Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1988 |
Number of teams | 9 |
Country | England |
Holders | Streatham-Croydon (2nd title) (2021–22) |
Most titles | Haslemere Old Bevonians Old Glynonians Streatham-Croydon University of Surrey (2 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
Counties 4 Surrey is a rugby union competition covering the English county of Surrey and parts of south-west London. It sits at the 10th tier of the English rugby union system. The teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to Surrey 3 and relegated teams move down to Counties 5 Surrey. At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Surrey 4 was cancelled with teams automatically going up to Surrey 3 or dropping out of the league. After a hiatus of four seasons the division was reinstated.
Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase – a level 9–11 national competition.
Departing were Old Hamptonians and Streatham-Croydon both promoted to Counties 3 Surrey whilst Staines and Guildfordians were relegated to Counties 5 Surrey. In their place came London French and Reigate, promoted from Counties 5 Surrey with Old Emanuel relegated from Counties 3 Surrey. Also joining were Old Freemans who elected to suffer a double relegation from Counties 2 Surrey.
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Departing the league were Bec Old Boys and Old Georgians, promoted to Counties 3 Surrey whilst Croydon were relegated to Counties 5 Surrey. Old Suttonians who finished 9th in 2022-23 but declined to return in Counties 5 Surrey withdrawing from league rugby instead. Joining were Cranleigh, relegated from Counties 3 Surrey, Haselmere and Old Hamptonians, both promoted from Counties 5 Surrey together with Southwark Lancers who came on a level transfer from the Kent Rugby leagues. Re-entering on a level transfer from the Middlesex leagues were Staines who had most recently competed in Herts/Middlesex 2 in 2021-22.
With four leaving and five joining the league was made up of 10 sides having had 9 in its inaugural year.
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This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Surrey 3 but while that league had been at level 11 of the English rugby pyramid the new league was at level 10.
Six of the teams had previously competed in Surrey 2 and they were joined from the top two from Surrey 4 - Streatham-Croydon and Old Paulines. Also joining were Old Georgians who elected to drop two leagues from L3SW at level 8 for the new season.
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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.
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On 30th October the RFU announced that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020–21 season meaning Surrey 4 was not contested.[1]
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Below Surrey 4 there is the Surrey Reserve Leagues this is for Surrey teams 2XV's and below, there are some 1XVs playing here.
When this division was introduced in 1988 it contained the following teams:
The original Surrey 4 was tier 11 league with promotion to Surrey 3 and relegation to Surrey 5, until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
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1988–89 | 7 | University of Surrey[b] | Royal Holloway College | Multiple teams[c] | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Old Bevonians | Reigate & Redhill | Shene Old Grammarians, Old Epsomians | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | London Fire Brigade | BBC | University of Surrey, Racal-Decca, Gibraltar Engineers[d] | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 10 | Old Caterhamians | King's College Hospital[e] | No relegation[f] | ||||||||||
1992–93 | 11 | Haslemere | Lightwater[g] | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National 5 South meant that Surrey 4 dropped from a tier 11 league to a tier 12 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion was to Surrey 3 and there was no relegation as Surrey 4 was at the lowest level of the league structure.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
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1993–94 | 8 | Egham | Old Johnians | No relegation | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 10 | Kew Occasionals | Old Wellingtonians | No relegation | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 11 | King's College Hospital | Worth Old Boys | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Surrey 4 reverted to being a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to Surrey 3 and there was no relegation. Surrey 4 was cancelled at the end of the 1999–00 season, with the majority of teams transferring to Surrey 3 or dropping out of the league system.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
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1996–97 | 8 | Haslemere | Old Johnians | No relegation | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 6 | University of Surrey | St George's Hospital[h] | No relegation | ||||||||||
1998–99[3] | 3 | Old Bevonians | Old Johnians | No relegation | ||||||||||
1999–00[4] | 5 | Old Abingdonians | Economicals[i] | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Surrey 4 was reintroduced as a tier 12 league for the 2005–06 season. Promotion was to Surrey 3 and, as the division was at the lowest level of the English league system, there was no relegation.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
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2005–06[5] | 10 | Pelhamians | Teddington 2nd XV[j] | No relegation | ||||||||||
2006–07[6] | 9 | Merton | Woking | No relegation | ||||||||||
2007–08[7] | 7 | Old Oundelians | Haslemere | No relegation | ||||||||||
2008–09[8] | 10 | CL London | Old Radleian | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Surrey 4 remained a tier 12 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion continued to Surrey 3 and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
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2009–10[9] | 8 | Old Glynonians | Economicals | No relegation | ||||||||||
2010–11[10] | 9 | Streatham-Croydon | Haslemere | No relegation | ||||||||||
2011–12[11] | 10 | Guildfordians | Reigate | No relegation | ||||||||||
2012–13[12] | 9 | Old Glynonians | Metropolitan Police | No relegation | ||||||||||
2013–14[13] | 9 | Old Georgians | Merton | No relegation | ||||||||||
2014–15[14] | 10 | Reeds Weybridge | Reigate | No relegation | ||||||||||
2015–16[15] | 10 | Old Haileyburians | Old Johnians | No relegation | ||||||||||
2016–17[16] | 9 | Horley | Old Glynonians | No relegation | ||||||||||
2017–18[17] | 9 | Woking | Guildfordians | No relegation | ||||||||||
2018–19[18] | 8[k] | Old Suttonians | Egham Hollowegians | No relegation | ||||||||||
2019–20[19] | 7 | Croydon | Raynes Park | No relegation | ||||||||||
2020–21 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | |||||||||||||
2021–22[20] | 9 | Streatham-Croydon | Old Pauline | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |