Essex Rugby Football Union

Rugby team

Essex RFUFull name| Essex Rugby Football Union

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Union| RFU
Founded| 1885; 140 years ago (1885)[a 1]
Region| Essex, parts of London
Chairman| Nick Bracken
President| Keith Hill

Team kit

Official website
essexcountyrfucb.rfu.club

The Essex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Essex in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Essex, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Essex county rugby representative teams.[2]

## History

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The Essex RFU was established in 1885. The first recorded match played by an Essex representative team was actually held a year before the union was created, when they lost to a representative team from neighbouring Suffolk at Chelmsford in 1884. In December 1890 Essex would join with Suffolk and Norfolk to form the Eastern Counties Rugby Union, with Cambridgeshire joining later in 1920 and would participate in the County Championship. Essex would try and leave the Eastern Counties and gain constituent body status but were refused by the Rugby Football Union three times in 1972, 1975 and 1977. Finally in 2003 the county were awarded full status and would compete in the County Championship as an Essex side.[1]

## Senior county team

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The Essex senior men's team currently play in Division 3 of the County Championship. The 2018 competition also marked the county's first appearance at Twickenham Stadium when they reached the Shield final, losing 22-24 to Dorset & Wilts.[3]

## Affiliated clubs

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There are currently 45 clubs affiliated with the Essex RFU, with teams at both senior and junior level.[1]

* Bancroft
* Barking
* Basildon
* Benfleet Vikings
* Billericay
* Braintree
* Brentwood
* Burnham-On-Crouch
* Clacton[a 2]
* Campion
* Canvey Island
* Chelmsford
* Chingford
* Dagenham
* East London
* Epping Upper Clapton[a 3]
* Eton Manor
* Harlow
* Harwich & Dovercourt
* Ilford Wanderers
* Kelvedon and Feering RUFC
* Kings Cross Steelers
* Loughton
* Maldon
* Mavericks
* May & Baker
* Millwall[a 4]
* Old Brentwoods
* Old Cooperians
* Ongar
* Pegasus Palmerians
* Ravens
* Rochford Hundred
* Romford & Gidea Park
* Runwell Wyverns
* South Woodham Ferrers
* Southend
* Stanford-le-Hope
* Thames
* Upminster
* Wanstead
* Westcliff
* Witham
* Woodford
* Writtle Wanderers

## County club competitions

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The Essex RFU currently helps run the following club competitions:[4]

### Leagues

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* Regional 1 South East \- formally known as 'National 3 and London & SE Premier', this league is formed of teams from the Anglia and South East regions. This league is ranked at level 5 English rugby union system.
* Regional 2 Anglia \- formally known as 'London 1', this league is formed of 12 teams from Eastern Counties and Essex. This league is ranked at level 6.
* Counties 1 Essex \- formally known as 'London 2', league ranked at level 7.
* Counties 2 Essex \- formally known as 'London 3', league ranked at level 8.
* Essex Merit Tables - 6 divisions outside the league system mostly involving reserve team rugby (2nd to 5th XV) with the occasional 1st XV side

### Cups

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1st team:

* Essex Senior Cup
* Essex Intermediate Cup
* Essex Senior Shield

2nd team:

* Essex 2nd XV Cup
* John Adler Trophy

### Discontinued competitions

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* Essex 1 (Canterbury Jack) - tier 9, this league was merged to Counties 1 & 2 for the 2022-2023 season,
* Essex 2 (Spitfire) - tier 10 league that ran between 2003 and 2014
* Essex 3 \- tier 11 league that ran between 2003 and 2009

## Notes

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1. ^ Although formed in 1885, Essex had to wait until 2003 to gain full RFU constituent body status.[1]
2. ^ Clacton are joint members of both Essex RFU and Suffolk RFU.
3. ^ Epping Upper Clapton are members of both the and Essex RFU and Middlesex RFU.
4. ^ Millwall are members of both the and Essex RFU and Middlesex RFU.

## See also

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* London & SE Division
* English rugby union system

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Essex RFU seek Constituent Body status". ESPN. 7 July 2003.
2. ^ "Home". Essex County RFU (Pitchero). Retrieved 14 February 2019.
3. ^ "DORSET AND WILTS SENIOR XV BILL BEAUMONT DIV. 3 CHAMPIONS". Dorset & Wilts RFU. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
4. ^ "Competitions". Essex County RFU (Pitchero). Retrieved 14 February 2019.

