Essex Canterbury Jack 1


Essex/Canterbury Jack 1 is an English Rugby Union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and features teams from Essex and parts of north-east London. Promoted clubs tend to move up to London 3 Essex. Relegated clubs used to drop into Essex Spitfire 2 but as that division has been abolished there is currently no relegation. The division was created in 2003 by Essex-based teams who left Eastern Counties 1 and Eastern Counties 2. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
For the 2016-17 season the league was divided into two parallel divisions - Essex 1A and Essex 1B - divided on geographical lines with teams in Essex 1A typically based in the north and east of the county, while teams in Essex 1B are predominately London based. Each division plays 14 home and away games from September until February. From February the top 4 teams from each division go into the Essex Canterbury Jack 1 Premiership and play for the title and promotion, while the bottom 4 sides from each group would play for the Essex Canterbury Jack 1 Shied.
For the 2018-19 season Essex Canterbury Jack 1 would revert to being a single division of 11 teams.

Participating Clubs 2019-20

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BillericayWillowbrook1,000Billericay, Essex6th
Canvey IslandTewkes CreekCanvey Island, EssexRelegated from London 3 Essex
ClactonValley RoadClacton-on-Sea, Essex4th
DagenhamCentral ParkDagenham, London3rd
Harwich & DovercourtWick LaneHarwich, Essex5th
MaldonDrapers Farm Playing FieldsHeybridge, EssexRelegated from London 3 Essex
MillwallMillwall ParkIsle of Dogs, LondonRelegated from London 3 Essex
Old BrentwoodsAshwell Road500Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex8th
Writtle WanderersFox Burrows LaneWrittle, Chelmsford, Essex7th

Participating Clubs 2018-19

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BillericayWillowbrook1,000Billericay, Essex6th
ClactonValley RoadClacton-on-Sea, EssexRelegated from London 3 Essex
DagenhamCentral ParkDagenham, London3rd
Harwich & DovercourtWick LaneHarwich, Essex1st
MavericksWarley Playing FieldWarley, Brentwood, EssexRelegated from London 3 Essex
Mersea IslandThe GlebeWest Mersea, Mersey Island, Essex4th
Old BrentwoodsAshwell Road500Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex7th
ThamesGarron LaneSouth Ockendon, EssexN/A
UpminsterHall LaneUpminster, LondonRelegated from London 3 Essex
Writtle WanderersFox Burrows LaneWrittle, Chelmsford, Essex5th

Participating Clubs 2017-18

Essex Canterbury Jack League 1A

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BillericayWillowbrook1,000Billericay, Essex8th
Burnham-on-CrouchDengie Hundred Sports CentreBurnham-on-Crouch, Essex7th
Harwich & DovercourtWick LaneHarwich, Essex2nd
Mersea IslandThe GlebeWest Mersea, Mersey Island, EssexTransferred from Eastern Counties 2
Stanford-le-HopeStanford Recreation GroundStanford-le-Hope, Essex6th
WithamWitham Town Football & Social ClubWitham, Essex8th
Writtle WanderersFox Burrows LaneWrittle, Chelmsford, Essex1st

Essex Canterbury Jack League 1B

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BancroftBuckhurst WayBuckhurst Hill, Essex3rd
DagenhamCentral ParkDagenham, London5th
Ilford WanderersIlford Wanderers Sports GroundIlford, LondonTransferred from London 3 North East
Kings Cross SteelersMemorial Park500Plaistow, London6th
May & BakerM&B Eastbrook Community ClubDagenham, LondonN/A
Old BrentwoodsAshwell Road500Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex7th
Pegasus PalmeriansSt Cleres SchoolStanford-le-Hope, Essex4th

Participating Clubs 2016-17

Essex 1A

Promotion play-offs

From 2004 to 2016 there was a play-off between the runners-up of Eastern Counties 1 and Essex Canterbury Jack 1 for the third and final promotion place to London 3 North East. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2015–16 season the Essex Canterbury Jack 1 teams had been the most successful with seven wins to the Eastern Counties 1 teams five; and the home team had won promotion on eight occasions compared to the away teams four. Since the introduction of London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex at the start of the 2017-18 season the playoff has been cancelled.

Number of league titles