Current season or competition: 2003–04 East Midlands 1 | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 |
Ceased | 2004 |
Number of teams | 9 |
Country | England |
Holders | Biggleswade (3rd title) (2003–04) (promoted to Midlands 4 East (South)) |
Most titles | Biggleswade (3 titles) |
Website | East Midlands RFU |
East Midlands 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and parts of Cambridgeshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 East (North) (formerly Midlands East 2) and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands 2. Originally a feeder league for East Midlands/Leicestershire, it ran for three spells between 1987–1992, 1996–1998 (as East Midlands) and 2000–2004.
At the end of the 2003–04 season the East Midlands leagues were restructured and the majority of teams in East Midlands 1 were transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 division.
When league rugby began in 1987, this division contained the following teams:
The original East Midlands 1 was a tier 8 league. Promotion was to East Midlands/Leicestershire and relegation to East Midlands 2. At the end of the 1991–92 season all of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues were merged and most sides in East Midlands 1 transferred to the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 2. [lower-alpha 2]
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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1987–88 | 11 | Wellingborough | St Neots | Dunstablians, Wellingborough Old Grammarians | [2] | |||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Biggleswade | Ampthill | St Neots | [3] | |||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Ampthill | Northampton Men's Own | Corby | [4] | |||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Northampton BBOB | Brackley | Old Northamptonians, Daventry, Rushden & Higham | [5] | |||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Long Buckby [lower-alpha 3] | St Neots [lower-alpha 4] | No relegation [lower-alpha 5] | [6] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
After an absence of four seasons the division was reintroduced, this time as East Midlands, sitting at tier 10 of the league system. Promotion was to East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 and there was no relegation. Remerging of all the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues meant that East Midlands was cancelled at the end of the 1997–98 season and the majority of teams transferred into East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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1996–97 | 10 | Deepings | Northampton Casuals | No relegation | [7] | |||||||||
1997–98 | 10 | Northampton Casuals | Oundle [lower-alpha 6] | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |
An East Midlands division returned for the third time, this time renamed back to East Midlands 1 and rising to become a tier 9 league following the cancellation of the East Midlands/Leicestershire leagues at the end of the 1999–00 season. [lower-alpha 7] Promotion was to the newly introduced Midlands 4 East (South) and relegation to East Midlands 2. East Midlands 1 was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season and most teams transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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2000–01 | 11 | Biggleswade | Bugbrooke | Bedford Swifts | [9] | |||||||||
2001–02 | 10 | Northampton BBOB | Rushden & Higham | Deepings, St Ives | [10] | |||||||||
2002–03 | 9 | Daventry | Biddenham | Bedford Queens, Kempston | [11] | |||||||||
2003–04 | 9 | Biggleswade | Vauxhall Motors [lower-alpha 8] | No relegation [lower-alpha 9] | [12] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |
Regional 2 East Midlands is an English level 6 rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in the eastern region of the Midlands, including sides from Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and occasionally Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Midlands 2 East, and has been restructured several times, most notably as a single division known as Midlands 2 between 1992 and 2000, and Midlands 1 East before regionalising again to its present format as part of England Rugby's Future Competition Structure change at the start of the 2022-23 season.
Midlands 3 East (North) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the occasional team from Leicestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 East (North).
Midlands 4 East (South) is a level 9 English Rugby Union league and level 4 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and occasionally Cambridgeshire, all of whom play home and away matches throughout the season. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Midlands 3 East (South) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and occasionally Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, all of whom play home and away matches throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 East (South).
Regional 2 West Midlands is an English level 6 rugby union league for rugby clubs in the western region of the Midlands. It includes sides from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands, Worcestershire and occasionally Cheshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Oxfordshire. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Midlands 2 West, and has been restructured several times, most notably as a single division known as Midlands 2 between 1992 and 2000. It has been called Regional 2 West Midlands since 2022–23.
Midlands 2 East (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the occasional team from Leicestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 2 East (North).
Midlands 2 East (South) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the East Midlands region including sides from Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and occasionally Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, who play home and away matches throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 2 East (South).
Staffordshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 5 West (North) and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire 2 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season. Staffordshire 1 was itself cancelled one year later at the end of the 2004–05 campaign, with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (North).
North Midlands (South) 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to North Midlands 1 and since the cancellation of North Midlands 3 at the end of the 2003–04 season there was no relegation. North Midlands (South) 2 was itself cancelled at the end of the 2005–06 campaign and the majority of teams transferred to the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (South-West).
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 East (North) and relegated teams dropped to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 2.
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 and relegated teams dropped to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 3.
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 3 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 2 and since the cancellation of Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 4 at the end of the 1995–96 season there was no relegation.
East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 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) and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
East Midlands 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and parts of Cambridgeshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands 1 and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands 3 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season. Restructuring of the East Midlands leagues at the end of the 2003–04 campaign meant that East Midlands 2 was discontinued and the majority of teams transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2 division.
East Midlands 3 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and parts of Cambridgeshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands 2 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 1991–92 season the division was cancelled due to the merging of all of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues, and the majority of teams transferred into the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 3
East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, parts of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands/Leicestershire 3.
East Midlands/Leicestershire 3 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, parts of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands/Leicestershire 4 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1995–96 season.
East Midlands/Leicestershire 4 was a tier 13 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, parts of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands/Leicestershire 3 and there was no relegation. At the end of the 1995–96 season the division was cancelled following the splitting of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues.
Leicestershire 1 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Leicestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 and relegated teams dropped to Leicestershire 2. The league ran for two spells between 1987–1992 and 1996–1998 before it was permanently cancelled and the majority of teams transferred into either East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 or East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
Leicestershire 2 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Leicestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Leicestershire 1 and there was no relegation. The league ran for two spells between 1987–1992 and 1996–1998 before it was permanently cancelled and all teams transferred into East Midlands/Leicestershire 3.