Current season or competition:![]() | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Instituted | 1987 |
Number of teams | 10 |
Country | ![]() |
Holders |
Brockleians (2nd title) (2019–20) (promoted to Kent 1) |
Most titles | Ashford, Aylesford Bulls, Betteshanger, Brockleians, Erith, New Ash Green, Old Gravesendians, Sittingbourne (2 titles) |
Website | englandrugby.com |
Kent 2 (known as Shepherd Neame Kent 2 for sponsorship reasons) is an English level 10 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. Currently promoted teams move up to Kent 1 and there is no relegation although until the 2007–08 season teams could drop down to Kent 3 (now folded). Now a single division, in the past Kent 2 was divided into regional divisions - Kent 2 East and Kent 2 West.
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.
Bexley, who finished 8th in 2019-20, played several of the early fixtures but withdrew from the league in November 2021.
Swanley RFC, a new entry, competed until January 2022 before withdrawing from the league.
|
Locations of the 2021-22 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Greater London Locations of the 2021-22 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Kent
|
On 30th October 2020 the RFU announced [3] 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 2 was not contested.
|
Locations of the 2019-20 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Greater London Locations of the 2019-20 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Kent
|
|
Locations of the 2018-19 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Greater London Locations of the 2018-19 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Kent
|
|
Locations of the 2017-18 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Greater London Locations of the 2017-18 Shepherd Neame Kent 2 teams in Kent
|
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
he original Kent 2 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to Kent 1 and relegation down to Kent 3.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987–88 | 11 | Betteshanger | Snowdown C.W. | Orpington, Met Police Hayes, Thames Polytechnic | ||||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Sevenoaks | Dover | Lloyds Bank, Greenwich | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Sittingbourne | Met Police Hayes | Midland Bank | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Tonbridge | Sheppey | Linton, Cranbrook, NatWest Bank | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Canterbury | Snowdown C.W. [b] | No relegation [c] | ||||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Thames Polytechnic | NatWest Bank | Old Gravesendians, Linton | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National 5 South meant that Kent 2 dropped from a tier 9 league to a tier 10 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to Kent 1 and Kent 3 respectively.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993–94 | 13 | Old Shootershillians | Old Elthamians | Lloyds Bank, Tonbridge, Bexley | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Ashford | Dover | Midland Bank, New Ash Green | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Betteshanger | Cranbrook | Vigo | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Kent 2 reverted to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and Kent 3 respectively.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | 13 | Folkestone | Whitstable [d] | No relegation [e] | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 14 | Midland Bank | Tonbridge | No relegation [f] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The cancellation of Kent 3 ahead of the 1997–98 season saw Kent 2 restructured into two regional division - Kent 2 East and Kent 2 West - both of which were tier 9 leagues. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and there was no relegation until Kent 3 was reintroduced.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998–99 [5] [6] |
14 | New Ash Green | Old Elthamians | No relegation | Kent 2 East | |||||||||
4 | Greenwich | Dartford Valley | No relegation | Kent 2 West | ||||||||||
1999–00 [7] [8] |
8 | Aylesford Bulls [g] | Sittingbourne | Multiple teams [h] | Kent 2 East | |||||||||
9 [i] | Erith [j] | Dartford Valley | Multiple teams [k] | Kent 2 West | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Kent 2 was restructured back into a single division for the 2000–01 season, although the introduction of London 4 South East meant that it fell to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Kent 1, while the reintroduction of Kent 3 meant that there was relegation until this league was cancelled at the end of the 2007–08 season.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 [9] | 9 | Ashford | Erith | No relegation [l] | ||||||||||
2001–02 [10] | 10 | Aylesford Bulls | Sheppey | Dartford Valley, HSBC, Dover | ||||||||||
2002–03 [11] | 10 | Old Elthamians | Sittingbourne | Brockleians, Bexley | ||||||||||
2003–04 [12] | 9 | Park House | Dover | No relegation [m] | ||||||||||
2004–05 [13] | 10 | Brockleians | New Ash Green | Dartford Valley | ||||||||||
2005–06 [14] | 9 | Old Gravesendians | Sheppey | Medway, Bexley | ||||||||||
2006–07 [15] | 8 | Erith | Old Olavians | New Ash Green, Orpington, Shooters Hill | ||||||||||
2007–08 [16] | 8 | Medway | Cranbrook [n] | No relegation [o] | ||||||||||
2008–09 [17] | 10 [p] | HSBC | Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Kent 2 remained a tier 10 league despite national restructuring by the RFU. Promotion continued to Kent 1 and there was no relegation.
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–10 [18] | 10 | Lordswood | New Ash Green | No relegation | ||||||||||
2010–11 [19] | 11 | Guys' Kings' & St Thomas' Hospital | Shooters Hill | No relegation | ||||||||||
2011–12 [20] | 9 | King's College Hospital | Southwark Lancers | No relegation | ||||||||||
2012–13 [21] | 11 | Old Williamsonians | Footscray | No relegation | ||||||||||
2013–14 [22] | 10 | Bexley | Lordswood | No relegation | ||||||||||
2014–15 [23] | 10 | New Ash Green | Brockleians | No relegation | ||||||||||
2015–16 [24] | 12 | Sittingbourne | Snowdown C.W. | No relegation | ||||||||||
2016–17 [25] | 13 | Old Gravesendians | Royal Bank of Scotland | No relegation | ||||||||||
2017–18 [26] | 9 | Whitstable | Footscray | No relegation | ||||||||||
2018–19 [27] | 9 | Cliffe Crusaders | Faversham | No relegation | ||||||||||
2019–20 [28] | 10 | Brockleians | Footscray | No relegation | ||||||||||
2020–21 | 10 | No relegation | ||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |