London 1 North
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 (as London 2 North) |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Country |  Englandle) |
| Holders | Shelford (2nd in (2021–22) promoted to Regional 1 South East) |
| Most titles | Cheshunt (3 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
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.
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 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.
|
  London
|
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.[5]
Teams 2019–20
|
London
|
Teams 2018–19
|
London
|
Teams 2017–18
|
London
|
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.[8]
- 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
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 2 North) and contained the following teams:
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.[9]
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[b] | 9 | North Walsham | Grasshoppers | St. Mary's Hospital | [10] | |||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | 10 | Cheshunt | Bishop's Stortford | Hertford, Upper Clapton | [10] | |||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | 10 | Thurrock | Eton Manor | Grasshoppers | [10] | |||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | 10 | Eton Manor | Bishop's Stortford | Old Albanian | [11] | |||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | 10 | Tabard | Barking | Old Merchant Taylor's, Letchworth Garden City | [12] | |||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | 12 | Harlow | Cheshunt | No relegation | [13] | |||||||
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[c] | ||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 17 | Woodford | Bishop's Stortford | Ealing | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 17 | Cambridge | Ipswich | Chingford, Colchester | [14] | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | 17 | London Nigerian | Bishop's Stortford | Multiple teams[d] | [15] | |||||||||
| 2000–01 | 12 | Cheshunt | London Nigerian | Chelmsford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ruislip | [16] | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | 12 | Hertford | Southend | Metropolitan Police, Verulamians | [17] | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | 12 | Bishop's Stortford | Old Albanian | Sudbury, Ipswich, Shelford | [18] | |||||||||
| 2003–04 | 12 | London Scottish | Cambridge | Cheshunt, Romford & Gidea Park, Bank of England | [19] | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 12 | Ealing Trailfinders | Staines | Harlow, Diss, Woodford | [20] | |||||||||
| 2005–06 | 12 | Shelford | CS Rugby 1863 | Bank of England, Hadleigh | [21] | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 12 | CS Rugby 1863 | Tring | Twickenham, St Albans, Norwich | [22] | |||||||||
| 2007–08 | 12 | Tring | Staines | Tabard, Thurrock, London Nigerian | [23] | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | 12 | Diss | Staines | No relegation due to league restructure[e] | [24] | |||||||||
| 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).
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 14 | Staines | CS Rugby 1863 | Welwyn, Harpenden, Rochford Hundred | [25] | |||||||||
| 2010–11 | 14 | Westcliff | Sidcup | Woodford, Tabard, Stevenage Town | [26] | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | 14 | Thurrock | Colchester | Braintree, Hammersmith & Fulham, North Walsham | [27] | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | 14 | Bury St Edmunds | Eton Manor | Basildon, Rochford Hundred, Beaconsfield | [28] | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | 14 | Westcliff | Eton Manor | Old Haberdashers, Diss, Tabard | [29] | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | 14 | Colchester | Eton Manor | Woodford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ipswich | [30] | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | 14 | Amersham & Chiltern | Tring | Luton, Harrow[f] | [32] | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | 14 | Tring | Chingford | Barking, Chelmsford, Sudbury | [33] | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | 14 | Brentwood | Chingford | South Woodham Ferrers, Letchworth Garden City, Saffron Walden | [34] | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | 14 | Rochford Hundred | Colchester | Diss, Luton, Fullerians | [35] | |||||||||
| 2019–20 | 14 | North Walsham | Colchester | Ruislip, Woodford, Old Priorians | [36] | |||||||||
| 2020–21 | 14 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | ||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 14 | Shelford | Sudbury | No relegation | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Promotion play-offs
Between 2000 and 2001 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[37] | Canterbury (S) | 21-27 | London Nigerian (N) | Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent | ||||||||||
| 2001-02[38] | Southend (N) | 37-15 | Portsmouth (S) | Warners Park, Southend-on-Sea, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2002-03[39] | Old Albanian (2nd XV) (N) | 28-12 | Portsmouth (S) | Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2003-04[40] | Cambridge (N) | 21-19 | Barnes (S) | Grantchester Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
| 2004-05[41] | Staines (N) | 55-12 | Portsmouth (S) | The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2005-06[42] | Guildford (S) | 27-14 | CS Rugby 1863 (N) | Broadwater Sports Club, Farncombe, Surrey | ||||||||||
| 2006-07[43] | Tring (N) | 7-20 | Thanet Wanderers (S) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2007-08[44] | Jersey (S) | 15-0 | Staines (S) | St. Peter, Saint Peter, Jersey | ||||||||||
| 2008-09[45] | Staines (N) | 7-11 | Dorking (S) | The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2009-10[46] | CS Rugby 1863 (N) | 31-14 | Dover (S) | King's House Sports Ground, Chiswick, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2010-11[47] | London Irish Wild Geese (S) | 21-14 | Sidcup (N) | Hazelwood, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey | 1,000 | |||||||||
| 2011-12[48] | Old Elthamians (S) | 16-8 | Colchester (N) | Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, Greater London | 600 | |||||||||
| 2012-13[49] | Basingstoke (S) | 27-3 | Eton Manor (N) | Down Grange, Basingstoke, Hampshire | ||||||||||
| 2013-14[50] | Chichester (S) | 25-16 | Eton Manor (N) | Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex | ||||||||||
| 2014-15[51] | Eton Manor (N) | 17-14 | Chobham (S) | The New Wilderness, Redbridge, London | 400 | |||||||||
| 2015-16[52] | Tring (N) | 21-26 | Guildford (S) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | 700 | |||||||||
| 2016–17[53] | Chingford (N) | 33-35 | Tunbridge Wells (S) | Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London | 500 | |||||||||
| 2017-18[54] | Chingford (N) | 21-17 | Medway (S) | Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London | 500[55] | |||||||||
| 2018-19[56] | 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). | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- 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)