Counties 3 Kent

Counties 3 Kent (formerly Kent 1 known as Shepherd Neame Kent 1 for sponsorship reasons) is an English level 9 Rugby Union League^[1] and is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London and Kent. The teams play home and away matches from September through to April. The league champions move up to Counties 2 Kent. Relegated teams drop down to Counties 4 Kent. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 3 Kent.

Counties 3 Kent

Current season or competition: 2024-25 Counties 3 Kent
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	1987; 38 years ago (1987)
Number of teams	10
Country	England
Most titles	Park House (4 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.

Teams for 2025–26

Departing were Tonbridge Juddians II and Beckenham II, both promoted to Counties 2 Kent.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Brockleians Civil Service Sports Ground Eltham, London 4th Canterbury III Marine Travel Ground 1,500 (75 seats) Canterbury, Kent Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (champions) Dartford Valley Leigh Academy Dartford, Kent Relegated from Counties 2 Kent (12th) Gravesend II Rectory Field Gravesend, Kent 11th Hastings & Bexhill William Parker Lower School Hastings, East Sussex 3rd New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 10th Old Dunstonians St. Dunstan's Lane Beckenham, London 9th Old Gravesendians Fleetway Sports Ground Gravesend, Kent 8th Old Williamsonians Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School Rochester, Kent Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (runners-up) Sittingbourne Gore Court Cricket Club Sittingbourne, Kent 5th Tunbridge Wells II St Marks Recreation Ground 3,000 Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent 6th Whitstable Reeves Way Chestfield, Kent 7th

Brockleians Dartford Valley Dunstonians Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Kent teams in Greater London Canterbury III Gravesend II Hastings & Bexhill New Ash Gravesendians Williamsonians Sittingbourne Tunbridge Wells II Whitstable Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Kent teams in Kent & East Sussex

Teams for 2024–25

Departing were Old Elthamians and Old Alleynians II, both promoted to Counties 2 Kent. Faversham (10th) were relegated to Counties 4 Kent.

Joining were Old Dunstonians relegated from Counties 2 Kent together with Beckenham II, Brockleians and Old Gravesendians, all promoted from Counties 4 Kent

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Beckenham II Balmoral Avenue Beckenham, London Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (champions) Brockleians Civil Service Sports Ground Eltham, London Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (runners-up) Gravesend II Rectory Field Gravesend, Kent 8th Hastings & Bexhill William Parker Lower School Hastings, East Sussex 7th New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 9th Old Dunstonians St. Dunstan's Lane Beckenham, London Relegated from Counties 2 Kent Old Gravesendians Fleetway Sports Ground Gravesend, Kent Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (3rd) Sittingbourne Gore Court Cricket Club Sittingbourne, Kent 4th Tonbridge Juddians II The Slade 1,500 Tonbridge, Kent 3rd Tunbridge Wells II St Marks Recreation Ground 3,000 Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent 5th Whitstable Reeves Way Chestfield, Kent 6th

Beckenham II Brockleians Dunstonians Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Kent teams in Greater London Gravesend II Hastings & Bexhill New Ash Gravesendians Sittingbourne Tonbridge Juddians II Tunbridge Wells II Whitstable Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Kent teams in Kent & East Sussex

Teams for 2023–24

Departing were Dartford Valley and Medway II, both promoted to Counties 2 Kent. King's College Hospital (9th) and Footscray (10th) were relegated to Counties 4 Kent.

