London 1 North

London 1 North was 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 final name ahead of the 2009–10 season.

London 1 North

Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	1987; 38 years ago (1987) (as London 2 North)
Number of teams	14
Country	Englandle)
Holders	Shelford (2nd in (2021–22) promoted to Regional 1 South East)
Most titles	Cheshunt (3 titles)
Website	englandrugby.com

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

The Rugby Football Union reorganised the level six leagues for season 2022–23, with an increase from eight to twelve leagues, and a reduction of the teams in each from fourteen to twelve.^[2] The teams in this league were transferred to either Regional 2 Anglia, Regional 2 Thames or Regional 2 East Midlands.^[3]

2021–22 (final season)

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.

Ten of the fourteen teams from 2021–22 were placed into one of the new level six leagues for 2022–23. Amersham & Chiltern, Belsize Park and Old Haberdashers were placed into Regional 2 Thames, while Brentwood, Chingford, Eton Manor, Norwich, Southend Saxons and Thurrock were placed into Regional 2 Anglia. Leighton Buzzard were placed into Regional 2 East Midlands. The top four teams in 2021–22, Colchester, Harpenden, Shelford and Sudbury, were promoted to the level five league Regional 1 South East. No teams were relegated to level seven.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 11th Belsize Park Regent's Park Belsize Park, London Level transfer from London 1 South (6th) Brentwood King George's Playing Fields 3,000 Brentwood, Essex 8th Chingford Lea Valley Playing Fields Chingford, London 10th Colchester Raven Park 1,200 Colchester, Essex Runners up (Westcombe Park promoted from London 1 South on points) Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 5th Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire 4th Leighton Buzzard Wright's Meadow Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 2 East (South) (Champions) Norwich Beeston Hyrne Norwich, Norfolk Promoted from London 2 North East (Champions) Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 3rd Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 9th Southend Saxons Warners Bridge Park Southend-on-Sea, Essex 6th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 7th Thurrock Oakfield Grays, Essex Level transfer from London 1 South (10th)

Amersham Brentwood Colchester Harpenden Leighton Buzzard London Norwich Haberdashers Shelford Southend Sudbury Thurrock London teams Belsize Park Chingford Eton Manor Locations of the 2021–22 London 1 North teams in Beds, Herts, Essex, Suffolk & Norfolk Belsize Park Chingford Eton Manor Location of 2021–22 London 1 North teams in London

2020–21

On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced 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 London 1 North was not contested.^[4]

Teams 2019–20

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 7th Brentwood King George's Playing Fields 3,000 Brentwood, Essex Relegated from LSE Premier (13th) Chingford Lea Valley Playing Fields Chingford, London Relegated from LSE Premier (12th) Colchester Mill Road Playing Fields Colchester, Essex Runners up (lost playoff) Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 9th Harpenden Redbourn Lane Harpenden, Hertfordshire Promoted from London 2 NW (playoff) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,600 Scottow, Norfolk 3rd Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 4th Old Priorians Perivale Greenford, London 8th Ruislip West End Road Ruislip, London 11th Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire Relegated from LSE Premier (14th) Southend Saxons Warners Bridge Park Southend-on-Sea, Essex 6th Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk 10th Woodford Highams Woodford, London Promoted from London 2 NE (champions)

Amersham Brentwood Colchester Harpenden London North Walsham Haberdashers Shelford Southend Sudbury London teams Chingford Eton Manor Old Priorians Ruislip Woodford Locations of the 2019–20 London 1 North teams Chingford Eton Manor Priorians Ruislip Woodford Location of 2019–20 London 1 North teams in London

Teams 2018–19

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire 4th Colchester Mill Road Playing Fields Colchester, Essex 3rd Diss Mackenders Roydon, Norfolk 11th Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 5th Fullerians Coningsby Drive Watford, Hertfordshire 9th H.A.C. Artillery Ground Finsbury, London Promoted from London 2 NW (champions) Luton Newlands Road Luton, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 2 East (South) (playoff & level transfer) North Walsham Norwich Road 1,600 Scottow, Norfolk 6th Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 7th Old Priorians Perivale Greenford, London 8th Rochford Hundred The Rugby Park 1,000 Hawkwell, Rochford, Essex Promoted from London 2 NE (champions) Ruislip West End Road Ruislip, London 10th Southend Saxons Warners Bridge Park Southend-on-Sea, Essex Relegated from LSE Premier (13th) Sudbury Whittome Field Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk Promoted from London 2 NE (playoff)

Amersham Colchester Diss Fullerians London Luton North Walsham Rochford Southend Sudbury London teams Eton Manor H.A.C. Haberdashers Old Priorians Ruislip Locations of the 2018–19 London 1 North teams Eton Manor H.A.C. Haberdashers Priorians Ruislip Location of 2018–19 London 1 North teams in London

Teams 2017–18

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Amersham & Chiltern Weedon Lane Amersham, Buckinghamshire Relegated from National 3 London & SE (14th) Brentwood King George's Playing Fields 3,000 Brentwood, Essex 3rd Chingford Lea Valley Playing Fields Chingford, London 2nd (lost playoff) Colchester Mill Road Playing Fields Colchester, Essex Relegated from National 3 London & SE (13th) Diss Mackenders Roydon, Norfolk Promoted from London 2 North East (champions) Eton Manor The New Wilderness Wanstead, London 5th Fullerians Coningsby Drive Watford, Hertfordshire 11th Letchworth Garden City Baldock Road Letchworth, Hertfordshire 9th North Walsham Norwich Road 1,600 Scottow, Norfolk 4th Old Haberdashers Croxdale Road Borehamwood, Hertfordshire Promoted from London 2 North West (champions) Old Priorians Perivale Greenford, London 10th Ruislip West End Road Ruislip, London 7th Saffron Walden Chickney Road Henham, Essex 8th South Woodham Ferrers Saltcoats Playing Field South Woodham Ferrers, Essex Promoted from London 2 North East (playoffs)

Amersham Brentwood Colchester Diss Fullerians London Letchworth North Walsham Saffron Walden SW Ferrers London teams Chingford Eton Manor Haberdashers Old Priorians Ruislip Locations of the 2018–19 London 1 North teams Chingford Eton Manor Haberdashers Priorians Ruislip Location of 2017–18 London 1 North teams in London

Teams 2016-17

• Barking
• Brentwood
• Chelmsford (promoted from London 2 North East)
• Chingford
• Eton Manor (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Fullerians (promoted from London 2 North West)
• Letchworth Garden City
• North Walsham
• Old Priorians
• Ruislip
• Saffron Walden (promoted from London 2 North East)
• Sudbury (promoted from London 2 North East)
• Thurrock
• Tring

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.^[5]

• Amersham & Chiltern (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Barking
• Brentwood
• Chelmsford (promoted from London 2 North East)
• Chingford
• CS Rugby 1863 (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Harrow (promoted from London 2 North West)
• Letchworth Garden City
• Luton
• North Walsham
• Old Priorians
• Ruislip
• Thurrock
• Tring (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)

Teams 2014–15

• Barking (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Brentwood
• Chingford
• Colchester
• Eton Manor
• Ipswich (promoted from London 2 North East)
• Letchworth Garden City
• Luton
• North Walsham
• Old Priorians (promoted from London 2 North West)
• Romford & Gidea Park
• Ruislip
• Thurrock (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Woodford

Teams 2013–14

• Brentwood
• Chingford
• Colchester
• Diss
• Eton Manor
• Letchworth Garden City
• Luton
• North Walsham
• Old Haberdashers
• Romford & Gidea Park
• Ruislip
• Tabard (promoted from London 2 North West)
• Westcliff (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Woodford (promoted from London 2 North East)

