London 2 North East is an English level 7 Rugby Union League.[1] When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 North East, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. It is made up of teams predominantly from north east London, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Current season or competition: 2019–20 London 2 North East | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 1987 (as London 3 North East) |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Norwich (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to London 1 North) |
| Most titles | Rochford Hundred (4 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
Promoted teams move up to London 1 North with the league champions going up automatically and the runners up entering a promotion playoff against the league runners up from London 2 North West. Relegated teams from Cambridgeshire, Suffolk or Norfolk drop to London 3 Eastern Counties, while Essex and London teams drop to London 3 Essex.
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.
Walden
Season 2020–21
On 30 October the RFU announced [3] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 2 North East was not contested.
Teams for 2019–20
Teams for 2018–19
Teams for 2017–18
Teams for 2016-17
- Campion
- Cantabrigian
- Diss
- Epping Upper Clapton (promoted from London 3 North East)
- Holt
- Ipswich
- Norwich
- Old Cooperians (promoted from London 3 North East)
- Rochford Hundred
- Romford & Gidea Park
- South Woodham Ferrers
- Woodford (transferred from London 2 North West)
Teams for 2015-16
- Basildon
- Campion
- Cantabrigian (promoted from London 3 North East)
- Diss
- Holt
- Ipswich (relegated from London 1 North)
- Norwich
- Rochford Hundred
- Romford & Gidea Park (relegated from London 1 North)
- Saffron Walden
- South Woodham Ferrers
- Sudbury (promoted from London 3 North East)
Teams for 2014-15
- Basildon
- Braintree
- Campion (promoted from London 3 North East)
- Chelmsford
- Diss (relegated from London 1 North)
- Enfield Ignatians
- Holt
- Norwich
- Old Cooperians (promoted from London 3 North East)
- Rochford Hundred
- Saffron Walden
- South Woodham Ferrers
Teams for 2013-14
- Basildon (relegated from London 1 North)
- Braintree
- Chelmsford
- Enfield Ignatians
- Holt
- Ipswich
- Lowestoft & Yarmouth
- Norwich (promoted from London 3 North East)
- Rochford Hundred
- Saffron Walden
- South Woodham Ferrers
- Stowmarket
Teams for 2012-13
- Braintree
- Chelmsford
- Enfield Ignatians
- Holt
- Ipswich
- Lowestoft & Yarmouth
- North Walsham
- Old Streetonians
- Saffron Walden
- Stevenage Town
- Stowmarket
- Woodford
Teams for 2009-2010
- Beccles
- Braintree
- Canvey Island
- Chelmsford
- Enfield Ignatians
- Harlow
- Ipswich
- Old Streetonians
- Rochford Hundred
- Romford & Gidea Park
- Saffron Walden
- Sudbury
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 3 North East) contained the following teams:
- Barking
- Brentwood
- Bury St Edmunds
- Chingford
- Colchester
- Eton Manor
- Ipswich YMCA
- Old Cantabrigian[a]
- Old Westcliffians[b]
- Saffron Walden
London 2 North East Honours
London 3 North East (1987–1993)
Originally known as London 3 North East, this division was a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 North and relegation down to Eastern Counties 1.[5]
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | Barking | Eton Manor | Bury St Edmunds | ||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | Eton Manor | Chingford | Ipswich YMCA | ||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | Chingford | Harlow | Metropolitan Police (Chigwell) | ||||||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | Harlow | Romford & Gidea Park | West Norfolk | ||||||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | Cambridge | Old Edwardians | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | Brentwood | Rochford Hundred | Old Cantabrigian, Canvey Island | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 North East (1993–1996)
At the end of the 1992–93 season, the top six teams from London 1 and the top six from South West 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that London 3 North East dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to London 2 North and Eastern Counties 1 respectively.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | Romford & Gidea Park | Ipswich | Saffron Walden, Westcliff | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | Colchester | Rochford Hundred | Woodbridge, Basildon | ||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | Ipswich | Lowestoft & Yarmouth | Shelford, Campion | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 North East (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that London 3 North East reverted to being a tier 7 league. Promotion and relegation continued to London 2 North and Eastern Counties 1 respectively.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 13 | Diss | Chingford[c] | No relegation[d] | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 17 | Lowestoft & Yarmouth | Bury St Edmunds | Upminster | ||||||||||
| 1998–99[6] | 17 | Chelmsford | Shelford | Bancroft, Old Edwardians, Woodbridge | ||||||||||
| 1999–00[7] | 17 | Rochford Hundred | Basildon | Multiple teams[e] | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 North East (2000–2009)
London 3 North East continued to be a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 North. However, the introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that clubs were now relegated into this new division instead of into Eastern Counties 1.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[8] | 10 | Southend | Rochford Hundred | Lowestoft & Yarmouth, Braintree, Campion | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[9] | 10 | Shelford | Basildon | Chelmsford | ||||||||||
| 2002–03[10] | 10 | Romford & Gidea Park | Saffron Walden | Basildon, Wymondham, West Norfolk, Rochford Hundred | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[11] | 10 | Shelford | Hadleigh | No relegation[f] | ||||||||||
| 2004–05[12] | 12 | Chingford | Romford & Gidea Park | Braintree, Chelmsford | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[13] | 12 | Eton Manor | Diss | Sudbury, Saffron Walden | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[14] | 12 | Bury St Edmunds | Harlow | Campion | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[15] | 12 | Westcliff | Diss | Colchester, Ipswich | ||||||||||
| 2008–09[16] | 12 | Rochford Hundred | Brentwood | No relegation[g] | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 2 North East (2009–2017)
Nationwide league restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 3 North East renamed as London 2 North East. It remained at level 7 with promotion to London 1 North (formerly London 2 North) and relegation to London 3 North East (formerly London 4 North East).
