Lancs/Cheshire Division Two

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Lancs/Cheshire Division 2
Current season or competition:
England Rugby text logo.svg
SportRugby union
Instituted1987; 34 years ago (1987)
Number of teams9
Country England
Holders (2nd title) (2019–20)
(promoted to Lancs/Cheshire 1)
Most titles (5 titles)
WebsiteEngland RFU

Lancs/Cheshire Division Two (usually referred to as Lancs/Cheshire 2) was a regional English Rugby Union league for teams in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester at level 9 of the English rugby union system. Teams are promoted up into Lancs/Cheshire 1 and since the cancellation of Lancs/Cheshire 3 at the end of the 2019–20 season there is no relegation.

The division was initially known as North-West West 2 when it was created in 1987, and had a number of different names since with South Lancs/Cheshire 2 being the longest running. The division switched to its current name for the 2018–19 season due to the restructuring of the northern leagues by the RFU as a result of 19 Lancashire clubs withdrawing from RFU competitions across the leagues to form their own competitions.[1] Each season three teams from Lancs/Cheshire 2 are picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase (a national competition for clubs at levels 9-12) - two clubs affiliated with the Cheshire RFU, the other with the Lancashire RFU.

The division had a break for the 2015-16 season as the RFU decided to restructure the South Lancs/Cheshire league into three zones - Merseyside (West), Cheshire (South) and Lancashire (North). This was short-lived and the division returned to its original format for the 2016-17 season - with only Lancashire (North) remaining of the three zones.

Since the introduction of North 2 West at tier 7 for the 2019–20 season, all Lancs/Cheshire leagues have dropped one level, with Lancs/Cheshire Division Two now ranked at level 9.

The after the cancellation of Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season [2] due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league was disbanded with teams transferred into the Lancashire Merit Table competitions, ADM Lancashire leagues or level transferred into other regional leagues.

Teams 2019–20[]

Teams 2018–19[]

Teams 2017–18[]

Participating Clubs 2016-17[]

  • Dukinfield
  • Eagle
  • Heaton Moor
  • Hoylake (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 1)
  • Liverpool Collegiate
  • Marple
  • Moore
  • Oldershaw
  • Port Sunlight
  • Ruskin Park (prompted from Merseyside (West))
  • Tyldesley
  • Vagabonds R.U.F.C.
  • Winnington Park (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 1)

2015-16[]

For the 2015-16 season this league, and South Lancs/Cheshire 3, were replaced by three county-wide leagues - Cheshire (South), Merseyside (West) and Lancashire (North). However, with the exception of Lancashire North, the county leagues were axed after just one season and the South Lancs/Cheshire leagues were restored.

Participating Clubs 2014-15[]

  • Ashton-on-Mersey (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 1)
  • Dukinfield
  • Liverpool Collegiate
  • Marple
  • Moore
  • Ormskirk
  • Orrell
  • Oswestry
  • Port Sunlight
  • Prenton (promoted from South Lancs/Cheshire 3)
  • Southport
  • Trentham (promoted from South Lancs/Cheshire 3)
  • Tyldesley (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 1)
  • Vagabonds (I.O.M.)

Participating Clubs 2013-14[]

  • Bowdon (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 1)
  • Dukinfield
  • Liverpool Collegiate
  • Manchester Medics (promoted from South Lancs/Cheshire 3)
  • Marple
  • Moore
  • Ormskirk
  • Orrell (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 1)
  • Oswestry
  • Port Sunlight (promoted from South Lancs/Cheshire 3)
  • Ramsey (IoM)
  • Southport
  • Vagabonds (I.O.M.)
  • Wallasey

Original teams[]

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

Lancs/Cheshire 2 honours[]

North-West West 2 (1987–1992)[]

The original incarnation of Lancs/Cheshire 2 was known as North-West West 2, and was a tier 10 league with promotion up to North-West West 1 and relegation down to North-West West 3.

North-West West 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1987–88 11 ,
1988–89 10
1989–90 11
1990–91 11 Vagabonds
1991–92 11 [b] No relegation[c]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Cheshire / Lancashire South (1992–1996)[]

Restructuring of north-west leagues saw North-West West 2 split into two new regional divisions named Cheshire and Lancashire South. Both regional divisions were initially at tier 10 but the creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that they both dropped to become tier 11 leagues. Promotion was to the newly named Cheshire/Lancs South (formerly North-West West 1), while the cancellation of North-West West 3 meant that there was no relegation until further league restructuring at the end of the 1995–96 season.

Cheshire / Lancashire South
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams League Name
1992–93 11 No relegation Cheshire
10 Sefton No relegation Lancashire South
1993–94 10 No relegation Cheshire
9 No relegation Lancashire South
1994–95 10 No relegation Cheshire
10 No relegation Lancashire South
1995–96 10 Multiple teams[d] Cheshire
10 Southport Multiple teams[e] Lancashire South
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (1996–2000)[]

The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season. Firstly, as part of the reorganisation of the Cheshire and Lancashire leagues, the two regional divisions Cheshire and Lancashire were merged back into a single division called South/Lancs Cheshire 2. The cancellation of National 5 North and creation of North West 3 meant that South Lancs/Cheshire 2 was a tier 11 league, with promotion to South/Lancs Cheshire 1 (formerly Cheshire/Lancs South) and relegation to the newly formed South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (previously North-West West 3).