Teams 2012–13

• Basildon
• Beaconsfield
• Brentwood
• Bury St Edmunds
• Chingford
• Colchester
• Diss
• Eton Manor
• Letchworth Garden City
• Luton (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Old Haberdashers
• Rochford Hundred
• Romford & Gidea Park
• Ruislip

Teams 2011–12

• Braintree
• Brentwood
• Bury St Edmunds
• Chingford
• Colchester
• Diss (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Eton Manor
• Hammersmith & Fulham
• Letchworth Garden City
• North Walsham (relegated from National League 3 London & SE)
• Old Colfeians
• Rochford Hundred
• Ruislip
• Thurrock

Teams 2009–10

• Braintree
• Brentwood
• Bury St Edmunds
• Chingford
• Colchester
• Eton Manor
• Hammersmith & Fulham
• Letchworth Garden City
• North Walsham
• Old Colfeians
• Rochford Hundred
• Ruislip
• Thurrock

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 2 North) and contained the following teams:

• Cheshunt
• Grasshoppers
• Hertford
• North Walsham
• Norwich
• Old Albanian
• Old Merchant Taylors'
• St. Mary's Hospital^[a]
• Thurrock
• Woodford

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.^[6]

The original London 2 North was a tier 6 league with promotion to London 1 and relegation 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
1987–88	10[b]	9	North Walsham	Grasshoppers	St. Mary's Hospital	[7]
1988–89	11	10	Cheshunt	Bishop's Stortford	Hertford, Upper Clapton	[7]
1989–90	11	10	Thurrock	Eton Manor	Grasshoppers	[7]
1990–91	11	10	Eton Manor	Bishop's Stortford	Old Albanian	[8]
1991–92	11	10	Tabard	Barking	Old Merchant Taylor's, Letchworth Garden City	[9]
1992–93	13	12	Harlow	Cheshunt	No relegation	[10]

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 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
1993–94	13	12	Ruislip	Verulamians	Old Edwardians, Upper Clapton
1994–95	13	12	Staines	Verulamians	Old Gaytonians, Chingford
1995–96	13	12	Norwich	Thurrock	Eton 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 to being a tier 6 league. Promotion continued to London 1 and relegation 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
1996–97	12	Cheshunt	Bishop's Stortford	No relegation[c]
1997-98	17	Woodford	Bishop's Stortford	Ealing
1998–99	17	Cambridge	Ipswich	Chingford, Colchester	[11]
1999–00	17	London Nigerian	Bishop's Stortford	Multiple teams[d]	[12]
2000–01	12	Cheshunt	London Nigerian	Chelmsford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ruislip	[13]
2001–02	12	Hertford	Southend	Metropolitan Police, Verulamians	[14]
2002–03	12	Bishop's Stortford	Old Albanian	Sudbury, Ipswich, Shelford	[15]
2003–04	12	London Scottish	Cambridge	Cheshunt, Romford & Gidea Park, Bank of England	[16]
2004–05	12	Ealing Trailfinders	Staines	Harlow, Diss, Woodford	[17]
2005–06	12	Shelford	CS Rugby 1863	Bank of England, Hadleigh	[18]
2006–07	12	CS Rugby 1863	Tring	Twickenham, St Albans, Norwich	[19]
2007–08	12	Tring	Staines	Tabard, Thurrock, London Nigerian	[20]
2008–09	12	Diss	Staines	No relegation due to league restructure[e]	[21]
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
2009–10	14	Staines	CS Rugby 1863	Welwyn, Harpenden, Rochford Hundred	[22]
2010–11	14	Westcliff	Sidcup	Woodford, Tabard, Stevenage Town	[23]
2011–12	14	Thurrock	Colchester	Braintree, Hammersmith & Fulham, North Walsham	[24]
2012–13	14	Bury St Edmunds	Eton Manor	Basildon, Rochford Hundred, Beaconsfield	[25]
2013–14	14	Westcliff	Eton Manor	Old Haberdashers, Diss, Tabard	[26]
2014–15	14	Colchester	Eton Manor	Woodford, Romford & Gidea Park, Ipswich	[27]
2015–16	14	Amersham & Chiltern	Tring	Luton, Harrow[f]	[29]
2016–17	14	Tring	Chingford	Barking, Chelmsford, Sudbury	[30]
2017–18	14	Brentwood	Chingford	South Woodham Ferrers, Letchworth Garden City, Saffron Walden	[31]
2018–19	14	Rochford Hundred	Colchester	Diss, Luton, Fullerians	[32]
2019–20	14	North Walsham	Colchester	Ruislip, Woodford, Old Priorians	[33]
2020–21	14	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
2021–22	14	Shelford	Sudbury	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

