London_1_North
London 1 North
Defunct English rugby union league
London 1 North was an English level 6, rugby union league for clubs in London and the south-east of England including sides from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, north Greater London, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk.[1] When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 2 North, changing to its final name ahead of the 2009–10 season.
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987; 37 years ago (1987) (as London 2 North) |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Shelford (2nd title) (2021–22) (promoted to Regional 1 South East) |
| Most titles | Cheshunt (3 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
The fourteen teams played home and away matches from September through to April. The first placed team in the league won promotion to London & South East Premier while the league runner-up played the second placed team from London 1 South in a play-off for promotion. Relegated teams dropped to either London 2 North East or London 2 North West depending on the location of the club.
The Rugby Football Union reorganised the level six leagues for season 2022–23, with an increase from eight to twelve leagues, and a reduction of the teams in each from fourteen to twelve.[2] The teams in this league were transferred to either Regional 2 Anglia, Regional 2 Thames or Regional 2 East Midlands.[3]
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.
Ten of the fourteen teams from 2021–22 were placed into one of the new level six leagues for 2022–23. Amersham & Chiltern, Belsize Park and Old Haberdashers were placed into Regional 2 Thames, while Brentwood, Chingford, Eton Manor, Norwich, Southend Saxons and Thurrock were placed into Regional 2 Anglia. Leighton Buzzard were placed into Regional 2 East Midlands. The top four teams in 2021–22, Colchester, Harpenden, Shelford and Sudbury, were promoted to the level five league Regional 1 South East. No teams were relegated to level seven.
|
  London Norwich Haberdashers Locations of the 2021–22 London 1 North teams in Beds, Herts, Essex, Suffolk & Norfolk Location of 2021–22 London 1 North teams in London
|
On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020–21 season meaning London 1 North was not contested.[4]
|
Location of 2019–20 London 1 North teams in London
|
|
Location of 2018–19 London 1 North teams in London
|
|
Location of 2017–18 London 1 North teams in London
|
- Barking
- Brentwood
- Chelmsford (promoted from London 2 North East)
- Chingford
- Eton Manor (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Fullerians (promoted from London 2 North West)
- Letchworth Garden City
- North Walsham
- Old Priorians
- Ruislip
- Saffron Walden (promoted from London 2 North East)
- Sudbury (promoted from London 2 North East)
- Thurrock
- Tring
Amersham & Chiltern, the champions, are promoted to National League 3 London & SE for next season. There are only two relegated clubs (Harrow and Luton) as East Grinstead took voluntary relegation from the National League 3 London & SE to the Sussex Leagues.[5]
- Amersham & Chiltern (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Barking
- Brentwood
- Chelmsford (promoted from London 2 North East)
- Chingford
- CS Rugby 1863 (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Harrow (promoted from London 2 North West)
- Letchworth Garden City
- Luton
- North Walsham
- Old Priorians
- Ruislip
- Thurrock
- Tring (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Barking (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Brentwood
- Chingford
- Colchester
- Eton Manor
- Ipswich (promoted from London 2 North East)
- Letchworth Garden City
- Luton
- North Walsham
- Old Priorians (promoted from London 2 North West)
- Romford & Gidea Park
- Ruislip
- Thurrock (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Woodford
- Brentwood
- Chingford
- Colchester
- Diss
- Eton Manor
- Letchworth Garden City
- Luton
- North Walsham
- Old Haberdashers
- Romford & Gidea Park
- Ruislip
- Tabard (promoted from London 2 North West)
- Westcliff (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Woodford (promoted from London 2 North East)
- Basildon
- Beaconsfield
- Brentwood
- Bury St Edmunds
- Chingford
- Colchester
- Diss
- Eton Manor
- Letchworth Garden City
- Luton (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Old Haberdashers
- Rochford Hundred
- Romford & Gidea Park
- Ruislip
- Braintree
- Brentwood
- Bury St Edmunds
- Chingford
- Colchester
- Diss (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Eton Manor
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Letchworth Garden City
- North Walsham (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
- Old Colfeians
- Rochford Hundred
- Ruislip
- Thurrock
- Braintree
- Brentwood
- Bury St Edmunds
- Chingford
- Colchester
- Eton Manor
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Letchworth Garden City
- North Walsham
- Old Colfeians
- Rochford Hundred
- Ruislip
- Thurrock
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 2 North) and contained the following teams:
- Cheshunt
- Grasshoppers
- Hertford
- North Walsham
- Norwich
- Old Albanian
- Old Merchant Taylors'
- St. Mary's Hospital[lower-alpha 1]
- Thurrock
- Woodford
London 2 North (1987–1993)
In the first season of the English rugby union league pyramid, sponsored by Courage, there was six, tier six leagues. The initial name was London 2 North and was for teams based in London and the counties of Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. There was eleven teams in the league and each team played one match against each of the other teams, giving each team five home matches and five away matches. The winning team was awarded two points, and there was one point for each team in a drawn match.[6]
The original London 2 North was a tier 6 league with promotion to London 1 and relegation to either London 3 North East or London 3 North West.
