

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Braintree Robbswood Braintree, Essex 4th Campion Cottons Park Romford, London 8th Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex Promoted from Essex 1 (runners up) Dagenham Central Park Dagenham, London Promoted from Essex 1 (champions) East London Memorial Park West Ham, London 5th Epping Upper Clapton Upland Road Thornwood, Epping, Essex Relegated from London 2 NE (12th) Harlow Latton Park Harlow, Essex 2nd Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park 500 Plaistow, London 7th Mavericks Warley Playing Field Warley, Brentwood, Essex 9th Old Cooperians Coopers' Company & Corborn School Upminster, London 6th Romford & Gidea Park Crowlands Romford, London Relegated from London 2 NE (10th) Upminster Hall Lane Upminster, London 3rd

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 3 Essex was not contested.

Teams for 2019–20

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barking Goresbrook 1,000 Becontree, London 9th Basildon Gardiners Close Basildon, Essex Relegated from London 2 NE (12th) Braintree Robbswood Braintree, Essex 3rd Campion Cottons Park Romford, London 8th Chelmsford Coronation Park Chelmsford, Essex 4th East London Memorial Park West Ham, London Runners up (lost playoff) Harlow Latton Park Harlow, Essex Relegated from London 2 NE (11th) Ilford Wanderers Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground Ilford, London 5th Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park 500 Plaistow, London 6th Mavericks Warley Playing Field Warley, Brentwood, Essex Promoted from Essex 1 (runners up) Old Cooperians Coopers' Company & Corborn School Upminster, London 7th Upminster Hall Lane Upminster, London Promoted from Essex 1 (champions)

Teams for 2018–19

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barking Goresbrook 1,000 Becontree, London Relegated from London 2 SE (12th) Braintree Robbswood Braintree, Essex 3rd Campion Cottons Park Romford, London 7th Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex 5th Chelmsford RFC Coronation Park Chelmsford, Essex Relegated from London 2 NE (10th) East London Memorial Park West Ham, London 4th Epping Upper Clapton Upland Road Thornwood, Epping, Essex Relegated from London 2 NE (11th) Ilford Wanderers Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground Ilford, London Promoted from Essex 1 (runners up) Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park 500 Plaistow, London Promoted from Essex 1 (champions) Maldon Drapers Farm Playing Fields Heybridge, Essex 6th Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London Runners up (lost playoff) Old Cooperians Coopers' Company & Corborn School Upminster, London Relegated from London 2 NE (12th)

Teams for 2017–18

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Basildon Gardiners Close Basildon, Essex 8th (London 3 North East) Braintree Robbswood Braintree, Essex Promoted from Essex 1 (champions) Campion Cottons Park Romford, Havering, London Relegated from London 2 North East (12th) Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex Promoted from Essex 1 (runners up) Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex Promoted from Essex Jack 1 (4th) East London Memorial Park West Ham, London 3rd (London 3 North East) Maldon Drapers Farm Playing Fields Heybridge, Essex Promoted from Essex 1 (3rd) Mavericks Warley Playing Field Warley, Brentwood, Essex Invited from Essex Merit Leagues Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London Promoted from Essex 1 (5th) Upminster Hall Lane Upminster, London 7th (London 3 North East)

London 3 Essex honours

London 3 Essex was a tier 8 league with promotion to London 2 North East and relegation to Essex 1.

London 3 EssexSeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2017–1810 Basildon Millwall Mavericks, Upminster, Clacton 2018–19 12 Epping Upper Clapton East London Millwall, Maldon, Canvey Island 2019–20 12 Chelmsford Harlow Barking, Ilford, Basildon 2020–21 12 Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs From the 2017–18 season there was a play-off between the runners-up of London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex for the third and final promotion place to London 3 North East. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 3 Eastern Counties were the most successful with two wins to the London 3 Essex teams none; and the home team won promotion on two occasions compared to the away teams none.

London 3 (Eastern Counties v Essex) promotion play-off results Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance 2017–18 Southwold (EC) 49-3 Millwall (EX) The Common, Southwold, Suffolk 300 2018–19 Holt (EC) 31-22 East London (EX) Bridge Road, Holt, Norfolk 2019–20 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Cantabrigian (EC) - promoted instead. 2020–21 Green background is the promoted team. EC = London 3 Eastern Counties and EX = London 3 Essex

Number of league titles

Chelmsford (1) Basildon (1) Epping Upper Clapton (1)

See also Essex RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England

Notes

References