London 2 South East is an English level 7 Rugby Union League.[1] When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 South East, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. The division is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London, Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex. 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 South East | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 (as London 3 South East) |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Haywards Heath (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to London 1 South) |
| Most titles | Tunbridge Wells (4 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
Promoted teams move up to London 1 South with the league champions being promoted automatically and the runners up playing the runners up from London 2 South West, while demoted teams tend to move down to London 3 South East.
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.
Season 2020–21
On 30 October the RFU announced[2] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 2 South East was not contested.
Teams for 2019–20
Teams for 2018–19
Teams for 2017–18
Teams for 2016-2017
- Beckenham
- Bromley (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Charlton Park (relegated from London 1 South)
- Crowborough
- Dartfordians
- Deal & Betteshanger
- Heathfield & Waldron (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Horsham
- Hove
- Medway (relegated from London 1 South)
- Old Alleynians
- Old Colfeians
Teams for 2015-2016
- Ashford
- Beckenham
- Crowborough
- Dartfordians (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Deal & Betteshanger
- Horsham (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Hove (relegated from London 1 South)
- Old Alleynians (transferred from London 2 South West)
- Old Colfeians
- Sevenoaks
- Thanet Wanderers
- Tunbridge Wells
Teams for 2014-2015
- Ashford (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Aylesford Bulls
- Beckenham (relegated from London 1 South)
- Crowborough
- Deal & Betteshanger
- Haywards Heath (relegated from London 1 South) withdrew from league prior to the season, now playing in Sussex 2
- Maidstone
- Medway
- Old Colfeians
- Sevenoaks
- Thanet Wanderers (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Tunbridge Wells
Teams for 2013-2014
- Aylesford Bulls
- Charlton Park
- Crowborough
- Deal & Betteshanger
- Heathfield & Waldron
- Lewes
- Maidstone (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Medway
- Old Colfeians (relegated from London 1 South)
- Sevenoaks
- Tunbridge Wells (promoted from London 3 South East)
- Warlingham
Teams for 2012-2013
- Aylesford Bulls
- Brighton Football Club
- Crowborough
- Charlton Park
- Deal & Betteshanger
- Heathfield & Waldron
- Lewes
- Medway
- Old Dunstonians
- Sevenoaks
- Thanet Wanderers
- Warlingham
Teams for 2011-2012
- Aylesford Bulls
- Brighton Football Club
- Charlton Park
- Deal & Betteshanger
- East Grinstead
- Heathfield & Waldron
- Lewes
- Old Dunstonians
- Old Mid-Whitgiftian
- Sevenoaks
- Tunbridge Wells
- Warlingham
Teams for 2010-2011
- Aylesford Bulls
- Brighton Football Club
- Deal & Betteshanger
- East Grinstead
- Lewes
- Maidstone
- Old Dunstonians
- Old Elthamians
- Old Mid-Whitgiftian
- Purley John Fisher
- Sevenoaks
- Warlingham
Teams for 2009-2010
- Bromley
- Deal & Betteshanger
- Eastbourne
- Hove
- KCS Old Boys
- Lewes
- Old Dunstonians
- Old Reigatian
- Purley John Fisher
- Sevenoaks
- Tonbridge Juddian
- Warlingham
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 3 South East) contained the following teams:
- Beccehamian
- Beckenham
- Canterbury
- Crawley
- East Grinstead
- Gillingham Anchorians
- Horsham
- Old Colfeians
- Old Dunstonians
- Tunbridge Wells
- Westcombe Park
London 2 South East Honours
London 3 South East (1987–1993)
Originally known as London 3 South East, this division was a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 South and relegation down to either Kent 1 or Sussex 1.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | Tunbridge Wells | Beckenham | Canterbury, Gillingham Anchorians | ||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | Old Colfeians | Westcombe Park | Old Dunstonians | ||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | Westcombe Park | Old Juddian | East Grinstead | ||||||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | Old Juddian | Beckenham | Bognor, Park House, Gillingham Anchorians | ||||||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | Charlton Park | Thanet Wanderers | Hastings & Bexhill | ||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | Horsham | Brighton | Crawley, Dartfordians | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 South 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 South East dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to London 2 South, and relegation to either Kent 1 or Sussex 1.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | Gravesend | Beckenham | Hove, Tunbridge Wells, Gillingham Anchorians | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | Old Brockleians | Beckenham | Erith, East Grinstead | ||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | Beckenham | Brighton | Heathfield & Waldron, Uckfield | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 South East (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that London 3 South East reverted to being a tier 7 league. Promotion continued to London 2 South and relegation to either Kent 1 or Sussex 1.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 13 | Lewes | Sevenoaks[a] | No relegation[b] | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 17 | Canterbury | Worthing | Bognor | ||||||||||
| 1998–99[3] | 16 | Maidstone | Brighton | Uckfield | ||||||||||
| 1999–00[4] | 17 | Brighton | Worthing | Multiple teams[c] | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 South East (2000–2009)
London 3 South East continued to be a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 South. However, the introduction of London 4 South East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that clubs were now relegated into this new division instead of into Kent 1 or Sussex 1.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[5] | 10 | Tunbridge Wells | Sidcup | Askean, Cranbrook | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[6] | 10 | Worthing | Sidcup | Crawley, Old Dunstonians | ||||||||||
| 2002–03[7] | 10 | Sidcup | Dartfordians | Betteshanger, East Grinstead, Eastbourne | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[8] | 10 | Dartfordians | Lewes | No relegation[d] | ||||||||||
| 2004–05[9] | 12 | Maidstone | Sevenoaks | Cobham, Charlton Park | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[10] | 12 | Tunbridge Wells | Purley John Fisher | Brighton, Dartfordians | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[11] | 12 | Sidcup | Purley John Fisher | Folkestone, Bognor | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[12] | 12 | Gravesend | Dover | Tonbridge Juddians, Old Mid-Whitgiftian[e] | ||||||||||
| 2008–09[13] | 12 | Old Elthamians | Aylesford Bulls[f] | Lordswood | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 2 South East (2009–present)
Nationwide league restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 3 South East renamed as London 2 South East. It remained at level 7 with promotion to London 1 South (formerly London 2 South) and relegation to London 3 South East (formerly London 4 South East).
