Counties 3 Hertfordshire

Counties 3 Hertfordshire is a tier 9 English Rugby Union league. It is organised by the London and [South East Division Rugby Football Union] for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that traditionally was encompassed by the historic county of Middlesex. Promotion is to Counties 2 Hertfordshire relegation is to the Hertfordshire RFU merit leagues.
Historically the league was a level 8 league but following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it became a level 9 competition and adopted the name Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex, however ahead of the 2025-26 season a decision was taken to split out Hertfordshire RFU and Middlesex RFU clubs.

Participating clubs 2025–26

This was the first season with the league containing only Hertfordshire RFU clubs.
Royston and Chess Valley were promoted to Counties 2 Hertfordshire. Also leaving as part of the division of Herts and Middlesex clubs were Actonians, Finsbury Park and Kilburn Cosmos all promoted to Counties 2 Middlesex. Thamesians moved on a level transfer to Counties 3 Surrey.
Chess Valley II were initially placed in the league but subsequently withdrew leaving eleven clubs to contest the remaining fixtures.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Bishop's Stortford III	Silver Leys	1,600	Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire	New entry
Cheshunt II	Rosedale Sports Club		Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire	New entry
Cuffley	Botany Bay Cricket Club		Botany Bay, London	Re-entry
Fullerians II	Coningsby Drive		Watford, Hertfordshire	New entry
Harpenden II	Redbourn Lane		Harpenden, Hertfordshire	New entry
Hatfield	Briars Lane		Hatfield, Hertfordshire	New entry
Hitchin II	King George V Playing Fields		Hitchin, Hertfordshire	New entry
Old Grammarians	Green Dragon Lane		Winchmore Hill, London	New entry
Stevenage	North Road		Stevenage, Hertfordshire	8th
Watford	Radlett Road		Watford, Hertfordshire	7th
Welwyn II	Hobbs Way		Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire	New entry

Participating clubs 2024–25

Departing were UCS Old Boys and Verulamians promoted to Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex. Three clubs did not return for the new campaign - Bank Lane disbanded in Summer 2024 and merged with London Cornish RFC, Berkhamsted joined Herts RFU Merit South 1 and Uxbridge dropped to Middlesex RFU Merit 2. Joining were Mill Hill who re-entered the RFU league system for the first time since 2021–22.
Hendon began their league campaign but withdrew in October to join the Middlesex RFU Merit leagues. Mill Hill, a re-entry, also subsequently withdrew leaving only eight clubs to contest the remaining fixtures.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Actonians	Old Actonians Sports Ground		Acton, London	7th
Chess Valley	Croxley Guild of Sports		Croxley, Hertfordshire	5th
Finsbury Park	Downhills Park		West Green, London	3rd
Kilburn Cosmos	Gladstone Park		Kilburn, London	11th
Royston	The Heath Sports Centre		Royston, Hertfordshire	4th
Stevenage	North Road		Stevenage, Hertfordshire	12th
Thamesians	Twickenham Green		Twickenham, London	6th
Watford	Radlett Road		Watford, Hertfordshire	8th

Participating clubs 2023–24

Departing were Old Millhillians and Brunel University promoted to Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Joining were Royston, relegated from Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex, together with Berkhamsted, Stevenage and Finsbury Park.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Actonians	Old Actonians Sports Ground		Acton, London	8th
Bank Lane	Bank of England Sports Centre		Roehampton, London	3rd
Berkhamsted	Lockhart Field		Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire	Joined from H&M Merit 2
Chess Valley	Croxley Guild of Sports		Croxley, Hertfordshire	11th
Finsbury Park	Downhills Park		West Green, London	Joined from Middlesex Merit 2
Kilburn Cosmos	Gladstone Park		Kilburn, London	9th
Royston	The Heath Sports Centre		Royston, Hertfordshire	Relegated from Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex
Stevenage Town	North Road		Stevenage, Hertfordshire	Joined from H&M Merit 2
Thamesians	Twickenham Green		Twickenham, London	6th
UCS Old Boys	UCS Sports Ground		Cricklewood, London	5th
Uxbridge	Uxbridge Sports Club		Uxbridge, London	10th
Verulamians	Cotlandswick		London Colney, Hertfordshire	4th
Watford	Radlett Road		Watford, Hertfordshire	7th