| |||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 10[lower-alpha 2] | 9 | North Walsham | Grasshoppers | St. Mary's Hospital | [7] | |||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | 10 | Cheshunt | Bishop's Stortford | Hertford, Upper Clapton | [7] | |||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | 10 | Thurrock | Eton Manor | Grasshoppers | [7] | |||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | 10 | Eton Manor | Bishop's Stortford | Old Albanian | [8] | |||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | 10 | Tabard | Barking | Old Merchant Taylor's, Letchworth Garden City | [9] | |||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | 12 | Harlow | Cheshunt | No relegation | [10] | |||||||
London 2 North (1993–1996)
At the end of the 1992–93 season the top six teams from London Division 1 and the top six from South West Division 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that London 2 North dropped from a tier 6 league to a tier 7 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to London 1 and relegation to either London 3 North East or London 3 North West.
| |||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | No of matches | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | 12 | Ruislip | Verulamians | Old Edwardians, Upper Clapton | ||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | 12 | Staines | Verulamians | Old Gaytonians, Chingford | ||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | 12 | Norwich | Thurrock | Eton Manor, Hertford | ||||||||
London 2 North (1998–2009)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that London 2 North reverted to being a tier 6 league. Promotion continued to London 1 and relegation to either London 3 North East or London 3 North West (renamed to London 2 North East and London 2 North West from the 2000–01 season onward).
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 12 | Cheshunt | Bishop's Stortford | No relegation[lower-alpha 3] | ||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 17 | Woodford | Bishop's Stortford | Ealing | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 17 | Cambridge | Ipswich | Chingford, Colchester | [11] | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | 17 | London Nigerian | Bishop's Stortford | Multiple teams[lower-alpha 4] | [12] | |||||||||
| 2000–01 | 12 | Cheshunt | London Nigerian | Chelmsford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ruislip | [13] | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | 12 | Hertford | Southend | Metropolitan Police, Verulamians | [14] | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | 12 | Bishop's Stortford | Old Albanian | Sudbury, Ipswich, Shelford | [15] | |||||||||
| 2003–04 | 12 | London Scottish | Cambridge | Cheshunt, Romford & Gidea Park, Bank of England | [16] | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 12 | Ealing Trailfinders | Staines | Harlow, Diss, Woodford | [17] | |||||||||
| 2005–06 | 12 | Shelford | CS Rugby 1863 | Bank of England, Hadleigh | [18] | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 12 | CS Rugby 1863 | Tring | Twickenham, St Albans, Norwich | [19] | |||||||||
| 2007–08 | 12 | Tring | Staines | Tabard, Thurrock, London Nigerian | [20] | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | 12 | Diss | Staines | No relegation due to league restructure[lower-alpha 5] | [21] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 1 North
London 2 North was renamed to London 1 North from the 2009–10 season onward. It continued as a tier 6 league with promotion to National League 3 London & South East (formerly London 1 and currently known as London & South East Premier) and relegation to London 2 North East and London 2 North West (formerly London 3 North East and London 3 North West).
Between 2000–01 season and 2019–20 there was a play-off between the runners-up of London 1 North and London 1 South for the third and final promotion place to London & South East Premier. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 1 South teams have been the most successful with eleven wins to the London 1 North teams eight; and the home team has won promotion on thirteen occasions compared to the away teams six.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01[34] | Canterbury (S) | 21-27 | London Nigerian (N) | Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent | ||||||||||
| 2001-02[35] | Southend (N) | 37-15 | Portsmouth (S) | Warners Bridge Park, Southend-on-Sea, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2002-03[36] | Old Albanian (2nd XV) (N) | 28-12 | Portsmouth (S) | Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2003-04[37] | Cambridge (N) | 21-19 | Barnes (S) | Grantchester Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
| 2004-05[38] | Staines (N) | 55-12 | Portsmouth (S) | The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2005-06[39] | Guildford (S) | 27-14 | CS Rugby 1863 (N) | Broadwater Sports Club, Farncombe, Surrey | ||||||||||
| 2006-07[40] | Tring (N) | 7-20 | Thanet Wanderers (S) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2007-08[41] | Jersey (S) | 15-0 | Staines (S) | St. Peter, Saint Peter, Jersey | ||||||||||
| 2008-09[42] | Staines (N) | 7-11 | Dorking (S) | The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2009-10[43] | CS Rugby 1863 (N) | 31-14 | Dover (S) | King's House Sports Ground, Chiswick, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2010-11[44] | London Irish Wild Geese (S) | 21-14 | Sidcup (N) | Hazelwood, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey | 1,000 | |||||||||
| 2011-12[45] | Old Elthamians (S) | 16-8 | Colchester (N) | Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, Greater London | 600 | |||||||||
| 2012-13[46] | Basingstoke (S) | 27-3 | Eton Manor (N) | Down Grange, Basingstoke, Hampshire | ||||||||||
| 2013-14[47] | Chichester (S) | 25-16 | Eton Manor (N) | Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex | ||||||||||
| 2014-15[48] | Eton Manor (N) | 17-14 | Chobham (S) | The New Wilderness, Redbridge, London | 400 | |||||||||
| 2015-16[49] | Tring (N) | 21-26 | Guildford (S) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | 700 | |||||||||
| 2016–17[50] | Chingford (N) | 33-35 | Tunbridge Wells (S) | Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London | 500 | |||||||||
| 2017-18[51] | Chingford (N) | 21-17 | Medway (S) | Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London | 500[52] | |||||||||
| 2018-19[53] | Colchester (N) | 26-33 | Brighton (S) | Mill Road Playing Fields, Colchester, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Westcombe Park (S) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | |||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | Cancelled due to the reorganisation of the league | |||||||||||||
| Green background is the promoted team. N = London 1 North (formerly London 2 North) and S = London 1 South (formerly London 2 South). | ||||||||||||||
- Cheshunt (3)
- North Walsham (2)
- Shelford (2)
- Staines (2)
- Thurrock (2)
- Tring (2)
- Westcliff (2)
- Amersham & Chiltern (1)
- Bishop's Stortford (1)
- Brentwood (1)
- Bury St Edmunds (1)
- Cambridge (1)
- Colchester (1)
- CS Rugby 1863 (1)
- Diss (1)
- Ealing Trailfinders (1)
- Eton Manor (1)
- Harlow (1)
- Hertford (1)
- London Nigerian (1)
- London Scottish (1)
- Norwich (1)
- Rochford Hundred (1)
- Ruislip (1)
- Tabard (1)
- Woodford (1)
- In 1997 St. Mary's Hospital become part of Imperial Medicals Rugby Club.
- Lowestoft & Yarmouth, Braintree, Finchley, Southend, Brentwood and Barnet Elizabethans were the relegated teams this year. The reason for so many relegated teams was due to the creation of a new division 4 for the next season in the London league which would lead to a restructure of the whole league including a downsizing of this division from 17 teams to 12 teams.
- After finishing 12th, Barking were due to be relegated but due to East Grinstead's voluntary relegation from National League 3 London & SE (all the way to level 10), the club were granted a reprieve from relegation and would remain in London 1 North for the 2016-17 season.[28]
- "League Make up". Sussex Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
- "Renaming of RFU National 3 Leagues". Oxfordshire RFU. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- "League Structure and Leagues for 2022/2023". RFU Community Communications. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- "RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season". RFU. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- Harvey, Neale (22 May 2016). "French exile Ollie relishing new role at Barking". RugbyPaper. No. 401. p. 30.
- Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill (eds.). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Taunton: Football Directories. ISBN 1 873057 01 6.
- Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill, eds. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990-91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd. pp. 564–566. ISBN 1873057 024.
- Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill, eds. (1992). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92. Taunton: Football Directories. p. 605. ISBN 1 869833 15 5.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1992). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992–93. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 170–185. ISBN 0 7472 7907 1.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993–94 (22nd ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing Ltd. pp. 151–167. ISBN 0 7472 7891 1.
- "1998-1999 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "1999-2000 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2000-2001 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2001-2002 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2002-2003 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2003-2004 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2004-2005 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2005-2006 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2006-2007 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2007-2008 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2008-2009 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2009-2010 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2010-2011 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2011-2012 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2012-2013 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2013-2014 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- "2014-2015 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "Barking RFC to remain in London 1 North". Barking RFC. 11 May 2016.
- "2015-2016 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- "2016-2017 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- "2017-2018 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- "2018-2019 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- "Men's level 5 - 7 leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2000-01". England Rugby. 19 May 2001.
- "Rugby: Scratch Portsmouth pipped for promotion". The News (Portsmouth). 29 April 2002.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2002-03". England Rugby. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2003-04". England Rugby. 24 April 2004.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2004-05". England Rugby. 30 April 2005.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2005-06". England Rugby. 28 April 2006.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2006-07". England Rugby. 28 April 2007.
- "Jersey rugby club gain promotion". BBC Sport. 27 April 2008.
- "Staines 7 - Dorking 11". Everything Rugby. 27 April 2009.
- "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2009-10". England Rugby. 28 April 2012.
- "London Irish Wild Geese Rugby I XV 21 – 14 Sidcup Rugby I XV: London Division 1 Promotion play off – 23rd April 2011". In Touch Rugby. 23 April 2011.
- "Old Elthamians 16 Colchester 8". Old Elthamians RFC (Pitchero). 28 April 2012.
- "Honour in defeat to Basingstoke". Eton Manor RFC (Pitchero). 27 April 2013.
- "Chichester 25 - Eton Manor 16 - Match Report by Roger Gould". Eton Manor RFC (Pitchero). 26 April 2014.
- "Manor promoted after titanic battle". Eton Manor RFC (Pitchero). 25 April 2015.
- "Guildford Promoted to National 3". Guildford Rugby (Pitchero). 30 April 2016.
- "Chingford 33 Tunbridge Wells 35". Tunbridge Wells (Pitchero). 29 April 2017.
- "Chingford 21-17 Medway". Kent Sports News. 28 April 2018.
- "Chingford RFC 21 17 Medway". Chingford Rugby Club (Pitchero). 28 April 2018.
- "Colchester 1st XV 26 33 Brighton Blues". Colchester RFC (Pitchero). 27 April 2019.