Counties 2 Eastern Counties (formerly London 3 Eastern Counties) is an English

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 that is at the eighth level of the

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 ...

and is available to club sides based in

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 ...

and

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 ...

(Eastern Counties). The division was created for the 2017-18 as part of an

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 ...

reorganization of the London & South East regional league. Originally there had been a

London 3 North East London 3 North East was an English rugby union league that was the eighth level of club rugby union in England and was available to sides from north east London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Promoted clubs move into London 2 Nor ...

league which had involved teams from the Eastern Counties as well as

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 ...

and parts of north-east

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Due to the distances involved for teams travelling potentially from

and vice versa, at the end of the 2016–17 season, this league was discontinued. Teams in

and

who had played in

were transferred into the new look London 3 Eastern Counties along with additional promoted teams from

Eastern Counties 1 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 ...

, while the

and

sides went into another new division called

London 3 Essex London 3 Essex was an English rugby union league at the eighth level of the English rugby union system and was available to club sides based in Essex and north-east London. Promoted teams moved up to London 2 North East with league champions g ...

. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 2 Eastern Counties. Promoted teams move up to Counties 1 Eastern Counties, while demoted teams drop down to their local merit leagues.

Participating teams 2025-26

Departing were West Norfolk and Ipswich Y.M., both promoted to Counties 1 Eastern Counties while Bedford Athletic II (7th) were relegated to Counties 3 Midlands East (South South). March Bears (11th) did not return for the new season.

Participating teams 2024-25

Departing were Colchester II and Newmarket, both promoted to Counties 1 Eastern Counties. Sudbury II (9th), Shelford III (10th) Cotttenham Renegades (11th) were relegated. Joining were Wisbech, West Norfolk and Ipswich Y.M., all relegated from Counties 1 Eastern Counties, together with Wyndonham II, Mistley and March Bears. Crusaders (8th in 2023-24) withdrew from the league.

Participating teams 2023-24

Departing were Wisbech and North Walsham II, both promoted to Counties 1 Eastern Counties. Norwich Union (9th), Cambridge III (10th) Ipswich II (11th) were relegated. Joining were Thurston (relegated from Counties 1 Eastern Counties) together with Bedford Athletic II, Crusaders, Shelford III and Mersea Island.

Participating teams 2022-23

This was the first season following the

Adult Competition Review with the league adopting its new name of Counties 2 Eastern Counties. Departing were Holt, Ely, Ipswich Y.M. and Thurston, all promoted to Counties 1 Eastern Counties. Thetford, 9th the previous season, did not return. Joining were lower teams from Cambridge III, Sudbury II, Colchester II, North Walsham II and Ipswich II together with Cottenham Renegades.

Participating teams 2021-22

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. Ahead of the new season Crusaders, who finished 6th in 2019-20 withdrew from the league (and will instead participate in Eastern Counties Greene King Division Two North) meaning London 3 EC will run with 10 teams for this season.

Season 2020–21

On 30 October the RFU announced that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (

National League 1 National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Lea ...

and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 3 Eastern Counties was not contested.

Participating teams 2019-20

Participating teams 2018-19

Participating teams 2017-18

London 3 Eastern Counties honours

London 3 Eastern Counties is a tier 8 league with promotion up to

London 2 North East Counties 1 Eastern Counties (formerly London 2 North East) is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 North East, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. Following th ...

and relegation down to

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2017–18 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of London 3 Eastern Counties and

for the third and final promotion place to

. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 3 Eastern Counties have been the most successful with two wins to the London 3 Essex teams none; and the home team has won promotion on two occasions compared to the away teams none.

Number of league titles

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) * West Norfolk (1) *

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)

Notes

References

{{Rugby union in England 8 4 Rugby union in Cambridgeshire Rugby union in Norfolk Rugby union in Suffolk