Sussex 2
Current season or competition:
2019–20 Sussex 2 Armada Ale
SportRugby union
Instituted1987; 36 years ago (1987)
Number of teams8
Country England
HoldersSt. Jacques (1st title) (2018–19)
(not promoted)
Most titlesBA Wingspan, Pulborough, St. Francis (3 titles)
Websitewww.sussexrugby.co.uk

Sussex 2 is an English level 10 Rugby Union League.[1] It is run by the Sussex Rugby Football Union and contains teams predominantly from West Sussex. The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to Sussex 1 and demoted teams fall to Sussex 3. Up until 2003-04 the league was known as Sussex 2 which was abolished at the end of that season. Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate emerged in 2010-11 as the second-tier competition for Sussex with a large number of 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams taking part. The division name changed to Sussex Canterbury Jack Division 2 for the 2016–17 season. A further name change resulted in Sussex Canterbury Jack 2 becoming Sussex 2 Armada Ale for the 2017–18 season.

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

Sussex 2 honours

Sussex 2 (1987–1993)

The original Sussex 2 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to Sussex 1 and relegation down to Sussex 3 until that division was abolished at the end of the 1991–92 season.

Sussex 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1987–88 8 Uckfield Hellingly Azurians
1988–89 9 Heathfield & Waldron St. Francis British Caledonian[b]
1989–90 9 Hastings & Bexhill Old Brightonian University of Sussex
1990–91 10 St. Francis Hellingly RMP Chichester,[c] Plumpton
1991–92 9 Seaford Crowborough No relegation[d]
1992–93 8 BA Wingspan Ditchling No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 2 (1993–1996)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Sussex 2 dropped from a tier 9 league to a tier 10 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion was to Sussex 1, and relegation was to Sussex 3, which was reinstated for the 1994–95 season after a two-year absence.

Sussex 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1993–94 8 Pulborough Sunallon[e] Midhurst[f]
1994–95 6 BA Wingspan Hellingly Plumpton, Sussex Police
1995–96 6 Ditchling Crowborough Rye, Shoreham
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 2 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Sussex 2 reverted to being a tier 9 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Sussex 1 and Sussex 3 respectively.

Sussex 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1996–97 7 BA Wingspan Sun Alliance Plumpton
1997–98 8 Burgess Hill Old Brightonian Sussex Police, Rye
1998–99[3] 8 Pulborough Hellingly Robertsbridge, St. Francis
1999–00[4] 8 Chichester IHE Newick No relegation[g]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 2: East / West (2000–2002)

Restructuring of the London & South East leagues ahead of the 2000–01 saw the cancellation of Sussex 3 for the second time, and Sussex 2 divided into two regional divisions - Sussex 2 East and Sussex 2 West. Additionally, both regional divisions dropped to tier 10 leagues due to the introduction of London 4 South East. Promotion continued to Sussex 1 and there was no longer relegation.

Sussex 2: East / West
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams League Name
2000–01
[5][6]		 7 Rye Sussex Police No relegation Sussex 2 East
7 St. Francis Shoreham No relegation Sussex 2 West
2001–02
[7][8]		 7 Seaford Newick Plumpton, Robertsbridge, Ditchling, Old Brightonian[h] Sussex 2 East
8 Pulborough Holbrook Arun, Shoreham, BA Wingspan[i] Sussex 2 West
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 2 (2002–2004)

Sussex 2 was re-merged back into a single division ahead of the 2002–03 season, remaining at tier 10 of the league system. Promotion was to Sussex 1 and relegation to Sussex 3, which returned after an absence of two seasons. Sussex 2 was abolished at the end of the 2003–04 season.

Sussex 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2002–03[9] 8 Burgess Hill Barns Green Norfolk Arms
2003–04[10] 7 St. Francis[j] Old Brightonian No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate (2010–2015)

Sussex 2 was reintroduced for the 2010–11 season as Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate. It was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Sussex 1 and relegation to either Sussex Asahi 2 East or Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.

Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2010–11[11] 12 Chichester III Bognor II Hastings & Bexhill II, Norfolk Arms, Hove IV
2011–12[12] 12 Midhurst Hove III Bognor II, St. Francis
2012–13[13] 12 Hove IV[k] Crawley[l] Eastbourne II, Uckfield II
2013–14[14] 13 Worthing Senior I Hellingly Hove III, Littlehampton, Plumpton
2014–15[15] 12 Haywards Heath II[m] Midhurst Lewes II, Newick
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 2 (2015–present)

Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate was renamed to Sussex 2 for the 2015–16 season. It remained a tier 10 league with promotion to Sussex 1, while relegation was now to Sussex Oranjeboom 3.

Sussex 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2015–16[16] 12 Bognor II Shoreham Holbrook, Norfolk Arms
2016–17[17] 11 East Grinstead Ditchling[n] Sussex Police, Crowborough II
2017–18 9 Plumpton St. Jacques No relegation
2018–19 8 St. Jacques Barns Green No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes

  1. ^ British Caledonian would be renamed as British Airways Wingspan RFC in 1988 following the takeover of British Caledonian by British Airways.
  2. ^ Relegated British Caledonian would be renamed as British Airways Wingspan RFC from the following season onward.
  3. ^ Bottom club RMP Chichester would drop out the Sussex leagues.
  4. ^ The cancellation of Sussex 3 at the end of the season meant that there was no relegation.
  5. ^ Promoted Sunallon would rename as Sun Alliance for the following season.[2]
  6. ^ The reintroduction of Sussex 3 meant that there was once again relegation from Sussex 2.
  7. ^ No relegation as Sussex 3 abolished at the end of the season.
  8. ^ Many relegation's this season as Sussex 3 would return for the following season and Sussex 2 East would re-merge with Sussex 2 West to form a single division Sussex 2.
  9. ^ Many relegations this season as Sussex 3 would return for the following season and Sussex 2 West would remerge with Sussex 2 East to form a single division Sussex 2.
  10. ^ No promotion or relegation as Sussex 2 and Sussex 3 would be abolished at the end of the season. Sussex 2 and 3's equivalents would reappear in 2010–11 as Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate.
  11. ^ Despite finishing as league champions Hove IV would be relegated due to Hove III dropping down from the division above.
  12. ^ 3rd place Crowborough II also promoted.
  13. ^ Despite winning the league - Haywards Heath II would be demoted to Sussex Late Red 3 due to the Haywards Heath 1st team being demoted into Sussex 1.
  14. ^ 4th placed Barns Green were also promoted - going up instead of 3rd placed Pulborough II.
  15. ^ One of Pulborough's titles was for Sussex 2 West.
  16. ^ One of St. Francis's titles was for Sussex 2 West.
  17. ^ One of Seaford's title was for Sussex 2 East.
  18. ^ Rye's title was for Sussex 2 East.

See also

References

  1. ^ "League Make up". Sussex Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  2. ^ "HISTORY". Holbrook RFC. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  3. ^ "1998-1999 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ^ "1999-2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  5. ^ "2000-2001 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  6. ^ "2000-2001 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  7. ^ "2001-2002 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  8. ^ "2001-2002 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. ^ "2002-2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ^ "2003-2004 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  11. ^ "2010-2011 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  12. ^ "2011-2012 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  13. ^ "2012-2013 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  14. ^ "2013-2014 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  15. ^ "2014-2015 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  16. ^ "2015-2016 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  17. ^ "2016-2017 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.

External links

Rugby union in Sussex
Rugby union in England
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