Joining were Hastings & Bexhill relegated from Counties 2 Kent together with Sittingbourne promoted from Counties 4 Kent and Tonbridge Juddians III who upon joining this league were rebranded as Tonbridge Juddians II.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Faversham Recreation Ground Faversham, Kent 5th Gravesend II Rectory Field Gravesend, Kent 8th Hastings & Bexhill William Parker Lower School Hastings, East Sussex Relegated from Counties 2 Kent New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 7th Old Alleynians II The Common Dulwich, London 4th Old Elthamians Hospital Ground Chislehurst, London 3rd Sittingbourne Gore Court Cricket Club Sittingbourne, Kent Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (runners-up) Tonbridge Juddians II The Slade 1,500 Tonbridge, Kent Promoted from Counties 4 Kent (champions) Tunbridge Wells II St Marks Recreation Ground 3,000 Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent New entry Whitstable Reeves Way Chestfield, Kent 6th

Alleynians II Elthamians Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 3 Kent teams in Greater London Faversham Gravesend II Hastings & Bexhill New Ash Sittingbourne Tonbridge Juddians II Tunbridge Wells II Whitstable Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 3 Kent teams in Kent & East Sussex

Teams for 2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review^[2] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 3 Kent.

Returning were 4 of the 9 teams who competed in the previous season's league.

Departing were Hastings & Bexhill and Park House, both promoted to Counties 2 Kent. Old Williamsonians (3rd), Cliffe Crusaders (7th), Brockleians (9th) dropped to Counties 4 Kent.

Joining were Dartford Valley and Whitstable, promoted from Kent 2. New to the league were Gravesend II, Old Elthamians, Old Alleynians II and Medway II.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Dartford Valley Leigh Academy Dartford, Kent Promoted from Kent 2 (champions) Faversham Recreation Ground Faversham, Kent 5th Footscray Footscray Playing Fields New Eltham, London 8th Gravesend II Rectory Field Gravesend, Kent New entry King's College Hospital Dulwich Sports Ground Dulwich, London 6th Medway II Priestfields Rochester, Kent New entry New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 4th Old Alleynians II The Common Dulwich, London New entry Old Elthamians Hospital Ground Chislehurst, London New entry Whitstable Reeves Way Chestfield, Kent Promoted from Kent 2 (runners-up)

Footscray KCH Alleynians II Elthamians Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Kent teams in Greater London Dartford Valley Faversham Gravesend II Medway II New Ash Whitstable Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Kent teams in Kent

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.

Despite finishing 7th in season 2019–20, HSBC did not return to the league for the current season.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Brockleians Civil Service Sports Ground Eltham, London Promoted from Kent 2 (champions) Cliffe Crusaders Recreation Ground Cliffe, Kent 6th Faversham Recreation Ground Faversham, Kent 5th Footscray Footscray Playing Fields New Eltham, London Promoted from Kent 2 (runners up) Hastings & Bexhill William Parker Lower School Hastings, East Sussex 4th King's College Hospital Dulwich Sports Ground Dulwich, London 3rd New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 8th Old Williamsonians Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School Rochester, Kent Relegated from London 3 SE (12th) Park House Barnet Wood Road Hayes, London Relegated from London 3 SE (11th)

Brockleians Footscray KCH Park House Locations of the 2021-22 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Greater London Cliffe Faversham Hastings & Bexhill New Ash Williamsonians Locations of the 2021-22 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent & East Sussex

Season 2020–21

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

Participating clubs 2019–20

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Cliffe Crusaders Recreation Ground Cliffe, Kent Promoted from Kent 2 (champions) Cranbrook Tomlin Ground Cranbrook, Kent 4th Faversham Recreation Ground Faversham, Kent Promoted from Kent 2 (runners up) Hastings & Bexhill William Parker Lower School Hastings, East Sussex Relegated from London 3 SE (10th) HSBC HSBC Sports Ground Beckenham, London 6th King's College Hospital Dulwich Sports Ground Dulwich, London 7th New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 9th Old Gravesendians Fleetway Sports Ground Gravesend, Kent 5th Southwark Lancers Burgess Park Camberwell, London 3rd Whitstable Reeves Way Chestfield, Kent 8th

HSBC King's Southwark Locations of the 2019-20 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Greater London Cliffe Cranbrook Faversham Hastings & Bexhill New Ash Gravesendians Whitstable Locations of the 2019-20 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent & East Sussex

