Counties 2 Sussex is a level 8 English Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams from Sussex with teams playing home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex relegated teams move down to Harvey’s brewery Counties 3 Sussex. It was previously known as Sussex 1 prior to the RFU Adult Competition Review. It is administered by Sussex Rugby. and the London & SE RFU.
Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Structure and format The ten teams play home and away matches making a total of eighteen games each. The results contribute points to the league as follows: 4 points for a win 2 points for a draw 0 points for a loss, however 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match
Teams for 2026-27
Departing the league were Pulborough promoted to Counties 1 Hampshire. Also leaving were Jersey Royals (9th) and Crawley (10th) who did not return for the new season.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Brighton II Waterhall Playing Fields Brighton, East Sussex 4th Burgess Hill Southway Recreation Ground Burgess Hill, West Sussex Re-entry Ditchling Ditchling Recreation Ground Ditchling, East Sussex 5th Eastbourne II Park Avenue Eastbourne, East Sussex 8th East Grinstead Saint Hill East Grinstead, West Sussex 2nd Horsham II Coolhurst Ground Horsham, West Sussex New entry Hove II Hove Recreation Ground Hove, East Sussex Re-entry Lewes Stanley Turner Ground Lewes, East Sussex 6th Seaford Salts Recreation Ground Seaford, East Sussex 3rd Shoreham Buckingham Park Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex 7th
Teams for 2025–26
Departing the league were Uckfield promoted to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex. Also leaving were Worthing III (9th) and Hove II (10th) who did not return for the new season.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Brighton II Waterhall Playing Fields Brighton, East Sussex 7th Crawley Willoughby Fields Crawley, West Sussex 5th Ditchling Ditchling Recreation Ground Ditchling, East Sussex 6th Eastbourne II Park Avenue Eastbourne, East Sussex New entry East Grinstead Saint Hill East Grinstead, West Sussex Relegated from Counties 1 Sry/Ssx (11th) Jersey Royals Grainville Playing Fields St Saviour, Jersey New entry Lewes Stanley Turner Ground Lewes, East Sussex 8th Pulborough Freelands Pulborough, West Sussex 2nd Seaford Salts Recreation Ground Seaford, East Sussex 3rd Shoreham Buckingham Park Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex 4th
Teams for 2024–25
Departing the league were Haywards Heath, promoted to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex whilst Burgess Hill (9th in 2023–24) dropped out the competition. Coming in were Lewes (re-entry after a year away having won Counties 3 Sussex ), Hove 2XV (re-entry having last competed in 2021–22) and Ditchling (re-entry after having last competed in season 2019–20).
The London & SE RFU published fixtures for the league in June 2024.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Brighton II Waterhall Playing Fields Brighton, East Sussex 4th Crawley Willoughby Fields Crawley, West Sussex 8th Ditchling Ditchling Recreation Ground Ditchling, East Sussex Re-entry (3rd Counties 3 Sussex) Hove II Hove Recreation Ground Hove, East Sussex Re-entry Lewes Stanley Turner Ground Lewes, East Sussex Re-entry (Champions Counties 3 Sussex) Pulborough Freelands Pulborough, West Sussex 3rd Seaford Salts Recreation Ground Seaford, East Sussex 6th Shoreham Buckingham Park Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex 2nd Uckfield Hempstead Playing Fields Uckfield, East Sussex 7th Worthing III Roundstone Lane Angmering, West Sussex 5th
Teams for 2023–24
Departing the league were East Grinstead and Eastbourne, both promoted to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex. Lewes did not return having finished 10th the previous season. In their place came Brighton 2XV and Worthing 3XV meaning the league ran with 9 sides.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Brighton II Waterhall Playing Fields Brighton, East Sussex New-entry Burgess Hill Southway Recreation Ground Burgess Hill, West Sussex 7th Crawley Willoughby Fields Crawley, West Sussex 9th Haywards Heath Whitemans Green Cuckfield, West Sussex 3rd Pulborough Freelands Pulborough, West Sussex 4th Seaford Salts Recreation Ground Seaford, East Sussex 8th Shoreham Buckingham Park Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex 6th Uckfield Hempstead Playing Fields Uckfield, East Sussex 5th Worthing III Roundstone Lane Angmering, West Sussex New entry
Teams for 2022–23
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Sussex 1 but was supplemented by two teams from London 3 South East - Crawley and Pulborough - and the addition of Shoreham and Haywards Heath.
Haywards Heath had won London 2 South East in 2019–20 and were scheduled to join London 1 South but with the leagues being abandoned for 2020–21 this did not happen and ahead of the 2021–22 season they withdrew from the league
Despite winning Sussex 1 in 2021-22 East Grinstead were not promoted since the league they would have been promoted to, London 3 South East, was disbanded and Counties 2 Sussex was itself a level 8 league as London 3SE had been. For East Grinstead the achievement was nevertheless significant as they continued their recovery having elected to take voluntary relegation to the Sussex Intermediate League in 2016 due to being left insolvent after their director (and financial backer) pulled out of the club.
Hellingly and Hove 2XV who had finished 7th and 8th respectively in Sussex 1 the previous season did not return.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Burgess Hill Southway Recreation Ground Burgess Hill, West Sussex 4th Sussex 1 Crawley Willoughby Fields Crawley, West Sussex 12th L3SE Eastbourne Park Avenue Eastbourne, East Sussex 3rd Sussex 1 East Grinstead Saint Hill East Grinstead, West Sussex 1st Sussex 1 Haywards Heath Whitemans Green Cuckfield, West Sussex Re-entry Lewes Stanley Turner Ground Lewes, East Sussex 5th Sussex 1 Pulborough Freelands Pulborough, West Sussex 10th L3SE Seaford Salts Recreation Ground Seaford, East Sussex 6th Sussex 1 Shoreham Buckingham Park Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex Re-entry Uckfield Hempstead Playing Fields Uckfield, East Sussex 2nd Sussex 1
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