Participating clubs 2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review with the league adopting its new name of Counties 3 Herts/Middlesex.
Returning were five of the ten teams from the previous season. Bank of England RFC changed their name to Bank Lane RFC during Summer 2022.
Departing were the top five from the previous season - London Scottish Lions, Barnet Elizabethans, Ealing Trailfinders 1871, Wasps FC and Saracens Amateurs - all promoted to Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex.
Joining were Old Millhillians, Brunel University, Watford, Uxbridge, Chess Valley and UCS Old Boys, all promoted.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Actonians	Old Actonians Sports Ground		Acton, London	10th
Bank Lane	Bank of England Sports Centre		Roehampton, London	7th
Brunel University	Brunel University Sports Park		Uxbridge, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Chess Valley	Croxley Guild of Sports		Croxley, Hertfordshire	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Kilburn Cosmos	Gladstone Park		Kilburn, London	6th
Old Millhillians	Mill Hill School		Mill Hill, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Thamesians	Twickenham Green		Twickenham, London	8th
UCS Old Boys	UCS Sports Ground		Cricklewood, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Uxbridge	Uxbridge Sports Club		Uxbridge, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Verulamians	Cotlandswick		London Colney, Hertfordshire	9th
Watford	Radlett Road		Watford, Hertfordshire	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2

Participating clubs 2021–22

The teams competing in 2021-22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Actonians	Old Actonians Sports Ground		Acton, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Bank Of England	Bank of England Sports Centre		Roehampton, London	7th
Barnet Elizabethans	Byng Road		Chipping Barnet, London	3rd
Ealing Trailfinders 1871	Trailfinders Sports Ground	4,000	West Ealing, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Kilburn Cosmos	Gladstone Park		Kilburn, London	Relegated from London 3 NW
London Scottish Lions	King's House Sports Ground		Chiswick, London	5th
Saracens Amateurs	Bramley Sports Ground		Cockfosters, London	6th
Thamesians	Twickenham Green		Twickenham, London	8th
Verulamians	Cotlandswick		London Colney, Hertfordshire	9th
Wasps FC	Twyford Avenue Sports Ground		Acton, London	4th

Season 2020–21

On 30 October the RFU announced that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 season meaning Herts/Middlesex 1 was not contested.

Participating clubs 2019–20

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Bank Of England	Bank of England Sports Centre		Roehampton, London	7th
Barnet Elizabethans	Byng Road		Chipping Barnet, London	9th
Hendon	Copthall Playing Fields		Hendon, London	3rd
London Scottish Lions	King's House Sports Ground		Chiswick, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Mill Hill	Champions Way		Mill Hill, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Saracens Amateurs	Bramley Sports Ground		Cockfosters, London	8th
St Albans	Boggymead Springs		St Albans, Hertfordshire	4th
Thamesians	Twickenham Green		Twickenham, London	10th
Verulamians	Cotlandswick		London Colney, Hertfordshire	Relegated from London 3 NW
Wasps FC	Twyford Avenue Sports Ground		Acton, London	6th

Participating clubs 2018–19

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Bank Of England	Bank of England Sports Centre		Roehampton, London	3rd
Barnet Elizabethans	Galley Lane		Chipping Barnet, London	6th
Finsbury Park	Downhills Park		West Green, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Hendon	Copthall Playing Fields		Hendon, London	9th
Hitchin	King George V Playing Fields		Hitchin, Hertfordshire	Relegated from London 3 NW
Old Actonians	Old Actonians Sports Ground		Acton, London	7th
Saracens Amateurs	Bramley Sports Ground		Cockfosters, London	5th
St Albans	Boggymead Springs		St Albans, Hertfordshire	Relegated from London 3 NW
Staines	The Reeves		Feltham, London	4th
Thamesians	Twickenham Green		Twickenham, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
UCS Old Boys	UCS Sports Ground		Cricklewood, London	10th
Wasps FC	Twyford Avenue Sports Ground		Acton, London	8th

