Regional 1 South East (formerly known as London & South East Premier and National League 3 London & South East) is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London Division 1. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following re-organisation by the Rugby Football Union while the name change from National League 3 to Premier was introduced for the 2017–18 season to make it more obvious that it is a regional league. London & South East Premier was the highest regional rugby union league covering London and south east England. Following the RFU Adult Competition Review the league was decreased from 14 to 12 and the name changed to Regional 1 South East. Part of the area formerly covered by London & South East Premier is now covered by a new league Regional 1 South Central.
Colchester are the 2025–26 champions.
Format The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to March, making a total of twenty-two matches each. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows: 4 points are awarded for a win 2 points are awarded for a draw 0 points are awarded 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
The first-placed team at the end of season win promotion to National League 2 East. Two teams are relegated to either Regional 2 South East, Regional 2 Anglia or Regional 2 Thames depending on location.
2026–27 Departing were Colchester, promoted to National 2 East whilst Amersham & Chiltern (10th - play-off losers), Medway (11th) and Shelford (12th) were relegated to Regional 2 Thames, Regional 2 South East and Regional 2 Midlands East respectively.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London Promoted from Regional 2 Anglia (champions) Hertford Highfields Ware, Hertfordshire 7th Letchworth Garden City Legends Lane, Baldock Road Letchworth, Hertfordshire 2nd Northampton Old Scouts Rushmere Road Northampton, Northamptonshire Promoted from Regional 2 Midlands East (champions) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,200 Scottow, Norfolk 6th Old Colfeians Horn Park Lee, London Promoted from Regional 2 South East (5th - play-off winner) Old Northamptonians Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion Northampton, Northamptonshire 8th Sidcup Crescent Farm Sidcup, Kent Promoted from Regional 2 South East (champions) Southend Saxons Warners Park 1,500 (150 seats) Southend, Essex 4th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 5th Tring Pendley Sports Centre 750 Tring, Hertfordshire 3rd Westcliff The Gables 1,000 Eastwood, Essex 9th
2025–26 Departing were Oundle, promoted to National 2 East whilst Harpenden (11th) and Bedford Athletic (12th) were relegated to Regional 2 Thames and Regional 2 Midlands East respectively.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 10th Colchester Raven Park 1,200 Colchester, Essex Relegated from National 2 East (12th) Hertford Highfields Ware, Hertfordshire 6th Letchworth Garden City Legends Lane, Baldock Road Letchworth, Hertfordshire 2nd Medway Priestfields Rochester, Kent Promoted from Regional 2 South East (champions) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,200 Scottow, Norfolk 5th Old Northamptonians Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion Northampton, Northamptonshire 4th Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 8th Southend Saxons Warners Park 1,500 (150 seats) Southend, Essex 9th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 3rd Tring Pendley Sports Centre 750 Tring, Hertfordshire 7th Westcliff The Gables 1,000 Eastwood, Essex Promoted from Regional 2 Anglia (champions)
League table
Play-offs The champions are promoted to National 2 East while the winner of the Regional 1 South East promotion play-off meets the winner of the Regional 1 South Central promotion play-off in round 2. The winner of this match plays the 12th placed team of the National League 2 East with the winning team playing in next seasons National 2 East. In each match the highest placed team play at home. Promotion play-offs Round 1
Round 2
NLR Accession Final
Henley remain in National League 2 East. Relegation play-off
Regional 1 Accession Final
Amersham & Chiltern are relegated.
Season 2024–25 Departing were Colchester, promoted to National League 2 East whilst Rochford Hundred and Westcliff were relegated to Regional 2 Anglia. Joining were North Walsham, relegated from National League 2 East, together with Amersham & Chiltern and Southend Saxons, promoted from Regional 2 Thames and Regional 2 Anglia respectively.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire Promoted from Regional 2 Thames (1st) Bedford Athletic Putnoe Woods 500 Bedford, Bedfordshire 10th Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire 3rd Hertford Highfields Ware, Hertfordshire 7th Letchworth Garden City Legends Lane, Baldock Road Letchworth, Hertfordshire 4th North Walsham Norwich Road 1,200 Scottow, Norfolk Relegated from National League 2 East (14th) Old Northamptonians Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion Northampton, Northamptonshire 9th Oundle Occupation Road 1,000 Oundle, Northamptonshire 6th Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 5th Southend Saxons Warners Park 1,500 (150 seats) Southend, Essex Promoted from Regional 2 Anglia (1st) Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 2nd Tring Pendley Sports Centre 750 Tring, Hertfordshire 8th
League table
Season 2023–24 Departing were Westcombe Park, promoted to National League 2 East whilst Medway and Sidcup were relegated to Regional 2 South East.