Participating clubs 2018–19

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Ashford Kinney's Field Ashford, Kent 11th (not relegated) Cranbrook Tomlin Ground Cranbrook, Kent 5th Footscray Footscray Playing Fields New Eltham, London Promoted from Kent 2 (runners up) Gillingham Anchorians Darland Banks Gillingham, Kent 4th HSBC HSBC Sports Ground Beckenham, London 7th King's College Hospital Dulwich Sports Ground Dulwich, London 3rd New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 11th Old Gravesendians Fleetway Sports Ground Gravesend, Kent 9th Sheppey Stupple Field Minster, Kent Relegated from London 3 SE (11th) Southwark Lancers Burgess Park Camberwell, London 10th Whitstable Reeves Way Chestfield, Kent Promoted from Kent 2 (champions)

Footscray HSBC King's Southwark Locations of the 2018-19 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Greater London Ashford Cranbrook Anchorians New Ash Gravesendians Sheppey Whitstable Locations of the 2018-19 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent

Participating clubs 2017–18

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Ashford Kinney's Field Ashford, Kent Relegated from London 3 South East (12th) Beccehamian Sparrow's Den West Wickham, London 4th Cranbrook Tomlin Ground Cranbrook, Kent 3rd Gillingham Anchorians Darland Banks Gillingham, Kent Relegated from London 3 South East (10th) HSBC HSBC Sports Ground Beckenham, London 5th King's College Hospital Dulwich Sports Ground Dulwich, London 6th New Ash Green New Ash Green Sports Pavilion New Ash Green, Kent 9th Old Gravesendians Fleetway Sports Ground Gravesend, Kent Promoted from Kent 2 (champions) Royal Bank of Scotland Goals Beckenham Beckenham, London Promoted from Kent 2 (runners up) Sittingbourne Gore Court Cricket Club Sittingbourne, Kent 10th Southwark Lancers Burgess Park Camberwell, London 7th Vigo Swanswood Field Vigo, Kent 8th

Beccehamian HSBC King's RBS Southwark Locations of the 2017-18 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Greater London Ashford Cranbrook Gillingham New Ash Gravesendians Sittingbourne Vigo Locations of the 2017-18 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent

Participating clubs 2016–17

• Beccehamaian
• Brockleians
• Hastings & Bexhill
• HSBC
• King's College Hospital
• Lordswood
• New Ash Green
• Old Gravesendians
• Sittingbourne (promoted from Kent 2)
• Southwark Lancers
• Snowdon C.W. (promoted from Kent 2)
• Vigo

Participating clubs 2015–16

• Beccehamaian
• Brockleians (promoted from Kent 2)
• Hastings & Bexhill (relegated from London 3 South East)
• HSBC
• King's College Hospital
• Lordswood
• New Ash Green (promoted from Kent 2)
• Old Gravesendians
• Old Williamsonians
• Sheppey
• Southwark Lancers
• Vigo

Participating clubs 2014–15

• Beccehamian (relegated from London 3 South East)
• Bexley (promoted from Kent 2)
• Cranbrook
• HSBC
• King's College Hospital
• Lordswood
• Old Gravesendians
• Old Williamsonians
• Sheppey (relegated from London 3 South East)
• Sittingbourne
• Southwark Lancers
• Vigo

Participating clubs 2010–11

• Ashford
• Beccehamian
• Cranbrook
• Dartfordians
• Erith
• Gillingham Anchorians.
• Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital
• Hastings and Bexhill
• HSBC
• New Ash Green
• Old Gravesendians
• Shooters Hill
• Sittingbourne
• Vigo
• Whitstable

Original teams

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

• Bromley
• Charlton Park
• Erith
• Medway
• NatWest Bank
• Old Elthamians
• Old Shootershillians
• Park House
• Sevenoaks
• Thanet Wanderers
• Tonbridge^[a]

Kent 1 honours

Kent 1 (1987–1993)

The original Kent 1 was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 South East and relegation down to Kent 2.

