Eastern Counties 2 Explained

Eastern Counties 2
Current Season:	2019–20 Eastern Counties 2
Sport:	Rugby union
Teams:	29 (across 3 regional divisions)
Champion:	Holt II (North - 1st title) Stowmarket (South - 1st title) Shelford IV (West - 1st title)
Most Champs:	Cantabrigian, Hadleigh, Ipswich Y.M., Thetford, Wanstead
Count:	2
Website:	ecrurugby.com

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^[1] 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.^[2]

<											----> Eastern Counties 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1987–88	11	Basildon
1988–89	11	Old Edwardians
1989–90	11	Chelmsford
1990–91	11	Campion
1991–92	11	Maldon		No relegation
1992–93	13	Wymondham
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 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1993–94	13	Diss
1994–95	12	Ilford Wanderers
1995–96	13	Cantabrigian
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 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1996–97	13	Hadleigh
1997–98	10	Met Police Chigwell
1998–99^[3]	9	Billericay
1999–00^[4]	9	Wanstead
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 / South
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams	League Name
2000–01 ^[5] ^[6]	10	Beccles			East Counties 2 North
	9	Stanford Le Hope			East Counties 2 South
2001–02 ^[7] ^[8]	10	Colchester			East Counties 2 North
	10	Wanstead			East Counties 2 South
2002–03 ^[9] ^[10]	10	Ipswich Y.M.		No relegation	East Counties 2 North
	10	Westcliff		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 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2003–04^[11]	8	Crusaders		No relegation
2004–05^[12]	9	Newmarket		No relegation
2005–06^[13]	11	Woodbridge		No relegation
2006–07^[14]	11	Cantabrigian		No relegation
2007–08^[15]	11	Thetford		No relegation
2008–09^[16]	10	Southwold		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 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2009–10^[17]	10	Harwich & Dovercourt		No relegation
2010–11^[18]	10	Ipswich Y.M.		No relegation
2011–12^[19]	9	Hadleigh		No relegation
2012–13^[20]	9	Swaffham		No relegation
2013–14^[21]	10	Thetford		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 / West
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams	League Name
2014–15 ^[22]	10	Diss II			Eastern Counties 2 North
	10	Colchester II			Eastern Counties 2 South
	10	Cantabrigian II			Eastern Counties 2 North
2015–16 ^[23] ^[24] ^[25]	10	Broadland - Great Yarmouth			Eastern Counties 2 North
	10	Colchester III			Eastern Counties 2 South
	10	Bury St Edmunds III			Eastern Counties 2 West
2016–17 ^[26] ^[27] ^[28]	10	Fakenham			Eastern Counties 2 North
	9	Mersea Island			Eastern Counties 2 South
	9	Cottenham Renegades			Eastern Counties 2 West
2017–18 ^[29] ^[30] ^[31]	11	Wymondham II			Eastern Counties 2 North
	9	Halstead Templars			Eastern Counties 2 South
	6	March Bears		No relegation	Eastern Counties 2 West
2018–19 ^[32] ^[33] ^[34]	10	Holt II			Eastern Counties 2 North
	9	Stowmarket			Eastern Counties 2 South
	10	Shelford IV			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^[35]	Epping Upper Clapton (S)	21-15	Ipswich Y.M. (N)
2001-02^[36]	Stowmarket (N)	21-12	East London (S)
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 and References

1. Web site: Revised Eastern Counties Leagues for 2014/15. Andrew Sarek. 23 May 2014. 3 May 2015.
2. Web site: EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION HANDBOOK 2015/16 . Eastern Counties RU . 12 June 2019 . 12 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160812154713/http://files.pitchero.com/counties/76/1441812607.pdf . dead .
3. Web site: 1998-19 London South-East Division. England Rugby. 30 January 2015. RFU.
4. Web site: 1999-20 London South-East Division. England Rugby. 30 January 2015. RFU.
5. Web site: 2000-01 London South-East Division. England Rugby. 30 January 2015. RFU.
6. Web site: 2000-01 London South-East Division. England Rugby. 30 January 2015. RFU.
7. Web site: 2001-02 London South-East Division. England Rugby. 30 January 2015. RFU.
8. Web site: 2001-02 London South-East Division. England Rugby. 30 January 2015.
9. Web site: 2002-03 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
10. Web site: 2002-03 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
11. Web site: 2003-04 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
12. Web site: 2004-05 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
13. Web site: 2005-06 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
14. Web site: 2006-07 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU n. 30 January 2015.
15. Web site: 2007-08 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
16. Web site: 2008-09 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
17. Web site: 2009-10 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
18. Web site: 2010-11 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
19. Web site: 2011-12 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
20. Web site: 2012-13 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
21. Web site: 2013-14 London South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 30 January 2015.
22. Web site: London & SE Division - 2014-15 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two North. Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. 3 May 2015.
23. Web site: London & SE Division - 2015-16 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two North. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Pitchero. 25 April 2016.
24. Web site: London & SE Division - 2015-16 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two South. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Pitchero. 25 April 2016.
25. Web site: London & SE Division - 2015-16 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two West. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Pitchero. 25 April 2016.
26. Web site: London & SE Division - 2016-17 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two North. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Pitchero. 22 April 2017.
27. Web site: London & SE Division - 2016-17 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two South. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Pitchero. 22 April 2017.
28. Web site: London & SE Division - 2016-17 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two West. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Pitchero. 22 April 2017.
29. Web site: Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two North 2017-18. England Rugby. RFU . 13 June 2019.
30. Web site: Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two South 2017-18. England Rugby. RFU . 13 June 2019.
31. Web site: Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two West 2017-18. England Rugby. RFU . 13 June 2019.
32. Web site: Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two North 2018-19. England Rugby. RFU . 13 June 2019.
33. Web site: Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two South 2018-19. England Rugby. RFU . 13 June 2019.
34. Web site: Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two West 2018-19. England Rugby. RFU . 13 June 2019.
35. Web site: London & SE Division Play-Offs 2000-01 . England Rugby . 19 May 2001.
36. Web site: London & SE Division Play-Offs 2001-02 . England Rugby . 27 April 2002.