Eastern Counties 1 was an English level 9 Rugby Union League. From the 2017-18 promoted teams move up to the newly created London 3 Eastern Counties with the league champions going up automatically, while relegated teams drop down to Eastern Counties 2 (split into three regional divisions - north, south, west). Teams in this league tend to be based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. In the past teams from Essex used to take part until the 2003–04 season when they formed a new league - with Essex 1 being the top division.
The division was split across three geographic areas (North, South & West) for the 2017-18 as part of an RFU reorganization of the London & South East regional league. The top two teams from each Area Division shall enter the Championship Phase (Shield) to determine the final rankings for promotion to London 3 Eastern Counties. Other teams will play in the Plate, Bowl and Salver competitions, depending on league position, with clubs finishing bottom of the Salver being relegated to Eastern Counties 2.
Participating Clubs 2021-22
North Beccles Diss II Lowestoft & Yarmouth North Walsham II Norwich II Southwold II Watton Wymondham II
South Braintree II Brightlingsea Colchester III Hadleigh Mistley Ipswich II Stowmarket II Sudbury II
West Bury St Edmunds III Cambridge III Cantabrigian II Cottenham Renegades Haverhill and District Mildenhall & Red Lodge Shelford III
Season 2020–21
On 30 October the RFU announced that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Eastern Counties 1 was not contested.
Participating Clubs 2019-20
North Diss II Holt North Walsham II Norwich II Norwich Medics Norwich Union Watton Wymondham II
South Braintree II Colchester III Hadleigh Halstead Templars Mersea Island Ipswich II Stowmarket II Sudbury II
West Bury St Edmunds III Cambridge III Cantabrigian II Cottenham Renegades Newmarket Saffron Walden II Shelford III
Participating Clubs 2018-19
North Beccles Diss II Lowestoft & Yarmouth North Walsham II Norwich II Norwich Medics Norwich Union Wymondham II
South Brightlingsea Bury St Edmunds III Colchester III Hadleigh Halstead Templars Harwich & Dovercourt II Ipswich II Sudbury II
West Cambridge III Cantabrigian II Cottenham Renegades Ely II March Bears Newmarket Saffron Walden II Shelford III
Participating Clubs 2017-18 Beccles (North) Brightlingsea (South) Bury St. Edmunds III (West) Cambridge Adventurers (West) Cantabrigian II (West) Colchester III (South) Cottenham Renegades (West) Diss II (North) Fakenham (North) Great Yarmouth-Broadland (North) Hadleigh (South) Haverhill & District (West) Ipswich Magpies (South) Ipswich Y.M. (South) Mistley (South) North Walsham II (North) Norwich Medics (North) Norwich Union (North) Saffron Walden II (West) Shelford III (West) Stowmarket II (South) Sudbury Talbots (South) Swaffham (North) Thurston (West)
Participating Clubs 2016-17 Beccles (relegated from London 3 North East) Bury St Edmunds 3rd XV Colchester III Crusaders Ipswich Y.M. Newmarket Thetford Thurston Wisbech Woodbridge Wymondham
Participating Clubs 2015-16 Crusaders Ely Ipswich Y.M. Mersea Island Newmarket Swaffham Thetford Thurston Wisbech Woodbridge Wymondham
Participating Clubs 2014-15 Crusaders Ely Ipswich Y.M. Mersea Island Newmarket Southwold Swaffham Thetford (promoted from Eastern Counties 2) Thurston (promoted from Eastern Counties 2) Wisbech (relegated from London 3 North East) Woodbridge Wymondham (relegated from London 3 North East)
Participating Clubs 2013-14 Broadland - Great Yarmouth (promoted from Eastern Counties 2) Crusaders Ely Harwich & Dovercourt Ipswich Y.M. Mersea Island Newmarket Swaffham (promoted from Eastern Counties 2) West Norfolk Woodbridge
Participating Clubs 2012-13 Crusaders Ely Hadleigh Harwich & Dovercourt Ipswich Y.M. Mersea Island Newmarket Southwold Thurston West Norfolk Woodbridge Wymondham
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
Cambridge Crusaders Ely Harlow Lowestoft & Yarmouth Met Police Chigwell Redbridge Rochford Hundred Romford & Gidea Park Shelford Thetford
Eastern Counties 1 honours
Eastern Counties 1 (1987–1993)
The original Eastern Counties 1 was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 North East and relegation down to Eastern Counties 2.
Eastern Counties 1SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams1987–88 11 Met Police Chigwell Cambridge Thetford 1988–89 11 Harlow Romford & Gidea Park Lowestoft & Yarmouth 1989–90 11 Canvey Island Old Edwardians Ipswich YMCA 1990–91 11 Chelmsford Basildon Redbridge 1991–92 11 Rochford Hundred Campion No relegation1992–93 13 Bury St Edmunds Shelford Met Police Chigwell, Crusaders Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 1 (1993–1996)
The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 1 dropped from a tier 8 league to a tier 9 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 North East and Eastern Counties 2 respectively.
Eastern Counties 1SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams1993–94 13 Maldon West Norfolk Wanstead, Cantabrigian 1994–95 13 Lowestoft & Yarmouth Canvey Island Westcliff, Ravens 1995–96 13 Diss Woodbridge Loughton, Bancroft Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 1 (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 1 reverted to being a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 North East and Eastern Counties 2 respectively.
