Counties 2 Sussex


Counties 2 Sussex is a level 8 English Rugby Union League. It is made up of teams from Sussex with teams playing home and away matches from September through to April. Promoted teams move up to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex relegated teams move down to Harvey’s brewery Counties 3 Sussex. It was previously known as Sussex 1 prior to the RFU Adult Competition Review. It is administered by Sussex Rugby. and the London & SE RFU.
Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

Structure and format

The ten teams play home and away matches making a total of eighteen games each. The results contribute points to the league as follows:
  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 0 points for a loss, however
  • 1 losing point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
  • 1 additional point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match

Teams for 2025–26

Departing the league were Uckfield promoted to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex. Also leaving were Worthing III and Hove II who did not return for the new season.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
Brighton IIWaterhall Playing FieldsBrighton, East Sussex7th
CrawleyWilloughby FieldsCrawley, West Sussex5th
DitchlingDitchling Recreation GroundDitchling, East Sussex6th
Eastbourne II Park AvenueEastbourne, East SussexNew entry
East GrinsteadSaint HillEast Grinstead, West SussexRelegated from Counties 1 Sry/Ssx
Jersey RoyalsGrainville Playing FieldsSt Saviour, JerseyNew entry
LewesStanley Turner GroundLewes, East Sussex8th
PulboroughFreelandsPulborough, West Sussex2nd
SeafordSalts Recreation GroundSeaford, East Sussex3rd
ShorehamBuckingham ParkShoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex4th

Teams for 2024–25

Departing the league were Haywards Heath, promoted to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex whilst Burgess Hill dropped out the competition. Coming in were Lewes, Hove 2XV and Ditchling.
The London & SE RFU published fixtures for the league in June 2024.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
Brighton IIWaterhall Playing FieldsBrighton, East Sussex4th
CrawleyWilloughby FieldsCrawley, West Sussex8th
DitchlingDitchling Recreation GroundDitchling, East SussexRe-entry
Hove IIHove Recreation GroundHove, East SussexRe-entry
LewesStanley Turner GroundLewes, East SussexRe-entry
PulboroughFreelandsPulborough, West Sussex3rd
SeafordSalts Recreation GroundSeaford, East Sussex6th
ShorehamBuckingham ParkShoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex2nd
UckfieldHempstead Playing FieldsUckfield, East Sussex7th
Worthing IIIRoundstone LaneAngmering, West Sussex5th

Teams for 2023–24

Departing the league were East Grinstead and Eastbourne, both promoted to Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex. Lewes did not return having finished 10th the previous season. In their place came Brighton 2XV and Worthing 3XV meaning the league ran with 9 sides.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
Brighton IIWaterhall Playing FieldsBrighton, East SussexNew-entry
Burgess HillSouthway Recreation GroundBurgess Hill, West Sussex7th
CrawleyWilloughby FieldsCrawley, West Sussex9th
Haywards HeathWhitemans GreenCuckfield, West Sussex3rd
PulboroughFreelandsPulborough, West Sussex4th
SeafordSalts Recreation GroundSeaford, East Sussex8th
ShorehamBuckingham ParkShoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex6th
UckfieldHempstead Playing FieldsUckfield, East Sussex5th
Worthing IIIRoundstone LaneAngmering, West SussexNew entry

Teams for 2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Sussex 1 but was supplemented by two teams from London 3 South East - Crawley and Pulborough - and the addition of Shoreham and Haywards Heath.
Haywards Heath had won London 2 South East in 2019–20 and were scheduled to join London 1 South but with the leagues being abandoned for 2020–21 this did not happen and ahead of the 2021–22 season they withdrew from the league
Despite winning Sussex 1 East Grinstead were not promoted since the league they would have been promoted to, London 3 South East, was disbanded and Counties 2 Sussex was itself a level 8 league as London 3 South East had been. For East Grinstead the achievement was nevertheless significant as they continued their recovery having elected to take voluntary relegation to the Sussex Intermediate League in 2016 due to being left insolvent after their director pulled out of the club.
Hellingly and Hove 2XV who had finished 7th and 8th respectively in Sussex 1 the previous season did not return.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
Burgess HillSouthway Recreation GroundBurgess Hill, West Sussex4th Sussex 1
CrawleyWilloughby FieldsCrawley, West Sussex12th L3SE
Eastbourne Park AvenueEastbourne, East Sussex3rd Sussex 1
East GrinsteadSaint HillEast Grinstead, West Sussex1st Sussex 1
Haywards HeathWhitemans GreenCuckfield, West SussexRe-entry
LewesStanley Turner GroundLewes, East Sussex5th Sussex 1
PulboroughFreelandsPulborough, West Sussex10th L3SE
SeafordSalts Recreation GroundSeaford, East Sussex6th Sussex 1
ShorehamBuckingham ParkShoreham-By-Sea, West SussexRe-entry
UckfieldHempstead Playing FieldsUckfield, East Sussex2nd Sussex 1