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Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex (formerly London 2 North West) is a tier 7 English Rugby Union league. It is organised by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union and is the top-tier competition for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that traditionally was encompassed by the historic county of Middlesex. It was previously known as London 2 North West. After the restructuring of the English rugby union system ahead of the 2022–23 season, the league was renamed to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex.
Current season or competition: 2024-25 Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 (as London 3 North West) |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country |  England |
| Most titles | Hertford, Tabard (3 titles) |
| Website | englandrugby.com |
Each year the two Hertfordshire clubs in this division with the best record against other Hertfordshire clubs also take part in the Hertfordshire Presidents' Cup, the highest level county cup competition in Hertfordshire. Promoted teams typically go up to Regional 2 Thames while relegated teams drop to Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Departing were London Scottish Lions promoted to Regional 2 Thames. Enfield Ignatians and Hampstead were relegated to Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Joining were Brunel University and Ealing Trailfinders 1871, promoted from Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex, together with Fullerians, relegated from Regional 2 Thames.
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Locations of the 2024–25 Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex teams in Greater London
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Departing were Hemel Hempstead and Grasshoppers, promoted to Regional 2 Thames. There was no relegation.
Joining were Cheshunt and London Scottish Lions, promoted from Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
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This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to London 2 North West with eight of the teams competed in the previous season returning whilst the top four moved to Regional 2 Thames ord Regional 2 Anglia. They were replaced with the top three from London 3 North West and Chiswick on a level transfer from London 2 South West.
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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.
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Locations of the 2021–22 London 2 North West teams in Hertfordshire Location of 2021–22 London 2 North West teams in London
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On 30 October the RFU announced [1] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 2 North West was not contested.
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Locations of the 2019–20 London 2 North West teams in Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire
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Locations of the 2018–19 London 2 North West teams in Herfordshire
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- Belsize Park (promoted from London 3 North West)
- Enfield Ignatians
- H.A.C.
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Hampstead
- Harpenden
- Harrow (relegated from London 1 North)
- London Nigerian (promoted from London 3 North West)
- Old Haberdashers
- Stockwood Park
- Tabard
- Welwyn
- Enfield Ignations (transferred from London 2 North East)
- Fullerians (promoted from London 3 North West)
- H.A.C.
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Hampstead
- Harpenden
- Old Haberdashers
- Old Merchant Taylors'
- Staines
- Tabard
- Welwyn (promoted from London 3 North West)
- Woodford (relegated from London 1 North)
- Chiswick
- H.A.C.
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Hampstead
- Harpenden
- Harrow (promoted from London 3 North West)
- Hemel Hempstead
- Old Haberdashers
- Old Merchant Taylors' (promoted from London 3 North West)
- St Albans
- Staines
- Tabard (relegated from London 1 North)
- Beaconsfield (relegated from London 1 North)
- Chiswick
- H.A.C.
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Hampstead
- Harpenden
- Hemel Hempstead
- London Nigerian
- Old Priorians (promoted from London 3 North West)
- St Albans
- Twickenham
- U.C.S. Old Boys
- Chiswick
- Fullerians
- Grasshoppers
- H.A.C.
- Hammersmith & Fulham (relegated from London 1 North)
- Hampstead
- Harpenden
- Hemel Hempstead
- London Nigerian
- St Albans
- Tabard
- U.C.S. Old Boys
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (known as London 3 North West) contained the following teams:
- Bacavians
- Bishop's Stortford
- Fullerians
- Harrow
- Hendon
- Kingsburians[b]
- Letchworth Garden City
- Mill Hill
- Old Paulines
- Tabard
- Twickenham
London 3 North West (1987–1993)
Originally known as London 3 North West, this division was a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 North and relegation down to either Hertfordshire 1 or Middlesex 1.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | Bishop's Stortford | Hendon | Old Paulines, Twickenham | ||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | Finchley | Tabard | Letchworth Garden City, Hendon, Harrow | ||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | Tabard | Fullerians | Twickenham, Bacavians | ||||||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | Letchworth Garden City | Hertford | Mill Hill, Uxbridge | ||||||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | Upper Clapton | Lensbury | St. Mary's Hospital, Hemel Hempstead | ||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | Verulamians | Letchworth Garden City | Harpenden, Old Millhillians | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 North West (1993–1996)
At the end of the 1992–93 season, the top six teams from London 1 and the top six from South West 1 were combined to create National 5 South. This meant that London 3 North West dropped from a tier 7 league to a tier 8 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to London 2 North, while relegation was to the newly introduced Herts/Middlesex.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | Staines | Letchworth Garden City | Old Meadonians, Fullerians | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | Hertford | Grasshoppers | London New Zealand, Upper Clapton | ||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | Old Albanian | Old Gaytonians | Mill Hill, Old Elizabethans | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 North East (1996–2000)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that London 3 North West reverted to being a tier 7 league. Promotion continued to London 2 North, while relegation was to Herts/Middlesex 1 (formerly Herts/Middlesex).
