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. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 2 North, changing to its final name ahead of the 2009–10 season.
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. The teams in this league were transferred to either Regional 2 Anglia, Regional 2 Thames or Regional 2 East Midlands.
2021–22 (final season) 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 to 2022 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.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 11th Belsize Park Regent's Park Belsize Park, London Level transfer from London 1 South (6th) Brentwood King George's Playing Fields 3,000 Brentwood, Essex 8th Chingford Lea Valley Playing Fields Chingford, London 10th Colchester Raven Park 1,200 Colchester, Essex Runners up (Westcombe Park promoted from London 1 South on points) Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 5th Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire 4th Leighton Buzzard Wright's Meadow Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 2 East (South) (Champions) Norwich Beeston Hyrne Norwich, Norfolk Promoted from London 2 North East (Champions) Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 3rd Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 9th Southend Saxons Warners Park 1,500 (150 seats) Southend-on-Sea, Essex 6th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 7th Thurrock Oakfield Grays, Essex Level transfer from London 1 South (10th)
2020–21 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.
Teams 2019–20
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 7th Brentwood King George's Playing Fields 3,000 Brentwood, Essex Relegated from LSE Premier (13th) Chingford Lea Valley Playing Fields Chingford, London Relegated from LSE Premier (12th) Colchester Mill Road Playing Fields Colchester, Essex Runners up (lost playoff) Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 9th Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire Promoted from London 2 NW (playoff) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,600 Scottow, Norfolk 3rd Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 4th Old Priorians Perivale Greenford, London 8th Ruislip West End Road Ruislip, London 11th Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire Relegated from LSE Premier (14th) Southend Saxons Warners Park 1,500 (150 seats) Southend-on-Sea, Essex 6th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 10th Woodford Highams Woodford, London Promoted from London 2 NE (champions)
Teams 2018–19
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 4th Colchester Mill Road Playing Fields Colchester, Essex 3rd Diss Mackenders Roydon, Norfolk 11th Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 5th Fullerians Coningsby Drive Watford, Hertfordshire 9th H.A.C. Artillery Ground Finsbury, London Promoted from London 2 NW (champions) Luton Newlands Road Luton, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 2 East (South) (playoff & level transfer) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,600 Scottow, Norfolk 6th Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 7th Old Priorians Perivale Greenford, London 8th Rochford Hundred The Rugby Park 1,000 Hawkwell, Rochford, Essex Promoted from London 2 NE (champions) Ruislip West End Road Ruislip, London 10th Southend Saxons Warners Park 1,500 (150 seats) Southend-on-Sea, Essex Relegated from LSE Premier (13th) Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk Promoted from London 2 NE (playoff)
Teams 2017–18
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire Relegated from National 3 London & SE (14th) Brentwood King George's Playing Fields 3,000 Brentwood, Essex 3rd Chingford Lea Valley Playing Fields Chingford, London 2nd (lost playoff) Colchester Mill Road Playing Fields Colchester, Essex Relegated from National 3 London & SE (13th) Diss Mackenders Roydon, Norfolk Promoted from London 2 North East (champions) Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 5th Fullerians Coningsby Drive Watford, Hertfordshire 11th Letchworth Garden City Baldock Road Letchworth, Hertfordshire 9th North Walsham Norwich Road 1,600 Scottow, Norfolk 4th Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire Promoted from London 2 North West (champions) Old Priorians Perivale Greenford, London 10th Ruislip West End Road Ruislip, London 7th Saffron Walden Chickney Road Henham, Essex 8th South Woodham Ferrers Saltcoats Playing Field South Woodham Ferrers, Essex Promoted from London 2 North East (playoffs)
Teams 2016–17 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
Teams 2015–16 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.
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)
Teams 2014–15 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
Teams 2013–14 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)
Teams 2012–13 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
Teams 2011–12 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
Teams 2009–10 Braintree Brentwood Bury St Edmunds Chingford Colchester Eton Manor Hammersmith & Fulham Letchworth Garden City North Walsham Old Colfeians Rochford Hundred Ruislip Thurrock
Original teams 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 Thurrock Woodford
London 1 North honours 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.
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.
London 2 NorthSeasonNo of teamsNo of matchesChampionsRunners-upRelegated teamsReference 1987–88 10 9 North Walsham Grasshoppers St. Mary's Hospital 1988–89 11 10 Cheshunt Bishop's Stortford Hertford, Upper Clapton 1989–90 11 10 Thurrock Eton Manor Grasshoppers 1990–91 11 10 Eton Manor Bishop's Stortford Old Albanian 1991–92 11 10 Tabard Barking Old Merchant Taylor's, Letchworth Garden City 1992–93 13 12 Harlow Cheshunt No relegation
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.
London 2 NorthSeasonNo of teamsNo of matchesChampionsRunners-upRelegated teamsReference 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).
London Division 2 NorthSeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated teamsReference1996–97 12 Cheshunt Bishop's Stortford No relegation 1997-98 17 Woodford Bishop's Stortford Ealing 1998–99 17 Cambridge Ipswich Chingford, Colchester 1999–00 17 London Nigerian Bishop's Stortford Multiple teams 2000–01 12 Cheshunt London Nigerian Chelmsford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ruislip 2001–02 12 Hertford Southend Metropolitan Police, Verulamians 2002–03 12 Bishop's Stortford Old Albanian Sudbury, Ipswich, Shelford 2003–04 12 London Scottish Cambridge Cheshunt, Romford & Gidea Park, Bank of England 2004–05 12 Ealing Trailfinders Staines Harlow, Diss, Woodford 2005–06 12 Shelford CS Rugby 1863 Bank of England, Hadleigh 2006–07 12 CS Rugby 1863 Tring Twickenham, St Albans, Norwich 2007–08 12 Tring Staines Tabard, Thurrock, London Nigerian 2008–09 12 Diss Staines No relegation due to league restructure Green backgrounds are promotion places.