Eastern Counties 2 is an English level 10
Rugby Union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
League - currently divided into 3 regional divisions (north, south, west). Promoted teams move up to
Eastern Counties 1 with teams in this league tending to be from
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...
,
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
or
Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
. Currently a three divisions, Eastern Counties 2 has previously been divided into North and South divisions with teams from
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
taking part, and had relegation to
Eastern Counties 3. In 2003-04 the Essex teams broke away, forming a new league - with
Essex 2
Essex 2 (also known as Essex Spitfire 2 for sponsorship reasons) was an English Rugby Union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition. It was the basement division of club rugby in Essex with promoted teams moving up to Essex 1 and n ...
being the equivalent division to Eastern Counties 2.
In 2014-15 Eastern Counties 2 split into three regional divisions - north, south and west to allow for more 2nd and 3rd teams to take part. Due to the reorganization of the divisions, relegation is now possible to
Eastern Counties 3.
Participating Clubs 2013-14
*Fakenham
*Felixstowe
*Hadleigh (relegated from
Eastern Counties 1)
*Haverhill & District
*Mildenhall Red Lodge
*Mistley
*Norwich Medics
*Norwich Union
*Thetford
*Thurston (relegated from
Eastern Counties 1)
Participating Clubs 2012–13
*Broadland – Great Yarmouth
*Felixstowe
*Haverhill & District
*Mildenhall Red Lodge
*Mistley
*Norwich Medics
*Norwich Union
*Sawston
*Swaffham
*Thetford
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
*
Basildon
Basildon ( ) is a town in Borough of Basildon, the borough of the same name, in the county of Essex, England. It had a recorded population of 115,955 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. In 1931, the town had a population of 1,159.
...
*
Braintree
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Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a town, civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames Estuary, near Southend-on-Sea, in the Castle Point district, in the county of Essex, England. It has an area of and a population of 38,170.Office for National Statistics. ...
*
Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
*
Diss
*
East London
East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
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Ilford Wanderers
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Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority (PLA) is a self-funding public trust established on 31 March 1909 in accordance with the Port of London Act 1908 to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and its ...
*
Upminster
Upminster is a suburb of east London, England, in the London Borough of Havering, northeast of Charing Cross.
Historically a rural village, it formed an ancient parish in the Chafford hundred of the county of Essex. The economic history of ...
*
Wanstead
Wanstead () is an area in East London, England, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It borders South Woodford to the north, Redbridge to the east and Manor Park to the south, with Leytonstone and Walthamstow to the west. It is located 8 m ...
*
Woodbridge
Eastern Counties 2 Honours
Eastern Counties 2 (1987–1993)
The original Eastern Counties 2 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to
Eastern Counties 1 and relegation down to
Eastern Counties 3.
Eastern Counties 2 (1993–96)
The creation of
National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 2 dropped from a tier 9 league to a tier 10 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to
Eastern Counties 1 and
Eastern Counties 3 respectively.
Eastern Counties 2 (1996–2000)
The cancellation of
National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 2 reverted to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to
Eastern Counties 1, while relegation was to
Eastern Counties 3, which would split into two regional divisions - north and south - ahead of the 1997–98 season.
Eastern Counties 2: North / South (2000–2003)
East Counties 2 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - and the introduction of
London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant the divisions dropped to become tier 10 leagues. Promotion was to
Eastern Counties 1 and relegation to
Eastern Counties 3 - north or south.
Eastern Counties 2 (2003–2009)
Eastern Counties 2 re-merged into a single division ahead of the 2003–04 season, continuing to be a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to
Eastern Counties 1 and after the cancellation of
Eastern Counties 3 at the end of the 2003–04 season, there was no relegation.
Eastern Counties 2 (2009–2014)
Eastern Counties 2 remained a tier 10 league despite national restructuring by the
RFU
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It prom ...
. Promotion continued to
Eastern Counties 1 and there was no relegation.