Eastern Counties 1SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams1996–97 13 Basildon Campion No relegation 1997–98 10 Hadleigh Bancroft Harwich & Dovercourt 1998–99 10 Thetford Ely Wanstead, Ilford Wanderers, Met Police Chigwell 1999–00 9 Saffron Walden Woodbridge Old Cooperians, Westcliff Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 1 (2000–2009)
The introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Eastern Counties 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2 - split into north and south regional divisions between 2000 and 2003.
Eastern Counties 1SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams2000–01 10 Eton Manor Upminster Bancroft, Wanstead, Cantabrigian 2001–02 10 Mersea Island Beccles Old Edwardians, Newmarket 2002–03 10 Colchester Ely No relegation2003–04 9 Thetford Stowmarket No relegation 2004–05 10 Wisbech Crusaders Woodbridge, Southwold, Ely 2005–06 10 Beccles Mersea Island Thetford, Ipswich Y.M., Cantabrigian 2006–07 10 Mersea Island Thurston Dereham, Newmarket 2007–08 11 Wymondham West Norfolk Ely 2008–09 10 Lowestoft & Yarmouth Wisbech No relegation 2009–10 11 Newmarket Stowmarket Thetford, Fakenham Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 1 (2009–2017)
Eastern Counties 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 North East (formerly London 4 North East) and relegation to Eastern Counties 2, which split into three regional divisions - north, south, west - from the 2014–15 season onward.
Eastern Counties 1SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams2010–11 10 Stowmarket Holt Thurston2011–12 11 Cantabrigian Wisbech Broadland - Great Yarmouth2012–13 12 Wymondham Ipswich Y.M. Thurston, Hadleigh, Southwold 2013–14 12 West Norfolk Newmarket Broadland - Great Yarmouth, Harwich & Dovercourt 2014–15 12 Southwold Ely Woodbridge 2015–16 11 Ely Wymondham No relegation 2016–17 12 Thetford Wymondham Swaffham Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 1 (2017–present)
The cancellation of London 3 North East and subsequent introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties ahead of the 2017–18 meant that Eastern Counties 1 remained a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to the regionalised Eastern Counties 2 (north, south, west).
Eastern Counties 1SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2017–18 24 Fakenham Ipswich Y.M. Broadland-Great Yarmouth, Stowmarket II, Haverhill & District 2018–19 24 Beccles Hadleigh Ely II, Harwich & Dovercourt II 2019–20 24 2020–21 24 Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Promotion play-offs Between 2004 and 2017 there was a play-off between the runners-up of Eastern Counties 1 and Essex 1 for the third and final promotion place to London 3 North East. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2016–17 season the Essex 1 teams had been the most successful with seven wins to the Eastern Counties 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on eight occasions compared to the away teams four. Since the introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex at the end of the 2016–17 season the playoff has been cancelled.
Eastern Counties 1 v Essex Canterbury Jack promotion play-off results Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance 2004-05 Crusaders (EC) 41-24 Upminster (EX) Beckhithe, Little Melton, Norfolk 2005–06 Canvey Island (EX) 31-18 Mersea Island (EC) Tewkes Creek, Canvey Island, Essex 2006–07 Thurston (EC) 22-33 South Woodham Ferrers (EX) Robinson Field, Thurston, Suffolk 2007–08 Maldon (EX) 15-20 West Norfolk (EC) Drapers Farm Playing Fields, Heybridge, Essex 2008–09 Wisbech (EC) 38-14 Campion (EX) Chapel Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire 2009–10 Bancroft (EX) 37-29 Stowmarket (EC) Buckhurst Way, Buckhurst Hill, Essex 2010–11 Holt (EC) HWO Millwall (EX) Bridge Road, Holt, Norfolk 2011–12 Wisbech (EC) 38-12 Maldon (EX) Chapel Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire 2012–13 Ipswich Y.M. (EC) 20-27 Old Cooperians (EX) The Street, Rushmere St Andrew, Ipswich, Suffolk 2013–14 Newmarket (EC) 17-18 Clacton (EX) The NSDA Pavilion, Newmarket, Suffolk 2014–15 Epping Upper Clapton (EX) 36-22 Ely (EC) Upland Road, Thornwood, Essex 400 2015–16 Ilford Wanderers (EX) 66-17 Wymondham (EC) Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground, Barkingside, Greater London 2016–17 No promotion playoff this season due to restructuring of Eastern Counties and Essex leagues. Green background is the promoted team. EC = Eastern Counties 1 and EX = Essex Canterbury Jack (formerly Essex 1)
Number of league titles
Thetford (3) Beccles (2) Lowestoft & Yarmouth (2) Mersea Island (2) Wymondham (2) Basildon (1) Bury St Edmunds (1) Cantabrigian (1) Canvey Island (1) Chelmsford (1) Colchester (1) Diss (1) Ely (1) Eton Manor (1) Fakenham (1) Hadleigh (1) Harlow (1) Maldon (1) Met Police Chigwell (1) Newmarket (1) Rochford Hundred (1) Saffron Walden (1) Southwold (1) Stowmarket (1) West Norfolk (1) Wisbech (1)
See also London & SE Division RFU Eastern Counties RU Essex RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
Notes
References