Current season or competition:![]() | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 |
Number of teams | 10 |
Country | ![]() |
Holders | Southwark Lancers (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to London 3 South East) |
Most titles | Park House (4 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
Kent 1 (known as Shepherd Neame Kent 1 for sponsorship reasons) is an English level 9 Rugby Union League[1] and is made up of teams predominantly from south-east London and Kent. The teams play home and away matches from September through to April. The league champions move up to London 3 South East while the runners up play against the runners up of Sussex 1 for the remaining place. Relegated teams drop down to Kent 2.
Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
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.
Despite finishing 7th in season 2019-20, HSBC did not return to the league for the current season.
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On 30th October 2020 the RFU announced [2] that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Kent 1 was not contested.
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Locations of the 2019-20 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Greater London Locations of the 2019-20 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent & East Sussex
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Locations of the 2018-19 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent
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Locations of the 2017-18 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Greater London Locations of the 2017-18 Shepherd Neame Kent 1 teams in Kent
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When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
The original Kent 1 was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 South East and relegation down to Kent 2.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1987–88 | 11 | Charlton Park | Erith | Old Shootershillians, NatWest Bank, Sevenoaks | ||||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Gillingham Anchorians | Betteshanger | Old Elthamians, Tonbridge | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Park House | Medway | Canterbury, Dover | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Thanet Wanderers | Medway | Met Police Hayes, Dover, Snowdown C.W. | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Erith | Gillingham Anchorians | No relegation[b] | ||||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Canterbury | Sevenoaks | Sittingbourne, Tonbridge | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National 5 South meant that Kent 1 dropped from a tier 8 league to a tier 9 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 South East and Kent 2 respectively.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1993–94 | 13 | Park House | Sevenoaks | NatWest Bank, New Ash Green, Snowdown C.W. | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Sevenoaks | Tunbridge Wells | Thames Polytechnic, Betteshanger | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Tunbridge Wells | Gillingham Anchorians | Old Elthamians, Medway, Erith[c] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Kent 1 reverted to being a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to London 3 South East and Kent 2 respectively.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1996–97 | 12 | Cranbrook | Medway[d] | No relegation[e] | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 16 | Folkestone | Dartfordians | Deal Wanderers, Snowdown C.W. | ||||||||||
1998–99[3] | 17 | Dartfordians | Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital | Met Police Hayes, Sittingbourne | ||||||||||
1999–00[4] | 15 | Old Dunstonians | Betteshanger | Sheppey, HSBC, Ashford, Dover[f] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The introduction of London 4 South East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Kent 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Kent 2.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2000–01[5] | 10 | Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital | Betteshanger | Old Elthamians | ||||||||||
2001–02[6] | 10 | Bromley | Whitstable | Brockleians, Medway, Park House | ||||||||||
2002–03[7] | 10 | Aylesford Bulls | Ashford | Erith, New Ash Green | ||||||||||
2003–04[8] | 10 | Lordswood | Old Elthamians | Askean | ||||||||||
2004–05[9] | 10 | Dover | Sittingbourne | Sheppey | ||||||||||
2005–06[10] | 10 | Beccehamian | Ashford | New Ash Green | ||||||||||
2006–07[11] | 10 | Whitstable | Park House | Brockleians, Sheppey, Cranbrook | ||||||||||
2007–08[12] | 10 | Park House | Old Gravesendians | No relegation[g] | ||||||||||
2008–09[13] | 12 | Medway | Old Gravesendians | Askean | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Kent 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 South East (formerly London 4 South East) and relegation to Kent 2.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2009–10[14] | 12 | Dartfordians | Cranbrook | Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital, Erith | ||||||||||
2010–11[15] | 11 | Ashford | Sheppey | Lordswood | ||||||||||
2011–12[16] | 12 | Gillingham Anchorians | Vigo | New Ash Green | ||||||||||
2012–13[17] | 11 | Dartfordians | Beccehamian | Whitstable | ||||||||||
2013–14[18] | 12 | Park House | Hastings & Bexhill | Footscray, Shooters Hill | ||||||||||
2014–15[19] | 12 | Cranbrook | Sheppey | Bexley, Sittingbourne | ||||||||||
2015–16[20] | 12 | Sheppey | Old Williamsonians | Old Gravesendians, Lordswood | ||||||||||
2016–17[21] | 12 | Hastings & Bexhill | Old Williamsonians | Snowdown C.W., Brockleians | ||||||||||
2017–18[22] | 12 | Beccehamian | Vigo | Sittingbourne | ||||||||||
2018–19[23] | 11[h] | Ashford | Gillingham Anchorians | Sheppey, Footscray | ||||||||||
2019–20[24] | 10 | Southwark Lancers | Cranbrook | Whitstable, Old Gravesendians | ||||||||||
2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Kent 1 and Sussex 1 for the third and final promotion place to London 3 South East. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Kent 1 teams have been the most successful with fourteen wins to the Sussex 1 teams five; and the home team has won promotion on eleven occasions compared to the away teams eight.
