| Current season or competition: | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987(as East Midlands/Leicestershire) |
| Ceased | 2000 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country | |
| Holders | Melton Mowbray (1st title) (1999–00) (promoted to Midlands 4 East (North)) |
| Most titles | Multiple teams (1 title) |
East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 (formerly East Midlands/Leicestershire) was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, parts of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 East (North) (formerly Midlands East 2) and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
At the end of the 1999–00 season the East Midlands/Leicestershire leagues split. Most teams in East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 were transferred into either Midlands 4 East (South) or Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East.
When league rugby began in 1987 this division (then known as East Midlands/Leicestershire) contained the following teams:
Originally known as East Midlands/Leicestershire, it was a tier 7 league with promotion to Midlands 2 East and relegation to either East Midlands 1 or Leicestershire 1.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | Stewart & Lloyds | Towcestrians | Melton Mowbray, South Leicester | [1] | |||||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | Towcestrians | Wellingborough | Wigston, Loughborough | [2] | |||||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | Biggleswade | Wellingborough | Hinckley, Oadby Wyggestonian | [3] | |||||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | Bedford Athletic | Belgrave | Northampton Trinity Old Boys, Long Buckby | [4] | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | Hinckley [c] | Stoneygate [d] | Aylestone St James [e] | [5] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Restructuring saw the division renamed as East Midlands/Leicestershire 1, dropping two levels to become a tier 9 league. Promotion and relegation was now to the newly introduced Midlands East 2 and East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | 13 | Kibworth | Loughborough | St Ives | [6] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
The top six teams from Midlands 1 and the top six from North 1 were combined to create National 5 North, meaning that East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 dropped another level to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Midlands East 2 and relegation to East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | Huntingdon & District | Oadby Wyggestonian | Brackley | [7] | |||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | Old Northamptonians | Bedford Queens | Daventry, Old Bosworthians | [8] | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | Northampton Men's Own | Bedford Queens [f] | No relegation [g] | [9] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 North was discontinued and East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 returned to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Midlands East 2 while relegation was now to East Midlands or Leicestershire 1.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 16 | Luton | Oakham | No relegation [h] | [10] | |||||||||
| 1997–98 | 17 | Leicester Forest | Loughborough Students | Multiple teams [i] | [11] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
East Midlands/Leicestershire remained a tier 9 league for the 1998–99 season. Promotion continued to Midlands East 2 but relegation was to the reintroduced East Midlands/Leicestershire 2. At the end of the 1999–00 campaign the league was cancelled and teams either transferred into the new Midlands 4 East (South) and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East divisions or dropping out of the league system altogether.
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 12 | Market Bosworth | Loughborough Students | Bedford Queens | [12] [j] | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | 12 | Melton Mowbray [k] | Loughborough Students [l] | No relegation [m] | [13] [n] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||