South Lancs/Cheshire 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1996–97 10 Southport ,
1997–98 10 ,
1998–99[4] 9
1999–00[5] 10 , ,
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (2000–2015)[]

Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999-2000 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 (tiers 7-9). This meant that South/Lancs Cheshire 2 became a tier 8 league. At the end of 2014–15 season South Lancs/Cheshire 2 and South Lancs/Cheshire 3 were discontinued and all teams were transferred into Cheshire (South), Lancashire (North) or Merseyside (West).

South Lancs/Cheshire 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2000–01[6] 12
2001–02[7] 12 Wirral Southport ,
2002–03[8] 12 ,
2003–04[9] 12 Sandbach ,
2004–05[10] 11 ,
2005–06[11] 12 Sale FC Southport, Manchester Wanderers
2006–07[12] 11 Wigan
2007–08[13] 12 ,
2008–09[14] 12 [f] No relegation[g]
2009–10[15] 13
2010–11[16] 14 Orrell ,
2011–12[17] 14 ,
2012–13[18] 14 Sefton Douglas ,
2013–14[19] 14 Manchester Medics , Ramsey
2014–15[20] 14 ,
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (2016–2018)[]

After just one season Cheshire (South) and Merseyside (West) were discontinued and South Lancs/Cheshire 2 and South Lancs/Cheshire 3 reinstated for the 2016–17 seasons with all clubs transferred back into these divisions.

South Lancs/Cheshire 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2016–17[21] 12 No relegation[h]
2017–18[22] 12 Winnington Park , Vagabonds
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Lancs/Cheshire 2 (2018–present)[]

A further restructure for the 2018–19 season saw South Lancs/Cheshire 2 renamed to Lancs/Cheshire 2. The cancellation of South Lancs/Cheshire 3 at the end of the 2019–20 season meant that there was no longer relegation, although promotion still continued to Lancs/Cheshire 1. The introduction of North 2 West for the 2019–20 season saw Lancs/Cheshire drop to become a tier 9 league.

South Lancs/Cheshire 2
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
2018–19[23] 11 ,
2019–20[24] 9 Vagabonds No relegation
2020–21 9[i]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Old Instonians would merge with Old Rockferrians to form in 1992.[3]
  2. ^ The North-West West leagues would be reorganised for the following season with North-West West 2 being split into two regional divisions (Cheshire and South Lancashire), while North-West West 3 would be cancelled. This meant that five clubs were promoted including , and . The rest of the clubs would be transferred into the regional divisions - and would go into Cheshire, while Sefton, and would go into Lancashire South. Rockferrians would merge with Old Intonians to form and join Cheshire for 1992–93.
  3. ^ There was no relegation due to restructuring for the following season which would see North-West West 3 disbanded and North-West West 2 be split into two regional leagues - Cheshire and Lancashire South.
  4. ^ The restructuring of the Cheshire/Lancs leagues for the following season would see five clubs from Cheshire relegated to the new divisions - , , , would drop two levels to South Lancs/Cheshire 4 while and would drop to South Lancs/Cheshire 3. Bottom side would drop out of the leagues at the end of the season.
  5. ^ The restructuring of the Cheshire/Lancs leagues for the following season would see seven clubs from Lancashire South relegated to the new divisions - and would drop two levels to South Lancs/Cheshire 4 while , , Douglas, and would drop to South Lancs/Cheshire 3.
  6. ^ 3rd place also promoted.
  7. ^ No relegation as division due to increase from 12 to 13 teams for the following season.
  8. ^ Due to the restructuring of the South Lancs/Cheshire leagues for the following season there was no relegation.
  9. ^ 2 teams from the newly restructured Lancs/Cheshire Division Two dropped out of the RFU leagues to join the ADM Lancashire Leagues.
  10. ^ victories includes two league titles when the club was known as Old Anselmians.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "North West league restructuring (June 14 2018)". RFU North. 14 June 2018.
  2. ^ "RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season". RFU. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  3. ^ "HISTORY". Prenton RUFC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. ^ "1998-99 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. ^ "1999-00 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  6. ^ "2000-01 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  7. ^ "2001-02 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  8. ^ "2002-03 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  9. ^ "2003-04 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  10. ^ "2004-05 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  11. ^ "2005-06 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  12. ^ "2006-07 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  13. ^ "2007-08 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  14. ^ "2008-09 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  15. ^ "2009-10 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  16. ^ "2010-11 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  17. ^ "2011-12 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  18. ^ "2012-13 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  19. ^ "2013-14 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  20. ^ "2014-15 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  21. ^ "2016-17 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  22. ^ "2017-18 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  23. ^ "2018-19 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  24. ^ "Men's North Level 8 and below leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
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