London 3 Essex


London 3 Essex is an English rugby union league that is at the eighth level of the English rugby union system and is available to club sides based in Essex and north-east London. Promoted teams move up to London 2 North East with league champions going up automatically and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from London 3 Eastern Counties, while demoted teams usually drop down to Essex Canterbury Jack 1, with new teams also coming up from this league. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a level 8 national competition.
The division was created for the 2017-18 as part of an RFU reorganization of the London & South East regional league. Originally there had been a London 3 North East league which had involved teams from Essex and north-east London along with teams from the Eastern Counties. Due to the distances involved for teams travelling potentially from London to Norfolk and vice versa, at the end of the 2016–17 season this league was discontinued. Teams in Essex and north-east London who had played in London 3 North East were transferred into the new look London 3 Essex along with additional promoted teams from the Essex regional leagues, while the Eastern Counties sides went into another new division called London 3 Eastern Counties.

Participating Teams 2019-20

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BarkingGoresbrook1,000Becontree, London9th
BasildonGardiners CloseBasildon, EssexRelegated from London 2 NE
BraintreeRobbswoodBraintree, Essex3rd
CampionCottons ParkRomford, London8th
ChelmsfordCoronation ParkChelmsford, Essex4th
East LondonMemorial ParkWest Ham, LondonRunners up
HarlowLatton ParkHarlow, EssexRelegated from London 2 NE
Ilford WanderersIlford Wanderers Sports GroundIlford, London5th
Kings Cross SteelersMemorial Park500Plaistow, London6th
MavericksWarley Playing FieldWarley, Brentwood, EssexPromoted from Essex 1
Old CooperiansCoopers' Company & Corborn SchoolUpminster, London7th
UpminsterHall LaneUpminster, LondonPromoted from Essex 1

Participating Teams 2018-19

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BarkingGoresbrook1,000Becontree, LondonRelegated from London 2 SE
BraintreeRobbswoodBraintree, Essex3rd
CampionCottons ParkRomford, London7th
Canvey IslandTewkes CreekCanvey Island, Essex5th
Chelmsford RFCCoronation ParkChelmsford, EssexRelegated from London 2 NE
East LondonMemorial ParkWest Ham, London4th
Epping Upper ClaptonUpland RoadThornwood, Epping, EssexRelegated from London 2 NE
Ilford WanderersIlford Wanderers Sports GroundIlford, LondonPromoted from Essex 1
Kings Cross SteelersMemorial Park500Plaistow, LondonPromoted from Essex 1
MaldonDrapers Farm Playing FieldsHeybridge, Essex6th
MillwallMillwall ParkIsle of Dogs, LondonRunners up
Old CooperiansCoopers' Company & Corborn SchoolUpminster, LondonRelegated from London 2 NE

Participating Teams 2017-18

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BasildonGardiners CloseBasildon, Essex8th
BraintreeRobbswoodBraintree, EssexPromoted from Essex Canterbury Jack 1
CampionCottons ParkRomford, Havering, LondonRelegated from London 2 North East
Canvey IslandTewkes CreekCanvey Island, EssexPromoted from Essex Canterbury Jack 1
ClactonValley RoadClacton-on-Sea, EssexPromoted from Essex Canterbury Jack 1
East LondonMemorial ParkWest Ham, London3rd
MaldonDrapers Farm Playing FieldsHeybridge, EssexPromoted from Essex Canterbury Jack 1
MavericksWarley Playing FieldWarley, Brentwood, EssexInvited from Essex Merit Leagues
MillwallMillwall ParkIsle of Dogs, LondonPromoted from Essex Canterbury Jack 1
UpminsterHall LaneUpminster, London7th

London 3 Essex Honours

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2017–18 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex for the third and final promotion place to London 3 North East. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the London 3 Eastern Counties have been the most successful with two wins to the London 3 Essex teams none; and the home team has won promotion on two occasions compared to the away teams none.

Number of league titles