London 2 South West is an English level 7 Rugby Union League.[1] When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 South West, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. The division is made up of teams predominantly from south-west London, Surrey, and Hampshire. The 12 teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Each year all clubs in the division are also invited to take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Promoted teams move up to London 1 South with league champions going up automatically and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from London 2 South East while demoted teams usually drop down to London 3 South West.
Teams for 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.
Old Tonbridgians who finished 10th in 2019-20 were unable to fulfil their fixtures in and withdrew from the league in November 2021. Later the same month London Exiles, who finished 9th in 2019-20, also withdrew from the league having played only one match.
Locations of the 2021–22 London 2 South West teams in Hampshire, Surrey & East Sussex
Season 2020–21
On 30 October the RFU announced [2] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning London 2 South West was not contested.
Originally known as London 3 South West, this division was a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 South and relegation down to either Hampshire 1 or Surrey 1.
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 South 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 South, and relegation to either Hampshire 1 or Surrey 1.
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that London 3 South West reverted to being a tier 7 league. Promotion continued to London 2 South and relegation to either Hampshire 1 or Surrey 1.
London 3 South West continued to be a tier 7 league with promotion up to London 2 South. However, the introduction of London 4 South West ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that clubs were relegated into this new division instead of into Hampshire 1 or Surrey 1.
Nationwide league restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 3 South West renamed as London 2 South West. It remained at level 7 with promotion to London 1 South (formerly London 2 South) and relegation to London 3 South West (formerly London 4 South West).
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of London 2 South East and London 2 South West for the third and final promotion place to London 1 South. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 2 South West teams have been the most successful with ten wins to the London 2 South East teams nine, and the home team has won promotion on eleven occasions compared to the away teams eight.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season ended in March with four game rounds remaining. On 4 April 2020 the RFU announced that a "best playing record formula" would be used to determine promotion and relegation and there would be no play-offs. Consequently, Farnham RFC (84.33 adjusted points tally) were promoted to London 1 South in favour of London 2 South East runners up Old Colfeians (83.11 adjusted points tally).
London 2 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off results
Green background is the promoted team. SE = London 2 South East (formerly London 3 South East) and SW = London 2 South West (formerly London 3 South West)
^There was no relegation this year as the division would be renamed London Division 2 South West for the 2009-10 season and along with the whole national restructuring of the league system by the RFU lead to mass changes at all levels.