| Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex | |
| Current Season: | 2024-25 Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex |
| Sport: | Rugby union |
| Founded: | (as London 4 North West) |
| Teams: | 12 |
| Most Champs: | Old Streetonians |
| Count: | 2 |
| 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.
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 | Highgate, London | Relegated from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex | ||
| Grove Field | 5th | |||
| Old Millhillians | 7th | |||
| Saracens Amateurs | Bramley Sports Ground | Cockfosters, London | 4th | |
| Boggymead Springs | 9th | |||
| Cobden Hill | 6th | |||
| UCS Old Boys | UCS Sports Ground | Cricklewood, London | Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (champions) | |
| Verulamians | Cotlandswick | Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (runners-up) | ||
| Twyford Avenue Sports Ground | Acton, London | 3rd | ||
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) | |
| 4,000 | West Ealing, London | 3rd | ||
| Grove Field | 10th | |||
| Hendon | Copthall Playing Fields | 7th | ||
| Old Millhillians | Promoted from Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex (runners-up) | |||
| Saracens Amateurs | Bramley Sports Ground | Cockfosters, London | 4th | |
| Boggymead Springs | 8th | |||
| Cobden Hill | 6th | |||
| Twyford Avenue Sports Ground | Acton, London | 5th | ||
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 | 4th | ||
| 4,000 | West Ealing, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (3rd) | ||
| Grove Field | 7th | |||
| Hendon | Copthall Playing Fields | 5th | ||
| 4,500 | Richmond, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | ||
| Royston | The Heath Sports Centre | 9th | ||
| Saracens Amateurs | Bramley Sports Ground | Cockfosters, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (5th) | |
| Boggymead Springs | 6th | |||
| Cobden Hill | 10th | |||
| Twyford Avenue Sports Ground | Acton, London | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (4th) | ||
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 | 4th | ||
| Summers Lane | 1,000 | 10th | ||
| Finsbury Park | 5th | |||
| Grove Field | 12th (not relegated to Herts/Middlesex 1) | |||
| Hendon | Copthall Playing Fields | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | ||
| King George V Playing Fields | 6th | |||
| Royston | The Heath Sports Centre | 8th | ||
| Boggymead Springs | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners-up) | |||
| Cobden Hill | 7th | |||
| Hobbs Way | Relegated from London 2 North West (11th) | |||
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.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshunt | Rosedale Sports Club | 8th | ||
| Enfield Ignatians | Donkey Lane | Relegated from London 2 NW (11th) | ||
| Summers Lane | 1,000 | 10th | ||
| Finsbury Park | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up) | |||
| Grove Field | 7th | |||
| King George V Playing Fields | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | |||
| Kilburn Cosmos | Gladstone Park | 9th | ||
| War Memorial Sports Ground | 6th | |||
| Old Streetonians | Haggerston Park | 4th | ||
| Royston | The Heath Sports Centre | 11th (not relegated) | ||
| Stevenage Town | North Road | 3rd | ||
| Cobden Hill | 5th | |||
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshunt | Rosedale Sports Club | 10th | ||
| Datchworth | Datchworth Sports Club | 8th | ||
| Summers Lane | 1,000 | 7th | ||
| Grove Field | Relegated from London 2 NW (11th) | |||
| Kilburn Cosmos | Gladstone Park | 6th | ||
| 5,850 (1,000 seats) | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | |||
| War Memorial Sports Ground | 9th | |||
| Old Streetonians | Haggerston Park | 4th | ||
| Royston | The Heath Sports Centre | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up) | ||
| Stevenage Town | North Road | 3rd | ||
| Cobden Hill | Relegated from London 2 NW (12th) | |||
| Verulamians | Cotlandswick | 5th | ||
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshunt | Rosedale Sports Club | 10th | ||
| Datchworth | Datchworth Sports Club | 6th | ||
| Summers Lane | 1,000 | 11th (not relegated) | ||
| Grasshoppers | MacFarlane Lane | 4th | ||
| King George V Playing Fields | 8th | |||
| Kilburn Cosmos | Gladstone Park | 5th | ||
| War Memorial Sports Ground | 9th | |||
| Old Streetonians | Haggerston Park | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (runners up) | ||
| Boggymead Springs | 7th | |||
| Stevenage Town | North Road | 3rd | ||
| Verulamians | Cotlandswick | Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 1 (champions) | ||
| Hobbs Way | Relegated from London 2 North West (11th) | |||
When this division was introduced in 2000 (as London 4 North West) it contained the following teams:
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 4 North West | |||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[4] | 11 | Letchworth Garden City | Old Millhillians, Tring | ||||||||||||
| 2001–02[5] | 10 | London Scottish | Hemel Hempstead, Chiswick, Hampstead | ||||||||||||
| 2002–03[6] | 10 | Civil Service | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 2003–04[7] | 10 | Welwyn | Old Merchant Taylors' Lambs | ||||||||||||
| 2004–05[8] | 9 | Tring | Finchley | ||||||||||||
| 2005–06[9] | 10 | London New Zealand | West London, Cheshunt | ||||||||||||
| 2006–07[10] | 10 | Hammersmith & Fulham | Verulamians, Hitchin | ||||||||||||
| 2007–08[11] | 10 | Finchley | Harrow | ||||||||||||
| 2008–09[12] | 11 | Chiswick | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
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.
| + London 3 North West | |||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10[13] | 11 | Old Streetonians | Old Hamptonians | ||||||||||||
| 2010–11[14] | 12 | Old Haberdashers | Old Ashmoleans, Wasps Amateurs | ||||||||||||
| 2011–12[15] | 12 | H.A.C. | London Welsh Amateur, Bank Of England, West London | ||||||||||||
| 2012–13[16] | 12 | Old Priorians | Haringey Rhinos, Cheshunt, Imperial Medicals | ||||||||||||
| 2013–14[17] | 12 | Harrow | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 2014–15[18] | 12 | Fullerians | Old Streetonians, UCS Old Boys | ||||||||||||
| 2015–16[19] | 12 | London Nigerian | Wasps, Old Actonians | ||||||||||||
| 2016–17[20] | 12 | Hackney | Staines | ||||||||||||
| 2017–18[21] | 12 | Grasshoppers | Hitchin, St Albans | ||||||||||||
| 2018–19[22] | 12 | London Welsh | Verulamians | ||||||||||||
| 2019–20[23] | 12 | Old Streetonians | Harrow | ||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||