Eastern Counties 1

Eastern Counties 1 is 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 Counties 2 (split into three regional divisions - north, south, west). Teams in this league tend to be based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. In the past teams from Essex used to take part until the 2003–04 season when they formed a new league - with Essex 1 being the top division. Each year some of the 1st XV clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

The division was split across three geographic areas (North, South & West) for the 2017-18 as part of an RFU reorganization of the London & South East regional league. The top two teams from each Area Division shall enter the Championship Phase (Shield) to determine the final rankings for promotion to London 3 Eastern Counties. Other teams will play in the Plate, Bowl and Salver competitions, depending on league position, with clubs finishing bottom of the Salver being relegated to Eastern Counties 2.

North

 * Beccles
 * Diss II
 * Lowestoft & Yarmouth
 * North Walsham II
 * Norwich II
 * Southwold II
 * Watton
 * Wymondham II

South

 * Braintree II
 * Brightlingsea
 * Colchester III
 * Hadleigh
 * Mistley
 * Ipswich II
 * Stowmarket II
 * Sudbury II

West

 * Bury St Edmunds III
 * Cambridge III
 * Cantabrigian II
 * Cottenham Renegades
 * Haverhill and District
 * Mildenhall & Red Lodge
 * Shelford III

Season 2020–21
On 30 October the RFU announced that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Eastern Counties 1 was not contested.

North

 * Diss II
 * Holt
 * North Walsham II
 * Norwich II
 * Norwich Medics
 * Norwich Union
 * Watton
 * Wymondham II

South

 * Braintree II
 * Colchester III
 * Hadleigh
 * Halstead Templars
 * Mersea Island
 * Ipswich II
 * Stowmarket II
 * Sudbury II

West

 * Bury St Edmunds III
 * Cambridge III
 * Cantabrigian II
 * Cottenham Renegades
 * Newmarket
 * Saffron Walden II
 * Shelford III

North

 * Beccles
 * Diss II
 * Lowestoft & Yarmouth
 * North Walsham II
 * Norwich II
 * Norwich Medics
 * Norwich Union
 * Wymondham II

South

 * Brightlingsea
 * Bury St Edmunds III
 * Colchester III
 * Hadleigh
 * Halstead Templars
 * Harwich & Dovercourt II
 * Ipswich II
 * Sudbury II

West

 * Cambridge III
 * Cantabrigian II
 * Cottenham Renegades
 * Ely II
 * March Bears
 * Newmarket
 * Saffron Walden II
 * Shelford III

Participating Clubs 2017-18

 * Beccles (North)
 * Brightlingsea (South)
 * Bury St. Edmunds III (West)
 * Cambridge Adventurers (West)
 * Cantabrigian II (West)
 * Colchester III (South)
 * Cottenham Renegades (West)
 * Diss II (North)
 * Fakenham (North)
 * Great Yarmouth-Broadland (North)
 * Hadleigh (South)
 * Haverhill & District (West)
 * Ipswich Magpies (South)
 * Ipswich Y.M. (South)
 * Mistley (South)
 * North Walsham II (North)
 * Norwich Medics (North)
 * Norwich Union (North)
 * Saffron Walden II (West)
 * Shelford III (West)
 * Stowmarket II (South)
 * Sudbury Talbots (South)
 * Swaffham (North)
 * Thurston (West)

Participating Clubs 2016-17

 * Beccles (relegated from London 3 North East)
 * Bury St Edmunds 3rd XV
 * Colchester III
 * Crusaders
 * Ipswich Y.M.
 * Newmarket
 * Thetford
 * Thurston
 * Wisbech
 * Woodbridge
 * Wymondham

Participating Clubs 2015-16

 * Crusaders
 * Ely
 * Ipswich Y.M.
 * Mersea Island
 * Newmarket
 * Swaffham
 * Thetford
 * Thurston
 * Wisbech
 * Woodbridge
 * Wymondham

Participating Clubs 2014-15

 * Crusaders
 * Ely
 * Ipswich Y.M.
 * Mersea Island
 * Newmarket
 * Southwold
 * Swaffham
 * Thetford (promoted from Eastern Counties 2)
 * Thurston (promoted from Eastern Counties 2)
 * Wisbech (relegated from London 3 North East)
 * Woodbridge
 * Wymondham (relegated from London 3 North East)

Participating Clubs 2013-14

 * Broadland - Great Yarmouth (promoted from Eastern Counties 2)
 * Crusaders
 * Ely
 * Harwich & Dovercourt
 * Ipswich Y.M.
 * Mersea Island
 * Newmarket
 * Swaffham (promoted from Eastern Counties 2)
 * West Norfolk
 * Woodbridge

Participating Clubs 2012-13

 * Crusaders
 * Ely
 * Hadleigh
 * Harwich & Dovercourt
 * Ipswich Y.M.
 * Mersea Island
 * Newmarket
 * Southwold
 * Thurston
 * West Norfolk
 * Woodbridge
 * Wymondham

Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:


 * Cambridge
 * Crusaders
 * Ely
 * Harlow
 * Lowestoft & Yarmouth
 * Met Police Chigwell
 * Redbridge
 * Rochford Hundred
 * Romford & Gidea Park
 * Shelford
 * Thetford

Eastern Counties 1 (1987–1993)
The original Eastern Counties 1 was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 North East and relegation down to Eastern Counties 2.

Eastern Counties 1 (1993–1996)
The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 1 dropped from a tier 8 league to a tier 9 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 North East and Eastern Counties 2 respectively.

Eastern Counties 1 (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 1 reverted to being a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 North East and Eastern Counties 2 respectively.

Eastern Counties 1 (2000–2009)
The introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Eastern Counties 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2 - split into north and south regional divisions between 2000 and 2003.

Eastern Counties 1 (2009–2017)
Eastern Counties 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 North East (formerly London 4 North East) and relegation to Eastern Counties 2, which split into three regional divisions - north, south, west - from the 2014–15 season onward.

Eastern Counties 1 (2017–present)
The cancellation of London 3 North East and subsequent introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties ahead of the 2017–18 meant that Eastern Counties 1 remained a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to the regionalised Eastern Counties 2 (north, south, west).

Promotion play-offs
Between 2004 and 2017 there was a play-off between the runners-up of Eastern Counties 1 and Essex 1 for the third and final promotion place to London 3 North East. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2016–17 season the Essex 1 teams had been the most successful with seven wins to the Eastern Counties 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on eight occasions compared to the away teams four. Since the introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex at the end of the 2016–17 season the playoff has been cancelled.

Number of league titles

 * Thetford (3)
 * Beccles (2)
 * Lowestoft & Yarmouth (2)
 * Mersea Island (2)
 * Wymondham (2)
 * Basildon (1)
 * Bury St Edmunds (1)
 * Cantabrigian (1)
 * Canvey Island (1)
 * Chelmsford (1)
 * Colchester (1)
 * Diss (1)
 * Ely (1)
 * Eton Manor (1)
 * Fakenham (1)
 * Hadleigh (1)
 * Harlow (1)
 * Maldon (1)
 * Met Police Chigwell (1)
 * Newmarket (1)
 * Rochford Hundred (1)
 * Saffron Walden (1)
 * Southwold (1)
 * Stowmarket (1)
 * West Norfolk (1)
 * Wisbech (1)