London 1 North

London 1 North is 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 current name ahead of the 2009–10 season.

London 1 North
Current season or competition:
2019–20 London 1 North
SportRugby union
Instituted1987 (1987) (as London 2 North)
Number of teams14
Country England
HoldersNorth Walsham (2nd title) (2019–20)
(promoted to London & South East Premier)
Most titlesCheshunt (3 titles)
Websiteenglandrugby.com

The fourteen teams play home and away matches from September through to April. The first placed team in the league wins promotion to London & South East Premier while the league runner-up plays the second placed team from London 1 South in a play-off for promotion. Relegated teams drop to either London 2 North East or London 2 North West depending on the location of the club.

Teams 2020–21

Ahead of the season the RFU announced [2] that "To best manage the uncertainties around a start date, leagues will be split into conferences from the start of the season i.e. a 14 team league will be split into two groups of 7 teams. In most cases the conferences will be organised geographically to keep travel down to a minimum in the early part of the season, which could also present the opportunity for more revenue generating derby/local fixtures and support player availability." Consequently Amersham, Belsize Park, Chingford, Eton Manor, Harpenden, Leighton Buzzard and Old Haberdashers were grouped together in one half with Brentwood, Colchester, Norwich, Shelford, Southend Saxons, Sudbury and Thurrock grouped in the other. The intention was for clubs in each conference to play one another home and away - a total of twelve fixtures to be completed. If there had been opportunity to do so, then teams would have faced the sides in the other conference home or away - a total of seven fixtures. Then, if there had been sufficient time in the season, teams would have played those other sides a second time home or away - the remaining seven fixtures.

On 30th October the RFU further announced [3] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season. As such London 1 North will not be contested in season 2020/21.

Teams 2019–20

Teams 2018–19

Teams 2017–18

Teams 2016-17

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.[4]

Teams 2014–15

Teams 2013–14

Teams 2012–13

Teams 2011–12

Teams 2009–10

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 2 North) 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.[5]

The original London 2 North was a tier 6 league with promotion up to London 1 and relegation down to either London 3 North East or London 3 North West.

London 2 North
Season No of teams No of matches Champions Runners-up Relegated teams Reference
1987–8810[lower-alpha 2]9North WalshamGrasshoppersSt. Mary's Hospital[6]
1988–891110CheshuntBishop's StortfordHertford, Upper Clapton[6]
1989–901110ThurrockEton ManorGrasshoppers[6]
1990–911110Eton Manor Bishop's StortfordOld Albanian[7]
1991–921110TabardBarkingOld Merchant Taylor's, Letchworth Garden City[8]
1992–931312HarlowCheshuntNo relegation[9]

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 down to either London 3 North East or London 3 North West.

London 2 North
Season No of teams No of matches Champions Runners-up Relegated teams Reference
1993–941312RuislipVerulamiansOld Edwardians, Upper Clapton
1994–951312StainesVerulamiansOld Gaytonians, Chingford
1995–961312NorwichThurrockEton 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 back to being a tier 6 league. Promotion continued to London 1 and relegation down 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).

London Division 2 North
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1996–9712CheshuntBishop's StortfordNo relegation[lower-alpha 3]
1997-9817WoodfordBishop's StortfordEaling
1998–9917CambridgeIpswichChingford, Colchester[10]
1999–0017London NigerianBishop's StortfordMultiple teams[lower-alpha 4][11]
2000–0112CheshuntLondon NigerianChelmsford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ruislip[12]
2001–0212HertfordSouthendMetropolitan Police, Verulamians[13]
2002–0312Bishop's StortfordOld AlbanianSudbury, Ipswich, Shelford[14]
2003–0412London ScottishCambridgeCheshunt, Romford & Gidea Park, Bank of England[15]
2004–0512Ealing TrailfindersStainesHarlow, Diss, Woodford[16]
2005–0612ShelfordCS Rugby 1863Bank of England, Hadleigh[17]
2006–0712CS Rugby 1863TringTwickenham, St Albans, Norwich[18]
2007–0812TringStainesTabard, Thurrock, London Nigerian[19]
2008–0912DissStainesNo relegation due to league restructure[lower-alpha 5][20]
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).