Kent 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1987–88	11	Charlton Park	Erith	Old Shootershillians, NatWest Bank, Sevenoaks
1988–89	11	Gillingham Anchorians	Betteshanger	Old Elthamians, Tonbridge
1989–90	11	Park House	Medway	Canterbury, Dover
1990–91	11	Thanet Wanderers	Medway	Met Police Hayes, Dover, Snowdown C.W.
1991–92	11	Erith	Gillingham Anchorians	No relegation[b]
1992–93	13	Canterbury	Sevenoaks	Sittingbourne, Tonbridge
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 1 (1993–1996)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Kent 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 South East and Kent 2 respectively.

Kent 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1993–94	13	Park House	Sevenoaks	NatWest Bank, New Ash Green, Snowdown C.W.
1994–95	13	Sevenoaks	Tunbridge Wells	Thames Polytechnic, Betteshanger
1995–96	13	Tunbridge Wells	Gillingham Anchorians	Old Elthamians, Medway, Erith[c]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 1 (1996–2000)

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

Kent 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1996–97	12	Cranbrook	Medway[d]	No relegation[e]
1997–98	16	Folkestone	Dartfordians	Deal Wanderers, Snowdown C.W.
1998–99[4]	17	Dartfordians	Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital	Met Police Hayes, Sittingbourne
1999–00[5]	15	Old Dunstonians	Betteshanger	Sheppey, HSBC, Ashford, Dover[f]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 1 (2000–2009)

The introduction of London 4 South East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Kent 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Kent 2.

Kent 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2000–01[6]	10	Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital	Betteshanger	Old Elthamians
2001–02[7]	10	Bromley	Whitstable	Brockleians, Medway, Park House
2002–03[8]	10	Aylesford Bulls	Ashford	Erith, New Ash Green
2003–04[9]	10	Lordswood	Old Elthamians	Askean
2004–05[10]	10	Dover	Sittingbourne	Sheppey
2005–06[11]	10	Beccehamian	Ashford	New Ash Green
2006–07[12]	10	Whitstable	Park House	Brockleians, Sheppey, Cranbrook
2007–08[13]	10	Park House	Old Gravesendians	No relegation[g]
2008–09[14]	12	Medway	Old Gravesendians	Askean
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Kent 1 (2009–present)

Kent 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 South East (formerly London 4 South East) and relegation to Kent 2.

Kent 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2009–10[15]	12	Dartfordians	Cranbrook	Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital, Erith
2010–11[16]	11	Ashford	Sheppey	Lordswood
2011–12[17]	12	Gillingham Anchorians	Vigo	New Ash Green
2012–13[18]	11	Dartfordians	Beccehamian	Whitstable
2013–14[19]	12	Park House	Hastings & Bexhill	Footscray, Shooters Hill
2014–15[20]	12	Cranbrook	Sheppey	Bexley, Sittingbourne
2015–16[21]	12	Sheppey	Old Williamsonians	Old Gravesendians, Lordswood
2016–17[22]	12	Hastings & Bexhill	Old Williamsonians	Snowdown C.W., Brockleians
2017–18[23]	12	Beccehamian	Vigo	Sittingbourne
2018–19[24]	11[h]	Ashford	Gillingham Anchorians	Sheppey, Footscray
2019–20[25]	10	Southwark Lancers	Cranbrook	Whitstable, Old Gravesendians
2020–21
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Kent 1 and Sussex 1 for the third and final promotion place to London 3 South East. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Kent 1 teams have been the most successful with fourteen wins to the Sussex 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on eleven occasions compared to the away teams eight.

