Counties 5 Surrey is a rugby union competition covering the English county of Surrey and parts of south-west London. It sits at the bottom of English Rugby union system, at level 11, making it the lowest level competition still controlled by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The winner of the league is promoted for the following season to Counties 4 Surrey. There is no relegation from the league, and no promotion into it, however new teams can apply to join.
The league was first formed in the 1989–90 season and ran for three years before its closure at the end of the 1991–1992 season. When the league was disbanded, teams were either automatically promoted to Surrey 4, moved to other leagues, or folded.
As part of a larger restructuring of the entire English rugby union pyramid, undertaken by the RFU, the league was re-formed. Beginning with the 2022–23 season, nine teams from Surrey and south-west London compete in the division.
Teams for 2026-27
Departing were Old Paulines and Economicals both promoted to Counties 4 Surrey.
Feltham (8th in 2025-26) were initially allocated a place in the league but withdrew before the season began preferring to return to the Surrey RFU reserve leagues.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Egham Hollowegians Keith Heal Academy of Rugby Englefield Green, Surrey 5th Guildfordians Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex Guildford, Surrey 4th Harlequin Amateurs Bushy Park Hampton Wick, London Re-entry London French Barn Elms Barnes, London Relegated from Counties 4 Surrey (9th) Merton Morden Recreation Ground Morden, London 6th Mitcham & Carshalton Peterborough Road Carshalton, London 7th Wandsworthians Imber Court Sports Ground Thames Ditton, London 3rd
Teams for 2025–26
Departing were Staines and Woking both promoted to Counties 4 Surrey.
Croydon (8th in 2024–25) did not return for the new season instead joining Kent Rugby reserve leagues.
Harlequin Amateurs who had been demoted from Counties 4 Surrey (5th) in 2024-25 contested matches until November however after awarding several walkovers withdrew from the league in January. Around the same time Raynes Park also elected to withdraw from the league having been similarly unable to fulfil games leaving 8 clubs to contest the outstanding fixtures.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Economicals LSE Sports Ground New Malden, London Demoted from Counties 3 Surrey (9th) Egham Hollowegians Keith Heal Academy of Rugby Englefield Green, Surrey 4th Feltham The Airpark Feltham, London 6th Guildfordians Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex Guildford, Surrey 3rd Merton Morden Recreation Ground Morden, London 10th Mitcham & Carshalton Peterborough Road Carshalton, London 5th Old Paulines Old Pauline Sports Ground Thames Ditton, Surrey Relegated from Counties 4 Surrey (10th) Wandsworthians Imber Court Sports Ground Thames Ditton, London 7th
Teams for 2024–25
Leaving the league are Reigate and London French (promoted to Counties 4 Surrey), replaced by Guilfordians and Staines both relegated from the same league. Feltham joined for the first time having previously competed in Surrey Conference League 2023-2024.
With two leaving and three joining the league was made up of 10 sides for the first time having had 9 since its inaugural year.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Croydon Addington Road Addington, London 6th Egham Hollowegians Keith Heal Academy of Rugby Englefield Green, Surrey 5th Feltham The Airpark Feltham, London New entry Guildfordians Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex Guildford, Surrey Relegated from Counties 4 Surrey (9th) Merton Morden Recreation Ground Morden, London 8th Mitcham & Carshalton Peterborough Road Carshalton, London 7th Raynes Park Raynes Park Sports Ground Raynes Park, London 2nd Staines The Reeves Feltham, London Relegated from Counties 4 Surrey (10th) Wandsworthians Old Wimbledonians & Donhead Sports Ground Raynes Park, London 9th Woking Recreation Ground Byfleet, Woking, Surrey 4th
Teams for 2023–24
Leaving the league were Old Hamptonians and Haslemere, both promoted to Counties 4 Surrey replaced by Croydon, relegated from Counties 4 Surrey and London French who had most recently competed in Herts & Middlesex 2 in 2021-22.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Croydon Addington Road Addington, London Relegated from Counties 4 Surrey (8th) Egham Hollowegians Keith Heal Academy of Rugby Englefield Green, Surrey 4th London French Barn Elms Barnes, London Re-entry Merton Morden Recreation Ground Morden, London 6th Mitcham & Carshalton Peterborough Road Carshalton, London 9th Raynes Park Old Wimbledonians & Donhead Sports Ground Raynes Park, London 3rd Reigate Colley Lane Reigate, Surrey 5th Wandsworthians Old Wimbledonians & Donhead Sports Ground Raynes Park, London 8th Woking Recreation Ground Byfleet, Woking, Surrey 7th
Teams for 2022–23
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Surrey 4 but while that league had been at level 12 of the English rugby pyramid the new league was at level 11.
Six of the teams had previously competed in Surrey 4 and they were joined by three sides from Surrey 3 - Egham Hollowegians, Merton and Raynes Park - who remained in a level 11 league.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Egham Hollowegians Keith Heal Academy of Rugby Englefield Green, Surrey Surrey 3 (9th) Haslemere Woolmer Hill Sports Association Haslemere, Surrey Surrey 4 (6th) Merton Morden Recreation Ground Morden, London Surrey 3 (6th) Mitcham & Carshalton Peterborough Road Carshalton, London Surrey 4 (5th) Old Hamptonians Dean Road Hampton, London Surrey 4 (4th) Raynes Park Old Wimbledonians & Donhead Sports Ground Raynes Park, London Surrey 3 (10th) Reigate Colley Lane Reigate, Surrey Surrey 4 (7th) Wandsworthians Old Wimbledonians & Donhead Sports Ground Raynes Park, London Surrey 4 (9th) Woking Recreation Ground Byfleet, Woking, Surrey Surrey 4 (8th)
Original teams When the competition began in 1989, the following teams played in the division:
Economicals - relegated from Surrey 4 Gibraltar Engineers - new to league Haslemere - relegated from Surrey 3 Lightwater - relegated from Surrey 3 Oxted - relegated from Surrey 3 Racal-Decca - relegated from Surrey 3 Woking - new to league
Surrey 5 honours SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams1989–90 7 Gibraltar Engineers Racal-Decca No relegation1990–917 Woking Shene Old Grammarians No relegation1991–9210 Kew Occasionals London Media No relegation2022-23 9 Old Hamptonians Haslemere No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Gibraltar Engineers (1) Woking (1) Kew Occasionals (1)
See also London & SE Division RFU Surrey RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links Surrey Rugby Football Union RFU Table for Counties Surrey 5