Current season or competition: 2025–26 Counties 1 Kent | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Canterbury Pilgrims (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Canterbury Pilgrims(2 titles) |
| Website | [1] |
Counties 1 Kent is an English level 7rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in London and the south-east of England including sides fromKent,Greater London andEast Sussex. Administration of the leagues is divided betweenKent Rugby,[1]Sussex Rugby[2] and theLondon & SE RFU.[3] (The locations in Greater London are all in areas that were historically part of Kent.)
The current champions areCanterbury Pilgrims.
The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April, making a total of twenty-two matches each. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
In addition:
Promotion is toRegional 2 South East and relegation is to eitherCounties 2 Kent orCounties 2 Sussex depending on location.
Departing wereCanterbury II and Bromley, both promoted toRegional 2 South East.
| Locations of the 2025–26 Counties 1 Kent teams in London Locations of the 2025–26 Counties 1 Kent teams in Kent and East Sussex
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Canterbury Pilgrims finished top but owing to league regulations were not permitted to be promoted to level 6.[4] Departing were Dartfordians promoted toRegional 2 South East as runner-up with Thanet being relegated toCounties 2 Kent.[5][6] With no team coming down fromRegional 2 South East there was a reprieve for Charlton Park who finished 11th and would ordinarily have been relegated toCounties 2 Kent. Joining wereSevenoaks 2XV and Park House fromCounties 2 Kent.[7]
| Locations of the 2024–25 Counties 1 Kent teams in London Locations of the 2024–25 Counties 1 Kent teams in Kent and East Sussex
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Adjust | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canterbury Pilgrims (P) | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 740 | 309 | 431 | 15 | 1 | 99 | +2 | ||||
| 2 | Bromley (P) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 748 | 419 | 329 | 13 | 3 | 90 | |||||
| 3 | Sevenoaks II | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 698 | 448 | 250 | 15 | 4 | 85 | +2 | ||||
| 4 | Crowborough | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 486 | 419 | 67 | 13 | 5 | 67 | +1 | ||||
| 5 | Beccehamian | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 607 | 450 | 157 | 12 | 5 | 66 | +1 | ||||
| 6 | Dover | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 510 | 524 | −14 | 9 | 4 | 64 | +1 | ||||
| 7 | Heathfield & Waldron | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 571 | 457 | 114 | 11 | 5 | 60 | |||||
| 8 | Park House | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 532 | 605 | −73 | 9 | 7 | 48 | |||||
| 9 | Deal & Betteshanger | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 418 | 726 | −308 | 6 | 2 | 44 | |||||
| 10 | Ashford | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 364 | 598 | −234 | 6 | 4 | 38 | |||||
| 11 | Cranbrook | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 297 | 715 | −418 | 4 | 3 | 9 | −10 | ||||
| 12 | Charlton Park | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 284 | 585 | −301 | 4 | 1 | 2 | −15 | ||||
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| Green background are the promotion places.Pink background are the relegation places. Updated: 12 January 2024 Source:[8] | ||||||||||||||||
Departing wereOld Alleynians promoted toRegional 2 South East, while Folkestone and Aylesford Bulls were relegated toCounties 2 Kent.[9][10] In their place came Dover andCanterbury Pilgrims both promoted as 'joint champions' fromCounties 2 Kent, whilst Dartfordians were relegated fromRegional 2 South East.[11]
| Locations of the 2023–24 Counties 1 Kent teams in London Locations of the 2023–24 Counties 1 Kent teams in Kent and East Sussex
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Adjust | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Canterbury Pilgrims | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 846 | 439 | 407 | 18 | 0 | 98 | |||||
| 2 | Dartfordians | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 692 | 444 | 248 | 19 | 1 | 90 | |||||
| 3 | Beccehamian | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 839 | 299 | 540 | 16 | 1 | 86 | −5 | ||||
| 4 | Bromley | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 621 | 416 | 205 | 13 | 3 | 79 | |||||
| 5 | Crowborough | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 530 | 463 | 67 | 9 | 1 | 70 | |||||
| 6 | Dover | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 466 | 548 | −82 | 9 | 3 | 50 | |||||
| 7 | Heathfield & Waldron | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 459 | 469 | −10 | 7 | 6 | 50 | |||||
| 8 | Deal & Betteshanger | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 403 | 582 | −179 | 6 | 4 | 42 | |||||
| 9 | Ashford | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 345 | 518 | −173 | 3 | 3 | 30 | |||||
| 10 | Cranbrook | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 388 | 756 | −368 | 4 | 4 | 26 | |||||
| 11 | Charlton Park | 22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 371 | 684 | −313 | 5 | 3 | 23 | −5 | ||||
| 12 | Thanet Wanderers (R) | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 378 | 720 | −342 | 4 | 3 | 21 | |||||
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| Green background is the promotion place.Pink background are the relegation places. Updated: 25 June 2024 Source:[12] | ||||||||||||||||
This was the first season following theRFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar toLondon 2 South East with the teams placed 5th to 12th returning. The teams finishing 1st to 4th were promoted toRegional 2 South East (level 6) with the top four teams promoted fromLondon 3 South East (level 8).[13]
| Locations of the 2022–23 Counties 1 Kent teams in London Locations of the 2022–23 Counties 1 Kent teams in Kent and East Sussex
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Try bonus | Loss bonus | Points | Adjust | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Old Alleynians | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 890 | 257 | 633 | 16 | 1 | 97 | |||||
| 2 | Bromley | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 575 | 316 | 259 | 12 | 1 | 77 | |||||
| 3 | Beccehamian | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 596 | 381 | 215 | 11 | 4 | 71 | |||||
| 4 | Heathfield & Waldron | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 468 | 486 | −18 | 9 | 3 | 68 | |||||
| 5 | Charlton Park | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 525 | 537 | −12 | 10 | 1 | 67 | |||||
| 6 | Cranbrook | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 538 | 511 | 27 | 10 | 1 | 59 | |||||
| 7 | Ashford | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 440 | 399 | 41 | 4 | 4 | 56 | |||||
| 8 | Deal & Betteshanger | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 448 | 507 | −39 | 7 | 3 | 55 | |||||
| 9 | Crowborough | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 443 | 552 | −109 | 7 | 1 | 35 | −5 | ||||
| 10 | Thanet Wanderers | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 309 | 593 | −284 | 5 | 0 | 33 | |||||
| R | Folkestone | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 346 | 797 | −451 | 5 | 4 | 21 | |||||
| R | Aylesford Bulls | 22 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 341 | 603 | −262 | 3 | 6 | 13 | |||||
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| Green background is the promotion place.Pink background are the relegation places. Source:[16] | ||||||||||||||||
Following the RFU Adult Competition Review, eight teams finishing 5th to 12th were transferred fromLondon 2 South East and the top four fromLondon 3 South East were promoted to this league. Promotion is toRegional 2 South East and relegation toCounties 2 Kent orCounties 2 Sussex.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runner-up | Relegated team(s) | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 12 | Old Alleynian | Bromley | Folkestone (11th) and Aylesford Bulls (12th) | [16] | |||||||||
| 2023–24 | 12 | Canterbury Pilgrims | Dartfordians | Thanet Wanderers (12th) | [12] | |||||||||
| 2024–25 | 12 | Canterbury Pilgrims | Bromley | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
| Green background is the promotion place(s). | ||||||||||||||