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 13 | Old Merchant Taylors' | Welwyn[c] | No relegation[d] | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 17 | Harpenden | Hertford | Hackney, Haringey Rhinos | ||||||||||
| 1998–99[2] | 17 | London Nigerian | Hertford | Harlequin Amateurs | ||||||||||
| 1999–00[3] | 17 | Hertford | Ealing Trailfinders | Multiple teams[e] | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 3 North West (2000–2009)
London 3 North West continued to be a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 North. However, the introduction of London 4 North West ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that clubs were now relegated into this new division instead of into Herts/Middlesex 1.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[4] | 10 | Hertford | Twickenham | Welwyn | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[5] | 10 | Bank of England | Letchworth Garden City | Old Merchant Taylors' Lambs,[f] Finchley | ||||||||||
| 2002–03[6] | 10 | London Scottish | Ealing Trailfinders | Ruislip, Metropolitan Police | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[7] | 9 | Civil Service | St Albans | West London | ||||||||||
| 2004–05[8] | 12 | St Albans | Bank of England | Cheshunt, Verulamians | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[9] | 12 | Woodford | Tring | Fullerians, Barnet Elizabethans | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[10] | 12 | Ruislip | Welwyn | Bank of England, Haringey Rhinos | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[11] | 12 | Stevenage Town | Imperial Medicals | Vauxhall Motors, Datchworth | ||||||||||
| 2008–09[12] | 12 | Harpenden | Hampstead | No relegation due to league restructure[g] | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
London 2 North East (2009–present)
Nationwide league restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 3 North West renamed as London 2 North West. It remained at level 7 with promotion to London 1 North (formerly London 2 North) and relegation to London 3 North West (formerly London 4 North West).
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10[13] | 12 | Tabard | Hammersmith & Fulham | Finchley, London Nigerian | ||||||||||
| 2010–11[14] | 12 | Hammersmith & Fulham | Harpenden | West London, London New Zealand | ||||||||||
| 2011–12[15] | 12 | Old Haberdashers | Stevenage Town | Welwyn, Imperial Medicals | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[16] | 12 | Tabard | Hemel Hempstead | Fullerians, Grasshoppers | ||||||||||
| 2013–14[17] | 12 | Old Priorians | Twickenham | London Nigerian, UCS Old Boys | ||||||||||
| 2014–15[18] | 12 | Harrow | Chiswick | Hemel Hempstead, St Albans | ||||||||||
| 2015–16[19] | 12 | Fullerians | Hammersmith & Fulham | Old Merchant Taylors', Staines | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[20] | 12 | Old Haberdashers | H.A.C. | Stockwood Park, Welwyn | ||||||||||
| 2017–18[21] | 12 | H.A.C. | Hampstead | Tabard, Harrow | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[22] | 11[h] | Belsize Park | Harpenden | Enfield Ignatians | ||||||||||
| 2019–20[23] | 12 | London Welsh | Hammersmith & Fulham | Luton, Welwyn | ||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of London 2 North East and London 2 North West for the third and final promotion place to London 1 North. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 2 North East and London 2 North West teams are tied on nine wins apiece, and the home team has won promotion on fourteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