## External links

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* Official website

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Rugby union in England

Governing body|

* Rugby Football Union
* Rugby Football Union for Women (merged into the RFU)

National teams|

| Men's|

* England
* England A
* 7's
* U-21
* U-20
* U-18
* British & Irish Lions
* England Counties XV

|

Women's|

* Women's
* 7's

International competitions|

| Men's|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* Rugby World Cup Sevens
* Sevens World Series
* Sevens Grand Prix Series
* Commonwealth Games

|

Women's|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* World Series Sevens

Competition divisions|

| Men's|

* Premiership
* Champ Rugby
* National Leagues
* London and SE Division
* Northern Division
* Midland Division
* South West Division
* United Hospitals Cup

|

Women's|

* Premiership Women's Rugby

European competitions|

* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup

National competitions|

* Premiership Rugby
* Premiership Cup
* Champ Rugby
* National League 1
* National League 2 East
* National League 2 North
* National League 2 West
* RFU Intermediate Cup
* RFU Senior Vase
* RFU Junior Vase
* Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
* Women's Premiership
* Premier 15s

London and South East
competitions|

* Regional 1 South East
* Regional 1 South Central
* Regional 2 Anglia
* Regional 2 South Central
* Regional 2 South East
* Regional 2 Thames
* London 1 North
* London 2 North East
* London 2 North West
* London 2 South East
* London 2 South West
* London 3 North West
* London 3 South East
* London 3 South West
* Counties 2 Eastern Counties
* London 3 Essex
* Eastern Counties 1
* Eastern Counties 2
* Eastern Counties 3
* Counties 2 Essex
* Counties 2 Hampshire
* Counties 3 Hampshire
* Counties 4 Hampshire
* Hampshire Cups
* Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex
* Counties 1 Middlesex
* Counties 2 Middlesex
* Herts/Middlesex 2
* Hertfordshire Cups
* Middlesex Cups
* Counties 3 Kent
* Counties 4 Kent
* Counties 5 Kent
* Kent Cups
* Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex
* Counties 2 Surrey
* Counties 3 Surrey
* Counties 4 Surrey
* Counties 5 Surrey
* Surrey Cups
* Counties 2 Sussex
* Sussex 1
* Sussex Cups

Midland competitions|

* Regional 1 Midlands
* Regional 2 North Midlands
* Regional 2 West Midlands
* Regional 2 East Midlands
* Counties 1 Midlands West (North)
* Counties 1 Midlands West (South)
* Midlands 2 East (North)
* Midlands 2 East (South)
* Midlands 3 West (North)
* Midlands 3 West (South)
* Midlands 3 East (North)
* Midlands 3 East (South)
* Midlands 4 West (North)
* Midlands 4 West (South)
* Midlands 4 East (North)
* Midlands 4 East (South)
* Midlands 5 West (South)
* Leicestershire Cups
* North Midlands Cups
* Staffordshire Cups
* Warwickshire Cups

Northern competitions|

* Regional 1 North East
* Regional 1 North West
* Regional 2 North
* Regional 2 North East
* Regional 2 North West
* North 1 East
* North 1 West
* North 2 West
* Counties 1 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire
* Lancs/Cheshire 1
* Lancs/Cheshire 2
* Cheshire Cups
* Lancashire Cups
* Counties 1 Cumbria
* Cumbria Cups
* Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland
* Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
* Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland
* Durham Cups
* Northumberland Cups
* Counties 1 Yorkshire
* Counties 2 Yorkshire
* Counties 3 Yorkshire
* Counties 4 Yorkshire
* Yorkshire Cups

South West competitions|

* Regional 1 South West
* Regional 2 Severn
* Regional 2 South West
* Counties 1 Southern North
* Counties 1 Southern South
* Counties 1 Western North
* Counties 1 Western West
* Counties 2 Cornwall
* Counties 3 Cornwall
* Cornwall Cups
* Counties 2 Devon
* Counties 3 Devon East
* Counties 3 Devon West
* Devon Cups
* Counties 2 Gloucestershire
* Counties 3 Gloucestershire
* Gloucester 2 North
* Gloucester 2 South
* Gloucestershire Cups
* Counties 2 Somerset
* Counties 3 Somerset
* Counties 4 Somerset North
* Counties 4 Somerset South
* Somerset 3 North
* Somerset 3 South
* Somerset Cups
* Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
* Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
* Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
* Oxfordshire Cups
* Counties 2 Dorset & Wilts South
* Counties 2 Dorset & Wilts North
* Counties 3 Dorset & Wilts North
* Counties 3 Dorset & Wilts South
* Dorset & Wilts 3 North

County competitions|

* Division 1
* Division 2
* Division 3

Discontinued competitions|

* Anglo-Welsh Cup
* Championship Cup
* Cornwall/Devon League
* Divisional Championship
* National League 2 South
* North Premier
* RFU Knockout Cup
* South West 1 East

Related articles|

* International players
* Clubs
* Churchill Cup
* Calcutta Cup
* Millennium Trophy
* Ella-Mobbs Trophy
* Hillary Shield

Other|

* English rugby union system
* Timeline of rugby union on UK television

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English counties rugby unions

County rugby unions|

* Berkshire
* Buckinghamshire
* Cheshire
* Cornwall
* Cumbria
* Devon
* Dorset & Wilts
* Durham County
* East Midlands
* Eastern Counties
* Essex
* Gloucestershire
* Hampshire
* Hertfordshire
* Kent
* Lancashire
* Leicestershire
* Middlesex
* North Midlands
* Northumberland
* Notts, Lincs & Derby
* Oxfordshire
* Somerset
* Staffordshire
* Surrey
* Sussex
* Warwickshire
* Yorkshire

Defunct county unions|

* Cumberland
* Midland Counties
* Westmoreland

Major competitions|

* Division 1
* Division 2
* Division 3

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