Eastern Counties 5 was an English level 13 Rugby Union league with teams from Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk taking part. Promoted teams used to move up to Eastern Counties 4 and relegation was to Eastern Counties 6 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season. After ten seasons Eastern Counties 5 was cancelled at the end of the 1996–97 campaign.
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
Bancroft Dereham Haverhill & District London Hospital Loughton March Norwich Union Old Brentwoods Orwell Sawston Swaffham Thurston
Eastern Counties 5 honours
Eastern Counties 5 (1987–1993)
The original Eastern Counties 5 was a tier 12 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 4 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 6 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season.
Eastern Counties 5SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 12 Bancroft Old Brentwoods Orwell 1988–89 9 London Hospital Loughton Sawston 1989–90 10 Haverhill & District Thames Sports Chigwell 1990–91 9 Dereham Old Cooperians No relegation 1991–92 11 Ongar Hadleigh No relegation 1992–93 11 May & Baker Broadland No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 5 (1993–1996)
The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 5 dropped from a tier 12 league to a tier 13 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 4 and there was no relegation.
Eastern Counties 5SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1993–94 12 Mersea Island Mayfield Old Boys No relegation 1994–95 7 Sawston Rayleigh No relegation 1995–96 6 Norwich Union Stanford Le Hope No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 5 (1996–1997)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 5 once more became a tier 12 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 4 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 1996–97 Eastern Counties 5 was discontinued and all teams transferred into Eastern Counties 4.
Eastern Counties 5SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1996–97 9 Millwall Swaffham No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Bancroft (1) Dereham (1) Haverhill & District (1) London Hospital (1) May & Baker (1) Mersea Island (1) Millwall (1) Norwich Union (1) Ongar (1) Sawston (1)
See also London & SE Division RFU Eastern Counties RU Essex RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
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