Eastern Counties 4 was an English level 12 Rugby Union league that was divided into two regional divisions - north and south - with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. Promoted teams used to move up to the relevant division in Eastern Counties 3 and relegation was to Eastern Counties 5 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1996–97 season. The league was originally abolished in 1999–00 due to East Counties restructuring and teams moved up to higher divisions, only to be reinstated in 2014-15 due to further league restructuring that allowed more 2nd and 3rd teams to take part. It was abolished again at the end of the 2016–17 season.
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
Campion Clacton Fakenham Felixstowe Gothic Mayfield Old Boys NELPOB Old Bealonians Old Palmerians Rayleigh Stowmarket
East Counties 4 honours
Eastern Counties 4 (1987–1993)
The original Eastern Counties 4 was a tier 11 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 3 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 5.
Eastern Counties 4SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 11 Campion Old Bealonians Rayleigh 1988–89 11 Bancroft Old Brentwoods Chigwell 1989–90 11 London Hospital Old Palmerians Wisbech 1990–91 11 Thames Sports Thetford Felixstowe 1991–92 11 Haverhill & District Loughton No relegation 1992–93 13 Felixstowe Thurston Stanford Le Hope, Norwich Union Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 4 (1993–1996)
The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 4 dropped from a tier 11 league to a tier 12 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 3 and Eastern Counties 5 respectively.
Eastern Counties 4SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1993–94 13 Hadleigh Broadland Swaffham, Essex Police 1994–95 13 Billericay Burnham-on-Crouch Mayfield Old Boys 1995–96 13 Beccles Mersea Island May & Baker, Rayleigh Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 4 (1996–1997)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 4 reverted to being a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 3, while the cancellation of Eastern Counties 5 at the end of the 1996–97 meant there would be no relegation.
Eastern Counties 4SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1996–97 12 March Burnham-on-Crouch No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 4 (1997–2000)
Ahead of the 1997–98 season Eastern Counties 4 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - with both divisions remaining as tier 11 leagues. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 3 - now also regionalised into north and south divisions - while the cancellation of Eastern Counties 5 at the end of the 1996–97 season meant there was no relegation. At the end of the 1999–00 season Eastern Counties 4 was cancelled and the majority of teams transferred into Eastern Counties 3.
Eastern Counties 4: North / SouthSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague Name 1997–98 9 Wisbech Swaffham No relegation East Counties 4 North 8 Old Brentwoods Witham No relegation East Counties 4 South 1998–99 5 Brightlingsea Norwich Union No relegation East Counties 4 North 7 Millwall May & Baker No relegation East Counties 4 South 1999-00 6 Haverhill & District Clacton No relegation East Counties 4 North 6 Witham Old Bealonians Vets No relegation East Counties 4 South Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Eastern Counties 4 (2014–2017)
After an absence of thirteen years, Eastern Counties 4 was re-introduced as a tier 12 league ahead of the 2014–15 season, split into two regional divisions - north and south. Promotion was to one of the regional divisions in Eastern Counties 3 - north, south or west - and there was no relegation. Eastern Counties 4 was cancelled for the second time at the end of the 2016–17 season.
Eastern Counties 4SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague Name 2014–15 11 Swaffham II Thetford 2 No relegation Eastern Counties 4 North 8 Colchester IV University of Essex No relegation Eastern Counties 4 South 2015–16 8 Fakenham II Broadland - Great Yarmouth II No relegation Eastern Counties 4 North 8 Southwold II Bury St Edmunds IV No relegation Eastern Counties 4 South 2016–17 9 Thetford II Norwich III No relegation Eastern Counties 4 North 9 Hadleigh II Maldon III No relegation Eastern Counties 4 South Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Haverhill & District (2) Bancroft (1) Beccles (1) Billericay (1) Brightlingsea (1) Campion (1) Colchester IV (1) Fakenham II (1) Felixstowe (1) Hadleigh (1) Hadleigh II (1) London Hospital (1) March (1) Millwall (1) Old Brentwoods (1) Southwold II (1) Swaffham II (1) Thames Sports (1) Thetford II (1) Wisbech (1) Witham (1)
See also London & SE Division RFU Eastern Counties RU Essex RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
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