Kent 1 v Sussex 1 promotion play-off results
Season	Home team	Score	Away team	Venue	Attendance
2000–01[26]	Hastings & Bexhill (S)	12-29	Betteshanger (K)	William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex
2001–02[27]	Heathfield & Waldron (S)	25-12	Whitstable (K)	Hardy Roberts Recreational Ground, Cross In Hand, Heathfield, East Sussex
2002–03[28]	Ashford (K)	10-0	Hastings & Bexhill (S)	Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent
2003–04[29]	Hastings & Bexhill (S)	13-21	Old Elthamians (K)	William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex
2004–05[30]	Hastings & Bexhill (S)	0-22	Sittingbourne (K)	William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex
2005–06[31]	Hastings & Bexhill (S)	17-18	Ashford (K)	William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex
2006–07[32]	Horsham (S)	33-7	Park House (K)	Coolhurst Ground, Horsham, West Sussex
2007–08[33]	Old Gravesendians (K)	8-14	East Grinstead (S)	Fleetway Sports Ground, Gravesend, Kent
2008–09[34]	Old Gravesendians (K)	10-5	Uckfield (S)	Fleetway Sports Ground, Gravesend, Kent	300
2009–10[35]	Uckfield (S)	19-21	Cranbrook (K)	Hempstead Playing Fields, Uckfield, East Sussex
2010–11[36]	Sheppey (K)	42-10	Burgess Hill (S)	Stupple Field, Minster, Kent	500
2011–12[37]	Vigo (K)	10-7	Burgess Hill (S)[i]	Swanswood Field, Meopham, Kent	400
2012–13[38]	Eastbourne (S)	0-47	Beccehamian (K)	Park Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex
2013–14[39]	Crawley (S)	22-41	Hastings & Bexhill (K)	Willoughby Fields Pavilion, Crawley, West Sussex
2014–15[40]	Burgess Hill (S)	26-23	Sheppey (K)	Southway Recreation Ground, Burgess Hill, West Sussex
2015–16[41]	Haywards Heath (S)	13-8	Old Williamsonians (K)	Whitemans Green, Cuckfield, West Sussex
2016–17[42]	Old Williamsonians (K)	20-17	Uckfield (S)	Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester, Kent
2017–18[43]	Vigo (K)	31-17	Uckfield (S)	Swanswood Field, Meopham, Kent
2018–19[44]	Gillingham Anchorians (K)	23-21	Crawley (S)	Darland Banks, Gillingham, Kent
2019–20	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Cranbrook (K) - promoted instead.
2020–21
Green background is the promoted team. K = Kent 1 and S = Sussex 1

Number of league titles

• Park House (4)
• Dartfordians (3)
• Ashford (2)
• Beccehamian (2)
• Cranbrook (2)
• Gillingham Anchorians (2)
• Aylesford Bulls (1)
• Bromley (1)
• Canterbury (1)
• Charlton Park (1)
• Dover (1)
• Erith (1)
• Folkestone (1)
• Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital (1)
• Hastings & Bexhill (1)
• Lordswood (1)
• Medway (1)
• Old Dunstonians (1)
• Sevenoaks (1)
• Sheppey (1)
• Southwark Lancers (1)
• Thanet Wanderers (1)
• Tunbridge Wells (1)
• Whitstable (1)

Notes

1. Tonbridge would later merge with Old Juddian in 1999 to form Tonbridge Juddians RFC.
2. No relegation as Kent 1 to increase from 11 to 13 teams.
3. 11th place Erith would drop out of the leagues before the start of the following season.
4. 3rd place Sheppey also promoted.
5. No relegation as Kent 1 to increase from 12 to 16 teams.
6. More relegations than normal due to league restructuring - Kent 2 would become a single division and Kent 3 and Kent 4 were created for the following season.
7. No relegation due to Kent 3 folding at the end of the season and the subsequent league restructuring meant that the number of teams in Kent 1 would increase to 12 for the following season.
8. Reduced from 12 to 11 teams after Royal Bank of Scotland withdrew from league.
9. Despite finishing 3rd in the league Burgess Hill took 2nd placed East Grinstead II place in the 2011-12 promotion playoff as East Grinstead's first team were in the division above.

See also

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