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| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[24] | Twickenham (NW) | 44-8 | Rochford Hundred (NE) | Parkfields, Hampton, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[25] | Letchworth Garden City (NW) | 31-22 | Basildon (NE) | Baldock Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2002–03[26] | Ealing Trailfinders (NW) | 36-12 | Saffron Walden (NE) | Trailfinders Sports Ground, Ealing, London | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[27] | St Albans (2nd XV) (NW) | 5-22 | Hadleigh (NE) | Oaklands Land, St Albans, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2004–05[28] | Bank of England (NW) | 39-0 | Romford and Gidea Park (NE) | Bank Lane, Roehampton, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[29] | Tring (NW) | 19-5 | Diss (NE) | Cow Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[30] | Welwyn (NW) | 19-6 | Harlow (NE) | Hobbs Way, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[31] | Diss (NE) | 50-15 | Imperial Medicals (NW) | Mackenders, Roydon, Norfolk | ||||||||||
| 2008–09[32] | Brentwood (NE) | 23-15 | Hampstead (NW) | King George's Playing Fields, Brentwood, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2009–10[33] | Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) | 22-29 | Colchester (NE) | Hurlingham Park, Fulham, London | ||||||||||
| 2010–11[34] | Braintree (NE) | 24-14 | Harpenden (NW) | Robbs Wood, Braintree, Essex | 300 | |||||||||
| 2011–12[35] | Basildon (NE) | 38-13 | Stevenage (NW) | Gardiners Close, Basildon, Essex | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[36] | Hemel Hempstead (NW) | 13-16 (aet) | Woodford (NE) | Chaulden Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire | 500 | |||||||||
| 2013–14[37] | Twickenham (NW) | 44-43 | Saffron Walden (NE) | Parkfields, Hampton, Greater London | ||||||||||
| 2014–15[38] | Diss (NE) | 13-16 | Chiswick (NW) | Mackenders, Roydon, Norfolk | ||||||||||
| 2015–16[39] | Sudbury (NE) | 22-18 | Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) | Whittham Field, Sudbury, Suffolk | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[40] | H.A.C. (NW) | 48-7[i] | South Woodham Ferrers (NE) | Dukes Meadows, Chiswick, London | ||||||||||
| 2017–18[42] | Hampstead (NW) | 7-37 | Sudbury (NE) | Parliament Hill Fields, Highgate, Camden, London | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[43] | Harpenden (NW) | 60-6 | Romford and Gidea Park (NE) | Redbourn Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Hammersmith & Fulham (NW) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
| Green background is the promoted team. NE = London 2 North East (formerly London 3 North East) and NW = London 2 North West (formerly London 3 North West) | ||||||||||||||
- Hertford (3)
- Tabard (3)
- Harpenden (2)
- Old Haberdashers (2)
- Bank of England (1)
- Belsize Park (1)
- Bishop's Stortford (1)
- Civil Service (1)
- Finchley (1)
- Fullerians (1)
- Hammersmith & Fulham (1)
- Harrow (1)
- H.A.C. (1)
- Letchworth Garden City (1)
- London Nigerian (1)
- London Scottish (1)
- London Welsh (1)
- Old Albanian (1)
- Old Merchant Taylors' (1)
- Old Priorians (1)
- Ruislip (1)
- St Albans (1)
- Staines (1)
- Stevenage Town (1)
- Upper Clapton (1)
- Verulamians (1)
- Woodford (1)
- The creation of London 4 North West for the following season meant that twelve teams would be relegated. Uxbridge and Mill Hill dropped two divisions to Herts/Middlesex 1, while Tring, St Albans, Old Millhillians, Hampstead, Letchworth Garden City, Chiswick and Hemel Hempstead went into the new London 4 North West division. 11th place Kingsburians were also supposed to be relegated into the new division but would fold at the end of the season and become amalgamated into West London RFC.
- The Lambs were Old Merchant Taylors' 2nd team.
- The initial result of the 2016-17 playoff was overturned by the RFU after HAC were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player. This meant that South Woodham Ferrers were promoted instead.[41]
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