Counties 2 Essex

Counties 2 Essex (formerly known as Essex/Canterbury Jack 1 for sponsorship reasons) is an English rugby union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and features teams from Essex and parts of north-east London. Promoted clubs tend to move up to Counties 1 Essex. Relegated clubs used to drop into Essex 2 but as that division has been abolished there is currently no relegation. The division was created in 2003 by Essex-based teams who left Eastern Counties 1 and Eastern Counties 2. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022–23 it adopted its current name Counties 2 Essex.

Counties 2 Essex

Current season or competition: 2024-25Counties 2 Essex
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	2003; 22 years ago (2003)
Number of teams	9
Country	England
Most titles	Billericay, Campion, Dagenham, East London, Upminster, Wanstead (2 titles)
Website	englandrugby.com

Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

For the 2016–17 season the league was divided into two parallel divisions - Essex 1A and Essex 1B - divided on geographical lines with teams in Essex 1A typically based in the north and east of the county, while teams in Essex 1B are predominantly London based. Each division plays 14 home and away games from September until February. From February the top 4 teams from each division go into the Essex 1 Premiership and play for the title and promotion, while the bottom 4 sides from each group would play for the Essex 1 Shield. For the 2018–19 season Essex 1 would revert to being a single division of 11 teams.

Participating clubs 2025–26

Departing were Stanford-le-Hope and Billericay, both promoted to Counties 1 Essex.

Dagenham re-entered the RFU league pyramid having withdrawn from Regional 2 Anglia before the start of the 2024-25 season citing ""...a combination of unforeseen circumstances within the club and a significant shortage of players..."^[1].

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Basildon Gardiners Close Basildon, Essex Relegated from Counties 1 Essex Burnham-on-Crouch Dengie Hundred Sports Centre Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex Relegated from Counties 1 Essex Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex 3rd Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 11th Dagenham Central Park Dagenham, London Promoted from Div 2 Essex merit leagues Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 7th Kelvedon & Feering Rye Mill Lane Feering, Essex 8th Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park Plaistow, London 5th Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London 4th Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 6th Witham Witham Town Football & Social Club Witham, Essex 9th Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 10th

Basildon Burnham Canvey Island Clacton Dagenham Harwich & Dovercourt Kelvedon & Feering KXS Millwall Brentwoods Witham Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 2 Essex teams

Participating clubs 2024–25

The experiment of dividing the league was abandoned and North and South divisions reunited.

Departing were Burnham-on-Crouch and Basildon, both promoted to Counties 1 Essex. Meanwhile Barking (7th (South)) were relegated to the Essex RFU merit leagues.

Joining were Stanford-le-Hope, relegated from Counties 1 Essex.

South Woodham Ferrers (7th (North) in 2023-24) started the season but withdrew from the league in December 2024.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 3rd (South) Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex 5th (South) Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 3rd (North) Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 2nd (North) Kelvedon & Feering Rye Mill Lane Feering, Essex 4th (North) Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park Plaistow, London 4th (South) Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London 6th (South) Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 2nd (South) Stanford-le-Hope Stanford Recreation Ground Stanford-le-Hope, Essex Relegated from Counties 1 Essex Witham Witham Town Football & Social Club Witham, Essex 6th (North) Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 5th (North)

Billericay Canvey Island Clacton Harwich & Dovercourt Kelvedon & Feering KXS Millwall Brentwoods Stanford -le-Hope Witham Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 2 Essex teams

Participating clubs 2023–24

Ahead of the new season the decision was taken to split the league into parallel North and South divisions as had previously happened in 2016–17.

Departing were Maldon and Stanford-le-Hope, promoted to Counties 1 Essex.

Joining the North league were South Woodham Ferrers (relegated from Counties 1 Essex), Kelvedon & Feering, Witham and Burnham-on-Crouch.