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Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
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2000–01[25] | Hastings & Bexhill (S) | 12-29 | Betteshanger (K) | William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2001–02[26] | Heathfield & Waldron (S) | 25-12 | Whitstable (K) | Hardy Roberts Recreational Ground, Cross In Hand, Heathfield, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2002–03[27] | Ashford (K) | 10-0 | Hastings & Bexhill (S) | Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent | ||||||||||
2003–04[28] | Hastings & Bexhill (S) | 13-21 | Old Elthamians (K) | William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2004–05[29] | Hastings & Bexhill (S) | 0-22 | Sittingbourne (K) | William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2005–06[30] | Hastings & Bexhill (S) | 17-18 | Ashford (K) | William Parker Lower School, Hastings, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2006–07[31] | Horsham (S) | 33-7 | Park House (K) | Coolhurst Ground, Horsham, West Sussex | ||||||||||
2007–08[32] | Old Gravesendians (K) | 8-14 | East Grinstead (S) | Fleetway Sports Ground, Gravesend, Kent | ||||||||||
2008–09[33] | Old Gravesendians (K) | 10-5 | Uckfield (S) | Fleetway Sports Ground, Gravesend, Kent | 300 | |||||||||
2009–10[34] | Uckfield (S) | 19-21 | Cranbrook (K) | Hempstead Playing Fields, Uckfield, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2010–11[35] | Sheppey (K) | 42-10 | Burgess Hill (S) | Stupple Field, Minster, Kent | 500 | |||||||||
2011–12[36] | Vigo (K) | 10-7 | Burgess Hill (S)[i] | Swanswood Field, Meopham, Kent | 400 | |||||||||
2012–13[37] | Eastbourne (S) | 0-47 | Beccehamian (K) | Park Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex | ||||||||||
2013–14[38] | Crawley (S) | 22-41 | Hastings & Bexhill (K) | Willoughby Fields Pavilion, Crawley, West Sussex | ||||||||||
2014–15[39] | Burgess Hill (S) | 26-23 | Sheppey (K) | Southway Recreation Ground, Burgess Hill, West Sussex | ||||||||||
2015–16[40] | Haywards Heath (S) | 13-8 | Old Williamsonians (K) | Whitemans Green, Cuckfield, West Sussex | ||||||||||
2016–17[41] | Old Williamsonians (K) | 20-17 | Uckfield (S) | Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester, Kent | ||||||||||
2017–18[42] | Vigo (K) | 31-17 | Uckfield (S) | Swanswood Field, Meopham, Kent | ||||||||||
2018–19[43] | Gillingham Anchorians (K) | 23-21 | Crawley (S) | Darland Banks, Gillingham, Kent | ||||||||||
2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Cranbrook (K) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
Green background is the promoted team. K = Kent 1 and S = Sussex 1 |