Northamptonshire is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland, and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire to the south, and Warwickshire to the west. Northampton is the largest settlement and the county town.
The United Counties League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of northern Bedfordshire, northern Buckinghamshire, most of Cambridgeshire, southern Derbyshire, southern Leicestershire, most of Lincolnshire, western Norfolk, Northamptonshire, southern Nottinghamshire, northern Oxfordshire, Rutland, eastern Staffordshire, eastern Warwickshire and eastern West Midlands. It has a total of five divisions, three for first teams and two for reserve teams, but the reserves' divisions were merged into a single division for the 2013–14 season and remains so at present.
The South Midlands is an area of England which includes Northamptonshire, the northern parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and the western part of Bedfordshire. Unlike the East Midlands or West Midlands, the South Midlands is not one of the NUTS statistical regions of the United Kingdom.
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).
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).
Bedford Athletic Rugby Club is a rugby union team based in Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire. The club currently play in the fifth tier of the English rugby union system, participating in Regional 1 South East after being promoted from Midlands 1 East and via a level-transfer from Midlands Premier at the end of the 2017–18 season. The club runs two senior sides, a veterans team and a colts team. There is currently no junior section at Bedford Athletic.
The North Midlands Rugby Football Union is a governing body for rugby union in part of The Midlands, England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union for the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and the Greater Birmingham area.
The Leicestershire Rugby Union (LRU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for those counties. The LRU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in those two counties and administers the Leicestershire county rugby representative teams.
The Buckinghamshire Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Buckinghamshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Buckinghamshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Buckinghamshire county rugby representative teams. The union was founded at a meeting at High Wycombe on 16 July 1949 during a drinking session at one of the founders house.
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 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) 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 and 2000–2004.
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.