North

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Burnham-on-Crouch Dengie Hundred Sports Centre Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex Re-entry Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 4th Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 7th Kelvedon & Feering Rye Mill Lane Feering, Essex New entry South Woodham Ferrers Saltcoats Playing Field South Woodham Ferrers, Essex Relegated from Counties 1 Essex Witham Witham Town Football & Social Club Witham, Essex Re-entry Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 11th

Burnham Clacton Harwich & Dovercourt Kelvedon & Feering SW Ferrers Witham Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 2 Essex (North) teams

South

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Barking Goresbrook 1,000 Becontree, London 13th Basildon Gardiners Close Basildon, Essex 8th Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 5th Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex 10th Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park Plaistow, London 3rd Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London 6th Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 9th

Basildon Barking Canvey Island Billericay KXS Millwall Brentwoods Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 2 Essex (South) teams

Participating clubs 2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review^[2] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 2 Essex.

Returning were nine teams took part in Essex 1 in 2021–22: Barking, Basildon, Billericay, Clacton, Harwich & Dovercourt, Maldon, Millwall, Old Brentwoods and Writtle Wanderers. Bancroft (8th) did not return.

Joining were Canvey Island (12th) and Kings Cross Steelers (11th) relegated from London 3 Essex together with Pegasus Palmerians and Stanford le Hope who both re-joined the league.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Barking Goresbrook 1,000 Becontree, London 10th Basildon Gardiners Close Basildon, Essex 5th Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 2nd Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex Relegated from London 3 Essex (12th) Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 3rd Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 6th Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park Plaistow, London Relegated from London 3 Essex (11th) Maldon Drapers Farm Playing Fields Heybridge, Essex 1st Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London 7th Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 9th Pegasus Palmerians St Cleres School Stanford-le-Hope, Essex Re-entry Stanford-le-Hope Stanford Recreation Ground Stanford-le-Hope, Essex Re-entry Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 4th

Basildon Barking Canvey Island Clacton Billericay Harwich & Dovercourt KXS Maldon Millwall Brentwoods Pegasus Stanford -le-Hope Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 2 Essex teams

Participating clubs 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.

Ilford Wanderers, who had been relegated from London 3 Essex in 11th place in season 2019–20, withdrew from the league in Autumn 2021 meaning it was completed with eleven teams.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Bancroft Buckhurst Way Buckhurst Hill, Essex New Entry Barking Goresbrook 1,000 Becontree, London Relegated from London 3 Essex (12th) Basildon Gardiners Close Basildon, Essex Relegated from London 3 Essex (10th) Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 6th Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 5th Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 7th Maldon Drapers Farm Playing Fields Heybridge, Essex 3rd Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London 4th Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road 500 Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 9th Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 8th

Bancroft Basildon Barking Clacton Brentwoods Billericay Harwich & Dovercourt Maldon Millwall Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2021-22 Essex Canterbury Jack 1 teams

Season 2020–21

On 30 October the RFU announced ^[3] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Essex 1 was not contested.

Participating clubs 2019–20

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 6th Canvey Island Tewkes Creek Canvey Island, Essex Relegated from London 3 Essex (10th) Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 4th Dagenham Central Park Dagenham, London 3rd Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 5th Maldon Drapers Farm Playing Fields Heybridge, Essex Relegated from London 3 Essex (11th) Millwall Millwall Park Isle of Dogs, London Relegated from London 3 Essex (12th) Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road 500 Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 8th Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 7th

Canvey Island Clacton Dagenham Brentwoods Billericay Harwich & Dovercourt Maldon Millwall Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2019-20 Essex Canterbury Jack 1 teams

Participating clubs 2018–19

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 6th (Prem) Clacton Valley Road Clacton-on-Sea, Essex Relegated from London 3 Essex (8th) Dagenham Central Park Dagenham, London 3rd (Shield) Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 1st (Shield) Mavericks Warley Playing Field Warley, Brentwood, Essex Relegated from London 3 Essex (10th) Mersea Island The Glebe West Mersea, Mersey Island, Essex 4th (Prem) Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road 500 Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 7th (Prem) Thames Garron Lane South Ockendon, Essex N/A Upminster Hall Lane Upminster, London Relegated from London 3 Essex (9th) Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 5th (Prem)

Clacton Dagenham Brentwoods Billericay Harwich & Dovercourt Mavericks Mersea Island Thames Upminster Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2018-19 Essex Canterbury Jack 1 teams