London Division 1 North
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
2009–1014StainesCS Rugby 1863Welwyn, Harpenden, Rochford Hundred[21]
2010–1114WestcliffSidcupWoodford, Tabard, Stevenage Town[22]
2011–1214ThurrockColchesterBraintree, Hammersmith & Fulham, North Walsham[23]
2012–1314Bury St EdmundsEton ManorBasildon, Rochford Hundred, Beaconsfield[24]
2013–1414WestcliffEton ManorOld Haberdashers, Diss, Tabard[25]
2014–1514ColchesterEton ManorWoodford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ipswich[26]
2015–1614Amersham & ChilternTringLuton, Harrow[lower-alpha 6][28]
2016–1714TringChingfordBarking, Chelmsford, Sudbury[29]
2017–1814BrentwoodChingfordSouth Woodham Ferrers, Letchworth Garden City, Saffron Walden[30]
2018–1914Rochford HundredColchesterDiss, Luton, Fullerians[31]
2019–2014North WalshamColchesterRuislip, Woodford, Old Priorians[32]
2020–2114
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been 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 has 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.

London 1 (north v south) promotion play-off results
Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance
2000-01[33]Canterbury (S)21-27London Nigerian (N)Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent
2001-02[34]Southend (N)37-15Portsmouth (S)Warners Bridge Park, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
2002-03[35]Old Albanian (2nd XV) (N)28-12Portsmouth (S)Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans, Hertfordshire
2003-04[36]Cambridge (N)21-19Barnes (S)Grantchester Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
2004-05[37]Staines (N)55-12Portsmouth (S)The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London
2005-06[38]Guildford (S)27-14CS Rugby 1863 (N)Broadwater Sports Club, Farncombe, Surrey
2006-07[39]Tring (N)7-20Thanet Wanderers (S)Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire
2007-08[40]Jersey (S)15-0Staines (S)St. Peter, Saint Peter, Jersey
2008-09[41]Staines (N)7-11Dorking (S)The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London
2009-10[42]CS Rugby 1863 (N)31-14Dover (S)King's House Sports Ground, Chiswick, Greater London
2010-11[43]London Irish Wild Geese (S)21-14Sidcup (N)Hazelwood, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey1,000
2011-12[44]Old Elthamians (S)16-8Colchester (N)Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, Greater London600
2012-13[45]Basingstoke (S)27-3Eton Manor (N)Down Grange, Basingstoke, Hampshire
2013-14[46]Chichester (S)25-16Eton Manor (N)Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex
2014-15[47]Eton Manor (N)17-14Chobham (S)The New Wilderness, Redbridge, London400
2015-16[48]Tring (N)21-26Guildford (S)Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire700
2016–17[49]Chingford (N)33-35Tunbridge Wells (S)Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London500
2017-18[50]Chingford (N)21-17Medway (S)Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London500[51]
2018-19[52]Colchester (N)26-33Brighton (S)Mill Road Playing Fields, Colchester, Essex
2019–20Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Westcombe Park (S) - promoted instead.
2020–21
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

    Notes
    1. In 1997 St. Mary's Hospital become part of Imperial Medicals Rugby Club.
    2. League reduced from 11 to 10 teams after West London Institute withdrew.
    3. There would be no relegation due to the league increased from 12 to 17 teams for the following season.
    4. Lowestoft & Yarmouth, Braintree, Finchley, Southend, Brentwood and Barnet Elizabethans were the relegated teams this year. The reason for so many relegated teams was due to the creation of a new division 4 for the next season in the London league which would lead to a restructure of the whole league including a downsizing of this division from 17 teams to 12 teams.
    5. The division would be renamed London Division 1 North for the next season and along with the whole national restructure of the league system by the RFU lead to mass changes at all levels.
    6. After finishing 12th, Barking were due to be relegated but due to East Grinstead's voluntary relegation from National League 3 London & SE (all the way to level 10), the club were granted a reprieve from relegation and would remain in London 1 North for the 2016-17 season.[27]

