Eastern Counties 4 was an English level 12

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league that was divided into two regional divisions - north and south - with teams from

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Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

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and

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taking part. Promoted teams used to move up to the relevant division in

Eastern Counties 3 Eastern Counties 3 is an English level 11 Rugby Union league, currently divided into 3 regional leagues (north, south, west). Promoted teams moved up to the relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 2 while since the abolition of Eastern ...

and relegation was to

Eastern Counties 5 Eastern Counties 5 was an English level 13 Rugby Union league with teams from Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk taking part. Promoted teams used to move up to Eastern Counties 4 and relegation was to Eastern Counties 6 until that div ...

until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1996–97 season. The league was originally abolished in 1999–00 due to East Counties restructuring and teams moved up to higher divisions, only to be reinstated in 2014-15 due to further league restructuring that allowed more 2nd and 3rd teams to take part. It was abolished again at the end of the 2016–17 season.

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams: * Campion * Clacton * Fakenham *

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* Mayfield Old Boys * NELPOB * Old Bealonians * Old Palmerians * Rayleigh * Stowmarket

East Counties 4 honours

Eastern Counties 4 (1987–1993)

The original Eastern Counties 4 was a tier 11 league with promotion up to

and relegation down to

Eastern Counties 4 (1993–1996)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 4 dropped from a tier 11 league to a tier 12 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to

and

respectively.

Eastern Counties 4 (1996–1997)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 4 reverted to being a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to

, while the cancellation of

at the end of the 1996–97 meant there would be no relegation.

Eastern Counties 4 (1997–2000)

Ahead of the 1997–98 season Eastern Counties 4 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - with both divisions remaining as tier 11 leagues. Promotion continued to

- now also regionalised into north and south divisions - while the cancellation of

at the end of the 1996–97 season meant there was no relegation. At the end of the 1999–00 season Eastern Counties 4 was cancelled and the majority of teams transferred into Eastern Counties 3.

Eastern Counties 4 (2014–2017)

After an absence of thirteen years, Eastern Counties 4 was re-introduced as a tier 12 league ahead of the 2014–15 season, split into two regional divisions - north and south. Promotion was to one of the regional divisions in

- north, south or west - and there was no relegation. Eastern Counties 4 was cancelled for the second time at the end of the 2016–17 season.

Number of league titles

* Haverhill & District (2) * Bancroft (1) *

Beccles Beccles ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 and A12 roads, north-east of London as the crow fli ...

(1) * Billericay (1) * Brightlingsea (1) * Campion (1) * Colchester IV (1) * Fakenham II (1) *

(1) * Hadleigh (1) * Hadleigh II (1) * London Hospital (1) * March (1) * Millwall (1) * Old Brentwoods (1) * Southwold II (1) * Swaffham II (1) * Thames Sports (1) * Thetford II (1) *

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...

(1) * Witham (1)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern Counties 4 Defunct rugby union leagues in England Rugby union in Essex Rugby union in Cambridgeshire Rugby union in Norfolk Rugby union in Suffolk