Participating clubs 2017–18

Essex Canterbury Jack League 1A

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Billericay Willowbrook 1,000 Billericay, Essex 8th (Prem) Burnham-on-Crouch Dengie Hundred Sports Centre Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex 7th (Shield) Harwich & Dovercourt Wick Lane Harwich, Essex 2nd (Shield) Mersea Island The Glebe West Mersea, Mersey Island, Essex Transferred from Eastern Counties 2 (South) (champions) Stanford-le-Hope Stanford Recreation Ground Stanford-le-Hope, Essex 6th (Prem) Witham Witham Town Football & Social Club Witham, Essex 8th (Shield) Writtle Wanderers Fox Burrows Lane Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex 1st (Shield)

Billericay Burnham Harwich & Dovercourt Mersea Island Stanford-le-Hope Witham Writtle Wanderers Locations of the 2017-18 Essex Canterbury Jack 1A teams

Essex Canterbury Jack League 1B

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Bancroft Buckhurst Way Buckhurst Hill, Essex 3rd (Shield) Dagenham Central Park Dagenham, London 5th (Shield) Ilford Wanderers Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground Ilford, London Transferred from London 3 North East (11th) Kings Cross Steelers Memorial Park 500 Plaistow, London 6th (Shield) May & Baker M&B Eastbrook Community Club Dagenham, London N/A Old Brentwoods Ashwell Road 500 Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex 7th (Prem) Pegasus Palmerians St Cleres School Stanford-le-Hope, Essex 4th (Shield)

Bancroft Dagenham Ilford KXS May & Baker Brentwoods Pegasus Locations of the 2017-18 Essex Canterbury Jack 1B teams

Participating clubs 2016–17

Essex 1A

• Bancroft
• Billericay
• Dagenham
• Kings Cross Steelers
• Millwall
• Old Brentwoods (relegated from London 3 North East)
• Pegasus Palmerians
• Stanford Le Hope

Essex 1B

• Braintree
• Burnham-on-Crouch
• Canvey Island
• Clacton
• Harwich & Dovercourt
• Maldon
• Writtle Wanderers
• Witham

Participating clubs 2015–16

• Bancroft
• Billericay (relegated from London 3 North East)
• Braintree
• Canvey Island
• Clacton (relegated from London 3 North East)
• East London
• Ilford Wanderers
• Kings Cross Steelers
• Maldon
• Millwall
• Pegasus Palmerians
• Stanford Le Hope
• Writtle Wanderers

Participating clubs 2014–15

• Bancroft
• Burnham-on-Crouch
• Canvey Island (relegated from London 3 North East)
• Dagenham
• East London
• Epping Upper Clapton
• Ilford Wanderers
• Maldon
• May & Baker
• Millwall
• Pegasus Palmerians
• Writtle Wanderers

Original teams

When Essex 1 was introduced in 2003 it contained the following teams:

• Billericay - transferred from Eastern Counties 1 (7th)
• Canvey Island - transferred from Eastern Counties 1 (9th)
• East London - transferred from Eastern Counties 2 South (runners up)
• Epping Upper Clapton - transferred from Eastern Counties 1 (8th)
• Ilford Wanderers II - transferred from Eastern Counties 2 South (3rd)
• Maldon - transferred from Eastern Counties 1 (3rd)
• Stanford Le Hope - transferred from Eastern Counties 1 (10th)
• Upminster - relegated from London 4 North East (9th)
• Wanstead - transferred from Eastern Counties 1 (4th)
• Westcliff - transferred from Eastern Counties 2 South (champions)

Essex 1 honours

Essex 1 (2004–2009)

The original Essex 1 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to London 4 North East and relegation down to Essex 2.

Essex 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2003–04[4]	10	Westcliff	Wanstead	Canvey Island
2004–05[5]	10	Wanstead	Upminster	Stanford Le Hope
2005–06[6]	10	Upminster	Canvey Island	Thames
2006–07[7]	10	Billericay	South Woodham Ferrers	Ilford Wanderers II[a]
2007–08[8]	10	Dagenham	Maldon	East London, Millwall
2008–09[9]	10	Wanstead	Campion	Writtle Wanderers, Epping Upper Clapton
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Essex 1 (2009–2017)

Essex 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 was to Essex 2 until that division was disbanded at the end of the 2013–14 season.

Essex 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2009–10[10]	10	Campion	Bancroft	Ilford Wanderers
2010–11[11]	11	East London	Millwall	Dagenham, Thames, Brightlingsea
2011–12[12]	10	Old Brentwoods	Maldon	Writtle Wanderers, Pegasus Palmerians
2012–13[13]	10	Campion	Old Cooperians	Burnham-On-Crouch, Millwall
2013–14[14]	9	Billericay	Clacton	No relegation[b]
2014–15[15]	11	May & Baker	Epping Upper Clapton	No relegation
2015–16[16]	13	East London	Ilford Wanderers	No relegation
2016–17[17]	16	Braintree	Canvey Island[c]	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Essex 1 (2017–present)

The cancellation of London 3 North East and subsequent introduction of London 3 Essex ahead of the 2017–18 meant that Essex 1 remained a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division, and as it was the lowest division for clubs in Essex, there was no relegation.

Essex 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2017–18[18]	16	Kings Cross Steelers	Ilford Wanderers	No relegation
2018–19[19]	10	Upminster	Mavericks	No relegation
2019–20[20]	9	Dagenham	Canvey Island	No relegation
2020–21	9			No relegation
2021-22[21]	10	Maldon	Billericay
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

From 2004 to 2016 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 2015–16 season the Essex 1 teams had been the most successful with seven wins to the Eastern Counties 1 teams five; and the home team had 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 start of the 2017–18 season the playoff has been cancelled.^[22]

Eastern Counties 1 v Essex 1 promotion play-off results
Season	Home team	Score	Away team	Venue	Attendance
2004-05[23]	Crusaders (EC)	41-24	Upminster (EX)	Beckhithe, Little Melton, Norfolk
2005–06[24]	Canvey Island (EX)	31-18	Mersea Island (EC)	Tewkes Creek, Canvey Island, Essex
2006–07[25]	Thurston (EC)	22-33	South Woodham Ferrers (EX)	Robinson Field, Thurston, Suffolk
2007–08[26]	Maldon (EX)	15-20	West Norfolk (EC)	Drapers Farm Playing Fields, Heybridge, Essex
2008–09[27]	Wisbech (EC)	38-14	Campion (EX)	Chapel Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
2009–10[28]	Bancroft (EX)	37-29	Stowmarket (EC)	Buckhurst Way, Buckhurst Hill, Essex
2010–11[29]	Holt (EC)	HWO[d]	Millwall (EX)	Bridge Road, Holt, Norfolk
2011–12[30]	Wisbech (EC)	38-12	Maldon (EX)	Chapel Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
2012–13[31]	Ipswich Y.M. (EC)	20-27	Old Cooperians (EX)	The Street, Rushmere St Andrew, Ipswich, Suffolk
2013–14[32]	Newmarket (EC)	17-18	Clacton (EX)	The NSDA Pavilion, Newmarket, Suffolk
2014–15[33]	Epping Upper Clapton (EX)	36-22	Ely (EC)	Upland Road, Thornwood, Essex	400
2015–16[34]	Ilford Wanderers (EX)	66-17	Wymondham (EC)	Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground, Barkingside, Greater London
Green background is the promoted team. EC = Eastern Counties 1 and EX = Essex Canterbury Jack (formerly Essex 1)

Number of league titles

• Billericay (2)
• Campion (2)
• East London (2)
• Upminster (2)
• Wanstead (2)
• Braintree (1)
• Dagenham (1)
• Kings Cross Steelers (1)
• Maldon (1)
• May & Baker (1)
• Old Brentwoods (1)
• Westcliff (1)

See also

• London & SE Division RFU
• Essex RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

Notes

1. Ilford Wanderers II were relegated despite finishing 7th as Ilford Wanderers 1st team was demoted to the league for the following season.
2. No relegation as Essex 2 cancelled at the end of the season.
3. Due to London 3 North East being split into London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex, five teams would be promoted this season instead of the usual 1 or 2, including Maldon, Clacton and Millwall.
4. Holt were promoted as Millwall did not manage to raise a team for the 2010-11 play-off game.