Eastern Counties 2: North / South / West (2014–present)
Eastern Counties 2 was once again restructured - this time into three regional divisions - north, south and west. It remained a tier 10 league with promotion to
Eastern Counties 1 and the reintroduction of
Eastern Counties 3 meant there was once again relegation to one of its regional divisions - north, south or west.
Promotion play-offs
From 2000 to 2002 there was a playoff between the runners-up of Eastern Counties 2 North and Eastern Counties 2 South for the third and final promotion place to
Eastern Counties 1 with the team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. The promotion playoffs were discontinued when a single Eastern Counties 2 division was created for the 2002–03 season.
Number of league titles
*
Cantabrigian
__NOTOC__
''Cantabrigian'' (often shortened to ''Cantab'') is an adjective that is used in two meanings: 1) to refer to what is of or pertaining to the University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, United Kingdom;http://www.merriam-webster.com/d ...
(2)
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Hadleigh (2)
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Ipswich Y.M. (2)
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Thetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road (England), A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, coverin ...
(2)
*
Wanstead
Wanstead () is an area in East London, England, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It borders South Woodford to the north, Redbridge to the east and Manor Park to the south, with Leytonstone and Walthamstow to the west. It is located 8 m ...
(2)
*
Basildon
Basildon ( ) is a town in Borough of Basildon, the borough of the same name, in the county of Essex, England. It had a recorded population of 115,955 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. In 1931, the town had a population of 1,159.
...
(1)
*
Beccles
Beccles ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . The town is located along the A145 r ...
(1)
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Billericay
Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
(1)
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Broadland - Great Yarmouth (1)
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Bury St Edmunds III (1)
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Campion (1)
*
Cantabrigian II (1)
*
Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
(1)
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Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''.
Colchester occupies the ...
(1)
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Colchester II (1)
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Colchester III (1)
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Cottenham Renegades (1)
*
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...
(1)
*
Diss (1)
*
Diss II (1)
*
Fakenham
Fakenham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, about north-west of Norwich. The town is at the junction of several local roads, including the A148 from King's Lynn to Cromer, the A1067 to N ...
(1)
*
Halstead Templars (1)
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Harwich & Dovercourt (1)
*
Holt II (1)
*
Ilford Wanderers (1)
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Maldon
Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is prod ...
(1)
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March Bears (1)
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Mersea Island
Mersea Island is an island in Essex, England, in the Blackwater and Colne estuaries to the south-east of Colchester. Its name comes from the Old English word ''meresig'', meaning "island of the pool" and thus is tautological. The island is ...
(1)
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Met Police Chigwell (1)
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Newmarket (1)
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Old Edwardians (1)
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Shelford IV (1)
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Southwold
Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the North Sea, in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth, Suffolk, River Blyth in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths ...
(1)
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Stanford Le Hope
Stanford-le-Hope is a town, former civil parish and Church of England parish in the unitary authority area of Thurrock, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is located 24 miles (38.4 ...
(1)
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Stowmarket
Stowmarket ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England,OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket
Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton A2 edition. Publishing Date:2008. o ...
(1)
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Swaffham
Swaffham () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Breckland District and England, English county of Norfolk. It is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.
The civil parish has an area of and in the U ...
(1)
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Westcliff
Westcliff-on-Sea (previously known as Milton, often abbreviated to Westcliff, and in the past spelt as Westcliffe-on-Sea) is a suburb of the city of Southend-on-Sea, located within the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is on the north sh ...
(1)
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Woodbridge (1)
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Wymondham
Wymondham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It lies on the River Tiffey, south-west of Norwich and just off the A11 road (England), A11 road to London. The pari ...
(1)
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Wymondham II (1)
See also
*
London & SE Division RFU
*
Eastern Counties RU
*
Essex RFU
*
English rugby union system
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England consi ...
*
Rugby union in England
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which invol ...
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern Counties 2
E
Rugby union in Essex
Rugby union in Cambridgeshire
Rugby union in Norfolk
Rugby union in Suffolk