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10[17] | 12 | Thurrock | Colchester | Mersea Island, Norwich | ||||||||||
| 2010–11[18] | 12 | Rochford Hundred | Braintree | Harlow, Sudbury | ||||||||||
| 2011–12[19] | 12 | Romford & Gidea Park | Basildon | Canvey Island, Beccles | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[20] | 12 | North Walsham | Woodford | Stevenage Town, Old Streetonians | ||||||||||
| 2013–14[21] | 12 | Ipswich | Saffron Walden | Lowestoft & Yarmouth, Stowmarket | ||||||||||
| 2014–15[22] | 11 | Chelmsford | Diss | Old Cooperians[h] | ||||||||||
| 2015–16[23] | 12 | Saffron Walden | Sudbury | Basildon[i] | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[25] | 12 | Diss | South Woodham Ferrers | Campion, Holt | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 2 North East (2017–present)
Further restructuring ahead of the 2017–18 season, which included the cancellation of London 3 North East and introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties or London 3 Essex, meant that relegation was now to either of these new leagues. Overwise, London 2 North East was unchanged, remaining as a tier 7 division with promotion continuing to London 1 North.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18[26] | 12 | Rochford Hundred | Sudbury | Old Cooperians, Epping Upper Clapton, Chelmsford | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[27] | 12 | Woodford | Romford & Gidea Park | Basildon, Harlow, Cantabrigian | ||||||||||
| 2019–20[28] | 12 | Norwich | Southwold | Epping, Holt, Romford & Gidea Park | ||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Promotion play-offs
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of London 2 North East and London 2 North West for the third and final promotion place to London 1 North. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2018–10 season the London 2 North East and London 2 North West teams are tied on nine wins apiece, and the home team has won promotion on fourteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[29] | Twickenham (NW) | 44-8 | Rochford Hundred (NE) | Parkfields, Hampton, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[30] | Letchworth Garden City (NW) | 31-22 | Basildon (NE) | Baldock Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2002–03[31] | Ealing Trailfinders (NW) | 36-12 | Saffron Walden (NE) | Trailfinders Sports Ground, Ealing, London | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[32] | St Albans (2nd XV) (NW) | 5-22 | Hadleigh (NE) | Oaklands Land, St Albans, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2004–05[33] | Bank of England (NW) | 39-0 | Romford and Gidea Park (NE) | Bank Lane, Roehampton, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[34] | Tring (NW) | 19-5 | Diss (NE) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[35] | Welwyn (NW) | 19-6 | Harlow (NE) | Hobbs Way, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[36] | Diss (NE) | 50-15 | Imperial Medicals (NW) | Mackenders, Roydon, Norfolk | ||||||||||
| 2008–09[37] | Brentwood (NE) | 23-15 | Hampstead (NW) | King George's Playing Fields, Brentwood, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2009–10[38] | Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) | 22-29 | Colchester (NE) | Hurlingham Park, Fulham, London | ||||||||||
| 2010–11[39] | Braintree (NE) | 24-14 | Harpenden (NW) | Robbs Wood, Braintree, Essex | 300 | |||||||||
| 2011–12[40] | Basildon (NE) | 38-13 | Stevenage (NW) | Gardiners Close, Basildon, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[41] | Hemel Hempstead (NW) | 13-16 (aet) | Woodford (NE) | Chaulden Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire | 500 | |||||||||
| 2013–14[42] | Twickenham (NW) | 44-43 | Saffron Walden (NE) | Parkfields, Hampton, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2014–15[43] | Diss (NE) | 13-16 | Chiswick (NW) | Mackenders, Roydon, Norfolk | ||||||||||
| 2015–16[44] | Sudbury (NE) | 22-18 | Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) | Whittham Field, Sudbury, Suffolk | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[45] | H.A.C. (NW) | 48-7[j] | South Woodham Ferrers (NE) | Artillery Ground, Finsbury, London | ||||||||||
| 2017–18[47] | Hampstead (NW) | 7-37 | Sudbury (NE) | Parliament Hill Fields, Highgate, Camden, London | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[48] | Harpenden (NW) | 60-6 | Romford and Gidea Park (NE) | Redbourn Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
| Green background is the promoted team. NE = London 2 North East (formerly London 3 North East) and NW = London 2 North West (formerly London 3 North West) | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Rochford Hundred (4)
- Romford & Gidea Park (3)
- Chingford (2)
- Diss (2)
- Chelmsford (2)
- Eton Manor (2)
- Ipswich (2)
- Shelford (2)
- Barking (1)
- Brentwood (1)
- Bury St Edmunds (1)
- Cambridge (1)
- Colchester (1)
- Harlow (1)
- Lowestoft & Yarmouth (1)
- North Walsham (1)
- Norwich (1)
- Saffron Walden (1)
- Southend (1)
- Thurrock (1)
- Westcliff (1)
- Woodford (1)