Level 8 league within the RFU league structure
Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex Sport Rugby union Instituted 2000; 24 years ago (2000 ) (as London 4 North West) Number of teams 12 Country England Most titles Old Streetonians (2 titles) Website englandrugby.com
Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex (formerly London 3 North West) is a level 8 league within the RFU league structure and is made up of teams predominantly from north-west London and Hertfordshire . Promoted sides move up to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex while relegated teams drop to Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex . Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex .
Teams for 2024-25
Departing were Brunel University and Ealing Trailfinders 1871 , both promoted to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex . Hendon were relegated to Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex .
Joining were Enfield Ignatians and Hampstead, both relegated from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex together with Verulamians and UCS Old Boys, both promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex .
With three teams departing and four joining, the league ran with eleven sides.
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Barnet Elizabethans
Byng Road
Chipping Barnet , London
8th
Enfield Ignatians
Donkey Lane
Enfield, London , London
Relegated from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex
Hampstead
Parliament Hill Fields
Highgate , London
Relegated from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex
Harrow
Grove Field
Stanmore , London
5th
Old Millhillians
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill , London
7th
Saracens Amateurs
Bramley Sports Ground
Cockfosters , London
4th
St Albans
Boggymead Springs
St Albans , Hertfordshire
9th
Tabard
Cobden Hill
Radlett , Hertfordshire
6th
UCS Old Boys
UCS Sports Ground
Cricklewood , London
Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (champions)
Verulamians
Cotlandswick
London Colney , Hertfordshire
Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (runners-up)
Wasps FC
Twyford Avenue Sports Ground
Acton , London
3rd
Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex teams in Herts
Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex teams in London
Teams for 2023-24
Departing were Cheshunt and London Scottish Lions , both promoted to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex . Royston were relegated to Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex .
Joining were Brunel University and Old Millhillians, both promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex .
With three teams departing and two joining, the league ran with ten sides.
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Barnet Elizabethans
Byng Road
Chipping Barnet , London
9th
Brunel University
Brunel University Sports Park
Uxbridge , London
Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (champions)
Ealing Trailfinders 1871
Trailfinders Sports Ground
4,000
West Ealing , London
3rd
Harrow
Grove Field
Stanmore , London
10th
Hendon
Copthall Playing Fields
Hendon , London
7th
Old Millhillians
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill , London
Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (runners-up)
Saracens Amateurs
Bramley Sports Ground
Cockfosters , London
4th
St Albans
Boggymead Springs
St Albans , Hertfordshire
8th
Tabard
Cobden Hill
Radlett , Hertfordshire
6th
Wasps FC
Twyford Avenue Sports Ground
Acton , London
5th
Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex teams in Herts
Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex teams in London
Teams for 2022-23
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review[ 1] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Returning were six of the ten teams from the previous season supplemented by the top five from Herts/Middlesex 1 .
Departing were the top three sides Finchley , Welwyn and Hitchin , all promoted to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex . Finsbury Park, 8th in 2021-22, did not return for the new season instead dropping to Middlesex RFU Merit 2.
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Barnet Elizabethans
Byng Road
Chipping Barnet , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners-up)
Cheshunt
Rosedale Sports Club
Cheshunt , Hertfordshire
4th
Ealing Trailfinders 1871
Trailfinders Sports Ground
4,000
West Ealing , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (3rd)
Harrow
Grove Field
Stanmore , London
7th
Hendon
Copthall Playing Fields
Hendon , London
5th
London Scottish Lions
Athletic Ground
4,500
Richmond , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions)
Royston
The Heath Sports Centre
Royston , Hertfordshire
9th
Saracens Amateurs
Bramley Sports Ground
Cockfosters , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (5th)
St Albans
Boggymead Springs
St Albans , Hertfordshire
6th
Tabard
Cobden Hill
Radlett , Hertfordshire
10th
Wasps FC
Twyford Avenue Sports Ground
Acton , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (4th)
Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex teams in Herts
Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex teams in London
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.
Stevenage Town, 3rd in 2019-20, did not return for the new season instead dropping to Middlesex RFU Merit 3. This meant the league started with eleven clubs competing.
Old Merchant Taylors' , who finished 9th in 2019-20, withdrew from the league in November 2021,[ 2] consequently it was completed with ten teams.
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Cheshunt
Rosedale Sports Club
Cheshunt , Hertfordshire
4th
Finchley
Summers Lane
1,000
Finchley , London
10th
Finsbury Park
Downhills Park
West Green , London
5th
Harrow
Grove Field
Stanmore , London
12th (not relegated to Herts/Middlesex 1 )[ a]
Hendon
Copthall Playing Fields
Hendon , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions)
Hitchin
King George V Playing Fields
Hitchin , Hertfordshire
6th
Royston
The Heath Sports Centre
Royston , Hertfordshire
8th
St Albans
Boggymead Springs
St Albans , Hertfordshire
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners-up)
Tabard
Cobden Hill
Radlett , Hertfordshire
7th
Welwyn
Hobbs Way
Welwyn Garden City , Hertfordshire
Relegated from London 2 North West (11th)
Locations of the 2021-22 London 3 North West teams in Herts
Location of 2021–22 London 3 North West teams in London
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 London 3 North West was not contested.