Between 2000–01 season and 2019–20 there was 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 had 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[34]	Canterbury (S)	21-27	London Nigerian (N)	Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent
2001-02[35]	Southend (N)	37-15	Portsmouth (S)	Warners Bridge Park, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
2002-03[36]	Old Albanian (2nd XV) (N)	28-12	Portsmouth (S)	Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans, Hertfordshire
2003-04[37]	Cambridge (N)	21-19	Barnes (S)	Grantchester Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
2004-05[38]	Staines (N)	55-12	Portsmouth (S)	The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London
2005-06[39]	Guildford (S)	27-14	CS Rugby 1863 (N)	Broadwater Sports Club, Farncombe, Surrey
2006-07[40]	Tring (N)	7-20	Thanet Wanderers (S)	Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire
2007-08[41]	Jersey (S)	15-0	Staines (S)	St. Peter, Saint Peter, Jersey
2008-09[42]	Staines (N)	7-11	Dorking (S)	The Reeves, Hanworth, Greater London
2009-10[43]	CS Rugby 1863 (N)	31-14	Dover (S)	King's House Sports Ground, Chiswick, Greater London
2010-11[44]	London Irish Wild Geese (S)	21-14	Sidcup (N)	Hazelwood, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey	1,000
2011-12[45]	Old Elthamians (S)	16-8	Colchester (N)	Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, Greater London	600
2012-13[46]	Basingstoke (S)	27-3	Eton Manor (N)	Down Grange, Basingstoke, Hampshire
2013-14[47]	Chichester (S)	25-16	Eton Manor (N)	Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex
2014-15[48]	Eton Manor (N)	17-14	Chobham (S)	The New Wilderness, Redbridge, London	400
2015-16[49]	Tring (N)	21-26	Guildford (S)	Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire	700
2016–17[50]	Chingford (N)	33-35	Tunbridge Wells (S)	Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London	500
2017-18[51]	Chingford (N)	21-17	Medway (S)	Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London	500[52]
2018-19[53]	Colchester (N)	26-33	Brighton (S)	Mill Road Playing Fields, Colchester, Essex
2019–20	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Westcombe Park (S) - promoted instead.
2020–21	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
2021–22	Cancelled due to the reorganisation of the league
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

• Cheshunt (3)
• North Walsham (2)
• Shelford (2)
• Staines (2)
• Thurrock (2)
• Tring (2)
• Westcliff (2)
• Amersham & Chiltern (1)
• Bishop's Stortford (1)
• Brentwood (1)
• Bury St Edmunds (1)
• Cambridge (1)
• Colchester (1)
• CS Rugby 1863 (1)
• Diss (1)
• Ealing Trailfinders (1)
• Eton Manor (1)
• Harlow (1)
• Hertford (1)
• London Nigerian (1)
• London Scottish (1)
• Norwich (1)
• Rochford Hundred (1)
• Ruislip (1)
• Tabard (1)
• Woodford (1)

See also

• London & SE Division RFU
• Eastern Counties RFU
• Essex RFU
• Hertfordshire RFU
• Middlesex RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

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.^[28]