Participating clubs 2017–18

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Bank Of England	Bank of England Sports Centre		Roehampton, London	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2
Barnet Elizabethans	Galley Lane		Chipping Barnet, London	7th
Hendon	Copthall Playing Fields		Hendon, London	8th
London French	Barn Elms		Barnes, London	3rd
London Welsh	Old Deer Park	5,850	Richmond, London	5th
Old Actonians	Old Actonians Sports Ground		Acton, London	9th
Royston	The Heath Sports Centre		Royston, Hertfordshire	4th
Saracens Amateurs	Bramley Sports Ground		Cockfosters, London	6th
Staines	The Reeves		Feltham, London	Relegated from London 3 North West
UCS Old Boys	UCS Sports Ground		Cricklewood, London	11th
Wasps FC	Twyford Avenue Sports Ground		Acton, London	10th
Watford	Radlett Road		Watford, Hertfordshire	Promoted from Herts/Middlesex 2

Participating clubs 2016–17

Barnet Elizabethans
Hendon '
Hillingdon Abbots
London French
London Welsh Amateur
Old Actonians '
Old Streetonians
Royston
Saracens Amateurs
U.C.S. Old Boys
Old Verulamians
Wasps ''''''

Participating clubs 2015–16

Bank of England
Barnet Elizabethans
Cheshunt
Hillingdon Abbots '
London French '
London Welsh Amateurs
Old Millhillnians
Old Streetonians '
Royston
U.C.S. Old Boys '
Verulamians

Participating clubs 2014–15

Bank of England
Barnet Elizabethans
Cheshunt
Feltham '
Haringey Rhinos
Kilburn Cosmos
London Nigerian '
London Welsh Amateurs
Old Actonians
Old Millhillians
Royston
Verulamians

Participating clubs 2013–14

Bank of England
Barnet Elizabethans '
Belsize Park
Cheshunt '
Hackney
Haringey Rhinos '
Imperial Medicals '
Kilburn Cosmos
Old Actonians
Old Millhillians
Royston
Verulamians

Participating clubs 2012–13

Bank Of England
Belsize Park
Hackney
Harlequin Amateurs
Harrow
Hendon
London Welsh Amateurs
Old Actonians
Old Merchant Taylors'
Old Millhillians
Verulamians
West London

Participating clubs 2009–10

Harlequin Amateurs
Hackney
Hendon
Old Ashmoleians
Verulamians
Old Actonians
Old Priorians
Saracens Amateurs
Wasps

Original teams

When this division was created in 1992 it contained the following teams:

Antlers - promoted from Middlesex 2
Centaurs - promoted from Middlesex 1
Haringey Rhinos - promoted from Middlesex 1
Harrow - promoted from Middlesex 1
Hitchin - promoted from Hertfordshire 1
Hemel Hempstead - relegated from London 3 North West
Hendon - promoted from Middlesex 1
London [New Zealand RFC|London New Zealand] - promoted from Middlesex 1
Old Meadonians - promoted from Middlesex 2
Stevenage Town - promoted from Hertfordshire 1
St. Mary's Hospital - relegated from London 3 North West
Twickenham - promoted from Middlesex 1
Uxbridge - promoted from Middlesex 1

Herts/Middlesex 1 honours

Herts/Middlesex (1992–93)

Originally known as Herts/Middlesex, this division was a tier 8 league with promotion to London 3 North West and relegation to either Hertfordshire 1 or Middlesex 1. The introduction of National 5 South ahead of the 1993–94 season meant that Herts/Middlesex dropped to become a tier 9 league.

Herts/Middlesex 1 (1996–2000)

Restructuring of the leagues by the RFU, which included the cancellation of National 5 South and the merging of the Hertfordshire and Middlesex regional divisions, meant that Herts/Middlesex was renamed as Herts/Middlesex 1 and was once again a tier 8 league. Promotion continued to London 3 North West, while relegation was now to the new Herts/Middlesex 2.

Herts/Middlesex 1 (2000–2009)

The introduction of London 4 North West ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Herts/Middlesex 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league with promotion to this new division. Relegation continued to Herts/Middlesex 2.

Herts/Middlesex 1 (2009–present)

Herts/Middlesex 1 remained a tier 9 league despite national league restructuring by the RFU. Promotion was to London 3 North West and relegation to Herts/Middlesex 2.