Eastern Counties 5

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

• Bancroft
• Dereham
• Haverhill & District
• London Hospital{{efn|Since 1995 have been known as St Barts and The Royal London RFC.}}
• Loughton
• March{{efn|Currently known as March Bears RUFC.}}
• Norwich Union
• Old Brentwoods
• Orwell
• Sawston
• Swaffham
• Thurston

The original Eastern Counties 5 was a tier 12 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 4 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 6 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season.{{cite web |url=http://files.pitchero.com/counties/76/1441812607.pdf |title=EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION HANDBOOK 2015/16 |publisher=Eastern Counties RU |accessdate=12 June 2019 |archive-date=12 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812154713/http://files.pitchero.com/counties/76/1441812607.pdf |url-status=dead }}

|-

! style="background:#efefef; width:80px;"|Season

! style="background:#efefef; width:50px;"|No of Teams

! style="background:#efefef; width:175px;"|Champions

! style="background:#efefef; width:200px;"|Runners–up

! style="background:#efefef; width:175px;"|Relegated Teams

|- align=left

| 1987–88{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988-89|date=1989|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Bancroft || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Old Brentwoods || Orwell

|-

| 1988–89{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989-90|date=1990|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 9 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| London Hospital || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Loughton || Sawston

|-

| 1989–90{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990-91|date=1991|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 10 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Haverhill & District || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Thames Sports || Chigwell

|-

| 1990–91{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991-92|date=1992|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 9 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Dereham || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Old Cooperians || No relegation{{efn|No relegation as league was to increase from 9 to 11 teams for the following season.}}

|-

| 1991–92{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992-93|date=1993|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 11 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Ongar || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Hadleigh{{efn|Restructuring of the Eastern Counties leagues due to the cancellation of Eastern Counties 6 at the end of the season, meant that all eleven teams were promoted from the division into Eastern Counties 4.}} || No relegation{{efn|No relegation due to cancellation of Eastern Counties 6 at the end of the season.}}

|-

| 1992–93{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993-94|date=1994|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 11 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| May & Baker || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Broadland || No relegation

|-

| colspan="15" style="border:0; font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"| Green backgrounds are promotion places.

|}

The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 5 dropped from a tier 12 league to a tier 13 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 4 and there was no relegation.

|-

! style="background:#efefef; width:80px;"|Season

! style="background:#efefef; width:50px;"|No of Teams

! style="background:#efefef; width:175px;"|Champions

! style="background:#efefef; width:200px;"|Runners–up

! style="background:#efefef; width:175px;"|Relegated Teams

|- align=left

| 1993–94{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994-95|date=1995|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Mersea Island || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Mayfield Old Boys || No relegation

|-

| 1994–95{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995-96|date=1996|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 7 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Sawston || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Rayleigh || No relegation

|-

| 1995–96{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996-97|date=1997|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 6 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Norwich Union || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Stanford Le Hope || No relegation

|-

| colspan="15" style="border:0; font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"| Green backgrounds are promotion places.

|}

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 5 once more became a tier 12 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 4 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 1996–97 Eastern Counties 5 was discontinued and all teams transferred into Eastern Counties 4.

|-

! style="background:#efefef; width:80px;"|Season

! style="background:#efefef; width:50px;"|No of Teams

! style="background:#efefef; width:175px;"|Champions

! style="background:#efefef; width:200px;"|Runners–up

! style="background:#efefef; width:175px;"|Relegated Teams

|- align=left

| 1996–97{{cite book|last1=|first1=|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997-98|date=1998|publisher=|location=|isbn=|pages=}} || style="text-align: center;"| 9 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Millwall || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Swaffham{{efn|The cancellation of Eastern Counties 5 at the end of the season meant that all clubs were promoted into Eastern Counties 4.}} || No relegation

|-

| colspan="15" style="border:0; font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"| Green backgrounds are promotion places.

|}

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Bancroft (1)
• Dereham (1)
• Haverhill & District (1)
• London Hospital (1)
• May & Baker (1)
• Mersea Island (1)
• Millwall (1)
• Norwich Union (1)
• Ongar (1)
• Sawston (1)

{{div col end}}

• London & SE Division RFU
• Eastern Counties RU
• Essex RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|3}}

{{Rugby union in England}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern Counties 5}}

Category:Defunct rugby union leagues in England

Category:Rugby union in Essex

Category:Rugby union in Cambridgeshire

Category:Rugby union in Norfolk

Category:Rugby union in Suffolk