Participating Clubs 2019–20
Locations of the 2019–20 London 3 North West teams in Herts
Location of 2019–20 London 3 North West teams in London
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Cheshunt
Rosedale Sports Club
Cheshunt , Hertfordshire
8th
Enfield Ignatians
Donkey Lane
Enfield Town , London
Relegated from London 2 NW (11th)
Finchley
Summers Lane
1,000
Finchley , London
10th
Finsbury Park
Downhills Park
West Green , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up)
Harrow
Grove Field
Stanmore , London
7th
Hitchin
King George V Playing Fields
Hitchin , Hertfordshire
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions)
Kilburn Cosmos
Gladstone Park
Kilburn , London
9th
Old Merchant Taylors'
War Memorial Sports Ground
Northwood , London
6th
Old Streetonians
Haggerston Park
Shoreditch , London
4th
Royston
The Heath Sports Centre
Royston , Hertfordshire
11th (not relegated)
Stevenage Town
North Road
Stevenage , Hertfordshire
3rd
Tabard
Cobden Hill
Radlett , Hertfordshire
5th
Participating Clubs 2018–19
Locations of the 2018–19 London 3 North West teams
Location of 2018–19 London 3 North West clubs in London
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Cheshunt
Rosedale Sports Club
Cheshunt , Hertfordshire
10th
Datchworth
Datchworth Sports Club
Datchworth , Hertfordshire
8th
Finchley
Summers Lane
1,000
Finchley , London
7th
Harrow
Grove Field
Stanmore , London
Relegated from London 2 NW (11th)
Kilburn Cosmos
Gladstone Park
Kilburn , London
6th
London Welsh
Old Deer Park
5,850 (1,000 seats)
Richmond , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions)
Old Merchant Taylors'
War Memorial Sports Ground
Northwood , London
9th
Old Streetonians
Haggerston Park
Shoreditch , London
4th
Royston
The Heath Sports Centre
Royston , Hertfordshire
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up)
Stevenage Town
North Road
Stevenage , Hertfordshire
3rd
Tabard
Cobden Hill
Radlett , Hertfordshire
Relegated from London 2 NW (12th)
Verulamians
Cotlandswick
London Colney , Hertfordshire
5th
Participating Clubs 2017–18
Locations of the 2017–18 London 3 North West teams
Location of 2017–18 London 3 North West clubs in London
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Cheshunt
Rosedale Sports Club
Cheshunt , Hertfordshire
10th
Datchworth
Datchworth Sports Club
Datchworth , Hertfordshire
6th
Finchley
Summers Lane
1,000
Finchley , London
11th (not relegated)
Grasshoppers
MacFarlane Lane
Isleworth , London
4th
Hitchin
King George V Playing Fields
Hitchin , Hertfordshire
8th
Kilburn Cosmos
Gladstone Park
Kilburn , London
5th
Old Merchant Taylors'
War Memorial Sports Ground
Northwood , London
9th
Old Streetonians
Haggerston Park
Shoreditch , London
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up)
St Albans
Boggymead Springs
St Albans , Hertfordshire
7th
Stevenage Town
North Road
Stevenage , Hertfordshire
3rd
Verulamians
Cotlandswick
London Colney , St Albans , Hertfordshire
Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions)
Welwyn
Hobbs Way
Welwyn Garden City , Hertfordshire
Relegated from London 2 North West (11th)
Participating Cubs 2016-17
Final league table
2016–17 London 3 North West
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
TB
LB
Pts
Qualification
1
Hackney (C)
22
22
0
0
859
245
+614
20
0
108
Promoted
2
Hemel Hempstead
22
18
0
4
800
305
+495
16
2
90
3
Stevenage
22
15
0
7
716
472
+244
18
5
83
4
Grasshoppers
22
13
1
8
564
515
+49
11
2
67
5
Kilburn Cosmos
22
9
2
11
550
560
−10
10
4
54
6
Datchworth
22
10
0
12
458
633
−175
7
3
50
7
St Albans
22
8
1
13
463
590
−127
10
3
47
8
Hitchin
22
9
0
13
497
639
−142
9
1
46
9
Old Merchant Taylors'
22
9
0
13
475
588
−113
8
1
45
10
Cheshunt
22
7
2
13
463
558
−95
8
3
43
11
Finchley
22
7
0
15
512
563
−51
8
5
41
Relegated
12
Staines
22
2
0
20
310
999
−689
4
0
12
Updated to match(es) played on 10 April 2017. Source:
2016-17 Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled(C) Champion
Participating Clubs 2015-16
Participating Clubs 2014-15
Participating Clubs 2013-14
Participating Clubs 2012-13
Participating Clubs 2009-10
Bank of England
Barnet Elizabethans
Cheshunt
Datchworth
Fullerians
Haringey Rhinos
Hitchin
Old Ashmoleans
Old Hamptonians
Old Streetonians
West London
Original teams
When this division was introduced in 2000 (as London 4 North West) it contained the following teams:
London 3 North West honours
London 4 North West (2000–2009)
Originally known as London 4 North West, this division was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 North West and relegation down to Herts/Middlesex 1 .
London 3 North West (2009–present)
League restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 4 North East renamed as London 3 North West. Remaining as a tier 8 league promotion was to London 2 North West (formerly London 3 North West), while relegation continued to Herts/Middlesex 1 .
Number of league titles
Notes
^ Kilburn Cosmos, who finished 11th in L3NW for the 2019–20 season took the place of Harrow RFC in Herts/Middlesex 1 for season 2021-22.
^ The Lambs were Old Merchant Taylors' 2nd team.
^ Only 1 team relegated this season.
^ Only 1 team relegated this season.
See also
References
Governing body National teams
International competitions
Competition divisions
European competitions National competitions London and South East competitions Midland competitions Northern competitions South West competitions County competitions Discontinued competitions Related articles Other