    See also

    References
    1. "League Make up". Sussex Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
    2. "Return to Competitive Playing for 2020/21 Season". RFU. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
    3. "RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season". RFU. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
    4. Harvey, Neale (22 May 2016). "French exile Ollie relishing new role at Barking". RugbyPaper (401). p. 30.
    5. Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill (eds.). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Taunton: Football Directories. ISBN 1 873057 01 6.
    6. Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill, eds. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990-91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd. pp. 564–566. ISBN 1873057 024.
    7. Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill, eds. (1992). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92. Taunton: Football Directories. p. 605. ISBN 1 869833 15 5.
    8. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1992). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992–93. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 170–185. ISBN 0 7472 7907 1.
    9. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993–94 (22nd ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing Ltd. pp. 151–167. ISBN 0 7472 7891 1.
    10. "1998-1999 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    11. "1999-2000 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    12. "2000-2001 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    13. "2001-2002 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    14. "2002-2003 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    15. "2003-2004 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    16. "2004-2005 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    17. "2005-2006 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    18. "2006-2007 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    19. "2007-2008 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    20. "2008-2009 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    21. "2009-2010 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    22. "2010-2011 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    23. "2011-2012 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    24. "2012-2013 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    25. "2013-2014 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
    26. "2014-2015 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
    27. "Barking RFC to remain in London 1 North". Barking RFC. 11 May 2016.
    28. "2015-2016 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
    29. "2016-2017 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
    30. "2017-2018 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
    31. "2018-2019 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
    32. "Men's level 5 - 7 leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
    33. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2000-01". England Rugby. 19 May 2001.
    34. "Rugby: Scratch Portsmouth pipped for promotion". The News (Portsmouth). 29 April 2002.
    35. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2002-03". England Rugby. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
    36. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2003-04". England Rugby. 24 April 2004.
    37. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2004-05". England Rugby. 30 April 2005.
    38. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2005-06". England Rugby. 28 April 2006.
    39. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2006-07". England Rugby. 28 April 2007.
    40. "Jersey rugby club gain promotion". BBC Sport. 27 April 2008.
    41. "Staines 7 - Dorking 11". Everything Rugby. 27 April 2009.
    42. "London & SE Division Play-Offs 2009-10". England Rugby. 28 April 2012.
    43. "London Irish Wild Geese Rugby I XV 21 – 14 Sidcup Rugby I XV: London Division 1 Promotion play off – 23rd April 2011". In Touch Rugby. 23 April 2011.
    44. "Old Elthamians 16 Colchester 8". Old Elthamians RFC (Pitchero). 28 April 2012.
    45. "Honour in defeat to Basingstoke". Eton Manor RFC (Pitchero). 27 April 2013.
    46. "Chichester 25 - Eton Manor 16 - Match Report by Roger Gould". Eton Manor RFC (Pitchero). 26 April 2014.
    47. "Manor promoted after titanic battle". Eton Manor RFC (Pitchero). 25 April 2015.
    48. "Guildford Promoted to National 3". Guildford Rugby (Pitchero). 30 April 2016.
    49. "Chingford 33 Tunbridge Wells 35". Tunbridge Wells (Pitchero). 29 April 2017.
    50. "Chingford 21-17 Medway". Kent Sports News. 28 April 2018.
    51. "Chingford RFC 21 17 Medway". Chingford Rugby Club (Pitchero). 28 April 2018.
    52. "Colchester 1st XV 26 33 Brighton Blues". Colchester RFC (Pitchero). 27 April 2019.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.