Joining were Rochford Hundred, relegated from National League 2 East, together with Letchworth Garden City and Old Northamptonians, promoted from Regional 2 Anglia and Regional 2 East Midlands respectively. Also coming in were Oundle on a level transfer from Regional 1 Midlands.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bedford Athletic Putnoe Woods 500 Bedford, Bedfordshire 7th Colchester Raven Park 1,200 Colchester, Essex 3rd Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire 4th Hertford Highfields Ware, Hertfordshire 9th Letchworth Garden City Legends Lane, Baldock Road Letchworth, Hertfordshire Promoted from Regional 2 Anglia (1st) Old Northamptonians Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion Northampton, Northamptonshire Promoted from Regional 2 East Midlands (1st) Oundle Occupation Road 1,000 Oundle, Northamptonshire Transferred from Regional 1 Midlands (7th) Rochford Hundred The Rugby Park 1,000 Hawkwell, Rochford, Essex Relegated from National League 2 East (13th) Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 2nd Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 8th Tring Pendley Sports Centre 750 Tring, Hertfordshire 5th Westcliff The Gables 1,000 Eastwood, Essex Relegated from National League 2 East (14th)
League table
Results
2022–23 Six of the twelve teams participated in the 2021–22 competition. They are joined by Shelford, Sudbury, Colchester and Harpenden, all promoted from London 1 North, together with Medway and Bedford Athletic promoted from London 1 South and Midlands 1 East respectively. Sutton & Epsom, Maidenhead, Havant, Wimbledon and Brighton were level transferred to Regional 1 South Central. Other teams leaving the division were Dorking, Sevenoaks and North Walsham who were promoted to National League 2 East. There was no relegation from the league at the end of last season.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bedford Athletic Putnoe Woods 500 Bedford, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 1 East (champions) Colchester Raven Park 1,200 Colchester, Essex Promoted from London 1 North (3rd) CS Rugby 1863 King's House Sports Ground Chiswick, London 14th Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire Promoted from London 1 North (4th) Hertford Highfields Ware, Hertfordshire 4th Medway Priestfields Rochester, Kent Promoted from London 1 South (3rd) Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire Promoted from London 1 North (champions) Sidcup RFC Crescent Farm Sidcup, London 9th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk Promoted from London 1 North (2nd) Tring Pendley Sports Centre 750 Tring, Hertfordshire 10th Tunbridge Wells St Marks Recreation Ground 3,000 Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent 13th Westcombe Park Goddington Dene 3,200 (200 seats) Orpington, London 6th
Final league table
Results
2021–22 Nine of the fourteen teams participated in the 2019–20 competition. They are joined by Sutton & Epsom who were relegated from National League 2 South, along with three promoted sides; Havant, North Walsham and Westcombe Park. Maidenhead who played in South West Premier in 2019-20 were level transferred into London & South East Premier as the nearest club geographically to address an imbalance of teams in the league. Teams leaving the division included Rochford Hundred who were promoted into National League 2 South as champions along with Guernsey Raiders who won the virtual promotion play-off against Weston-super-Mare RFC, while teams relegated from the league included Bedford Athletic (Midlands 1 East), Guildford (London 1 South) and London Irish Wild Geese (London 1 South).
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.
Participating teams and locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Brighton Waterhall Playing Fields Brighton, East Sussex 9th CS Rugby 1863 King's House Sports Ground Chiswick, London 11th Dorking The Big Field 1,000+ Dorking, Surrey 5th Havant Hook's Lane 1,500 Havant, Hampshire Promoted from London 1 South (champions) Hertford Highfields Ware, Hertfordshire 4th Maidenhead Braywick Park 1,750 (250 seats) Maidenhead, Berkshire Level transfer from South West Premier (3rd) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,200 Scottow, Norfolk Promoted from London 1 North (champions) Sevenoaks Knole Paddock 1,000 Sevenoaks, Kent 7th Sidcup Crescent Farm Sidcup, London 8th Sutton & Epsom Rugby Lane Cheam, London Relegated from National 2 South (14th) Tring Pendley Sports Centre 750 Tring, Hertfordshire 10th Tunbridge Wells St Marks Recreation Ground 3,000 Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent 6th Westcombe Park Goddington Dene 3,200 (200 seats) Orpington, London Promoted from London 1 South (2nd) Wimbledon Beverley Meads 1,000 Raynes Park, London 3rd
Final league table
2020–21 On 30 October 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 & South East Premier was not contested.
2019–20 Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Guernsey and London Irish Wild Geese who were relegated from National League 2 South, along with three promoted sides; Brighton, Rochford Hundred and Sevenoaks. Teams leaving the division included Sutton & Epsom who were promoted into National League 2 South as champions and Westcliff who won the promotion playoff, while teams relegated from the league included Brentwood, Chingford and Shelford (all London 1 North).
Participating teams