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10[14] | 12 | Tonbridge Juddians | Hove | Eastbourne, Bromley | ||||||||||
| 2010–11[15] | 12 | Old Elthamians | Aylesford Bulls | Maidstone, Purley John Fisher | ||||||||||
| 2011–12[16] | 12 | East Grinstead | Charlton Park | Old Mid-Whitgiftian, Tunbridge Wells | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[17] | 12 | Brighton | Charlton Park | Thanet Wanderers, Old Dunstonians | ||||||||||
| 2013–14[18] | 12 | Charlton Park | Maidstone | Heathfield & Waldron, Lewes, Warlington | ||||||||||
| 2014–15[19] | 11 | Maidstone | Medway | Aylesford Bulls[g] | ||||||||||
| 2015–16[20] | 12 | Tunbridge Wells | Sevenoaks | Ashford, Thanet Wanderers | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[21] | 12 | Medway | Old Colfeians | Crowborough, Bromley | ||||||||||
| 2017–18[22] | 12 | Dartfordians | Hove | Barking, Pulborough | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[23] | 12 | Beckenham | Horsham | Heathfield & Waldron, Aylesford Bulls | ||||||||||
| 2019–20[24] | 12 | Haywards Heath | Old Colfeians | Maidstone, Dover | ||||||||||
| 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 South East and London 2 South West for the third and final promotion place to London 1 South. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 2 South West teams have been the most successful with ten wins to the London 2 South East teams nine, and the home team has won promotion on eleven occasions compared to the away teams eight.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[25] | Gosport & Fareham (SW) | 27-14 | Sidcup (SE) | Gosport Park, Gosport, Hampshire | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[26] | Sidcup (SE) | 21-23 | Cobham (SW) | Crescent Farm, Sidcup, Kent | ||||||||||
| 2002–03[27] | Barnes (SW) | 41-3 | Dartfordians (SE) | Barn Elms, Barnes, London | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[28] | Old Wimbledonians (SW) | 3-24 | Lewes (SE) | Somerset Avenue, Wimbledon, London | ||||||||||
| 2004–05[29] | Sevenoaks (SE) | 33-12 | Effingham & Leatherhead (SW) | Knole Paddock, Sevenoaks, Kent | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[30] | Purley John Fisher (SE) | 15-23 | London Irish Wild Geese (SW) | Parsons Pightle, Old Coulsdon, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[31] | Dorking (SW) | 21-6 | Purley John Fisher (SE) | The Big Field, Brockham, Surrey | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[32] | Purley John Fisher (SW) | 19-25 | Dover (SE) | Parsons Pightle, Old Coulsdon, Greater London | 400 | |||||||||
| 2008–09[33] | Aylesford Bulls (SE)[h] | 20-36 | Wimbledon (SW) | Hall Road, Aylesford, Kent | ||||||||||
| 2009–10[35] | Hove (SE) | 17-14 | Guernsey (SW) | Hove Recreation Ground, Hove, East Sussex | ||||||||||
| 2010–11[36] | Aylesford Bulls (SE) | 14-28 | Trojans (SW) | Hall Road, Aylesford, Kent | ||||||||||
| 2011–12[37] | Wimbledon (SW) | 18-6 | Charlton Park (SE) | Somerset Avenue, Wimbledon, London | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[38] | Charlton Park (SE) | 12-15 | Sutton & Epsom (SW) | Broad Walk, Kidbrooke, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2013–14[39] | Gosport & Fareham (SW) | 14-10 | Maidstone (SE) | Gosport Park, Gosport, Hampshire | ||||||||||
| 2014–15[40] | Medway (SE) | 29-12 | London Cornish (SW) | Priestfields, Rochester, Kent | 600 | |||||||||
| 2015–16[41] | Sevenoaks (SE) | 37-31 | London Cornish (SW) | Knole Paddock, Sevenoaks, Kent | 234 | |||||||||
| 2016–17[42] | Camberley (SW) | 17-20 | Old Colfeians (SE) | Watchetts Recreation Ground, Camberley, Surrey | ||||||||||
| 2017–18[43] | Hove (SE) | 17-16 | Old Reigatian (SW) | Hove Recreation Ground, Hove, East Sussex | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[44] | Horsham (SE) | 44-17 | Farnham (SW) | Coolhurst Ground, Horsham, West Sussex | 600 | |||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Farnham (SW) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
| Green background is the promoted team. SE = London 2 South East (formerly London 3 South East) and SW = London 2 South West (formerly London 3 South West) | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Tunbridge Wells (4)
- Maidstone (3)
- Beckenham (2)
- Brighton (2)
- Charlton Park (2)
- Dartfordians (2)
- Gravesend (2)
- Old Elthamians (2)
- Tonbridge Juddians (2)[i]
- Canterbury (1)
- East Grinstead (1)
- Haywards Heath (1)
- Horsham (1)
- Lewes (1)
- Medway (1)
- Old Brockleians (1)
- Old Colfeians (1)
- Sidcup (1)
- Westcombe Park (1)
- Worthing (1)