Current season or competition: 2024-25 Counties 1 Midlands East (South) | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1992 | (as Midlands East 1)
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Website | England RFU |
Counties 1 Midlands East (South) (formerly Midlands 2 East (South)) is a level 7 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 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, saw it changed to Midlands 2 East (South) and post the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name.
Promoted teams tend to move up to Regional Midlands 2 East or occasionally to Regional 2 Midlands North. Relegated teams drop to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Departing were Daventry and Market Bosworth, both promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East, whilst Oakham and Long Buckby were relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Joining were Newbold on Avon and Towcestrians, both relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East together with Stewarts & Lloyds and Biggleswade, both promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
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Departing were Wellingborough, promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East, whilst Dunstablians, St. Ives and Northampton Casuals were relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Joining were Peterborough Lions and Old Laurentians, both relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East together with Daventry and Spalding, both promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
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This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review [1] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 1 Midlands East (South)).
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
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After leading the division from matchday 1, Huntingdon & District were pipped to the title by Bugbrooke by way of bonus points on the season's final day. Huntingdon were promoted alongside Bugbrooke to Midlands 1 East following a playoff victory over the second placed team from Midlands 2 East (North), Oakham. Biggleswade joined Vipers in the relegation places following a final day defeat to Oadby Wyggestonians.
Teams in Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South) were originally part of a single division called Midlands 1 East, which contained the following sides when it was introduced in 1992:
Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South) were originally part of a single tier 7 division called Midlands East 1. Promotion was to Midlands 2 and relegation to Midlands East 2 [a] .
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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1992–93 | 13 | Belgrave | Hinckley | Dronfield, West Bridford | [3] | |||||||||
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 Midlands 1 East dropped to become a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Midlands 2 and Midlands East 2.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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1993–94 | 13 | Hinckley | Scunthorpe | Nottingham Moderns, Luton | [4] | |||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Scunthorpe | Long Buckby | Chesterfield, Northampton BBOB, Wellingborough | [5] | |||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Kettering | Huntingdon & District [b] | No relegation [c] | [6] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |
At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 North was discontinued and Midlands East 1 returned to being a tier 7 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Midlands 2 and Midlands East 2.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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1996–97 | 17 | Nottingham Moderns | Old Northamptonians | Northampton BBOB, Biggleswade, Amber Valley | [7] | |||||||||
1997–98 | 17 | Lincoln | Northampton Old Scouts | Ashbourne | [8] | |||||||||
1998–99 | 17 | Wellingborough | Dunstablians | Coalville, Vipers | ||||||||||
1999–00 | 17 | Dunstablians | Luton | No relegation [d] | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |
Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season saw Midlands East 1 split into two tier 7 regional leagues - Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South). Promotion was now to Midlands 2 East (formerly Midlands 2) and relegation to Midlands 4 East (South) (formerly Midlands East 2) [e] .
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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2000–01 | 10 | South Leicester | Stewarts & Lloyds | Lutterworth, Old Northamptonians | [9] | |||||||||
2001–02 | 10 | Northampton Old Scouts | Stewarts & Lloyds | Vipers, Stockwood Park | [10] | |||||||||
2002–03 | 10 | Huntingdon & District | Peterborough | Long Buckby, Market Harborough | [11] | |||||||||
2003–04 | 10 | Old Northamptonians | Peterborough | No relegation [f] | [12] | |||||||||
2004–05 | 12 | Towcestrians | Stewarts & Lloyds | Stoneygate, Rushden & Higham | [13] | |||||||||
2005–06 | 12 | Northampton Old Scouts | Banbury | Stockwood Park | [14] | |||||||||
2006–07 | 12 | Ampthill | Banbury | Bugbrooke, Northampton Mens Own | [15] | |||||||||
2007–08 | 12 | Wellingborough | Leighton Buzzard | Daventry, Northampton Casuals | [16] | |||||||||
2008–09 | 12 | Old Northamptonians | Stewarts & Lloyds [g] | No relegation | [17] | |||||||||
2009–10 | 12 | Banbury | Market Harborough | Old Newtonians | [18] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
League restructuring by the RFU meant that Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) were renamed as Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South), with both leagues remaining at tier 7. Promotion was now to Midlands 1 East (formerly Midlands 2 East) and relegation to Midlands 3 East (South) (formerly Midlands 4 East (South)).
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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2010–11 | 12 | Towcestrians | Peterborough Lions | Northampton BBOB, Stewarts & Lloyds | [19] | |||||||||
2011–12 | 12 | Peterborough Lions | Lutterworth | Long Buckby, Stockwood Park | [20] | |||||||||
2012–13 | 12 | Bugbrooke | Huntingdon & District | Vipers, Biggleswade | [21] | |||||||||
2013–14 | 12 | Leighton Buzzard | Newbold-on-Avon | Northampton BBOB, Rushden & Higham | [22] | |||||||||
2014–15 | 12 | Northampton Old Scouts | Wellingborough | Dunstablians, Stewarts & Lloyds | [23] | |||||||||
2015–16 | 12 | Melton Mowbray | Lutterworth | Biggleswade, Leicester Forest | [24] | |||||||||
2016–17 | 12 | Peterborough | Oundle | Rushden & Higham, Vipers | [25] | |||||||||
2017–18 | 12 | Oadby Wyggestonians | Luton | Pinley, Stamford | [26] | |||||||||
2018–19 | 12 | Olney | Market Harborough | Huntingdon & District, Oakham | [27] | |||||||||
2019–20 | 12 | Leighton Buzzard | Belgrave | Melton Mowbray, Stewarts & Lloyds | [28] | |||||||||
2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South) for the third and final promotion place to Midlands 1 East (asides from 2008-09 which was played between the runners up of Midlands 2 West (South) and Midlands 2 East (North) due to RFU restructuring). The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Midlands 2 East (South) teams have ten wins to the Midlands 2 East (North) teams eight; and the home team has won promotion on thirteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
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Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
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2000–01 [29] | Stewarts & Lloyds (S) | 9-13 | Ilkeston (N) | Occupation Road, Corby, Northamptonshire | ||||||||||
2001–02 [30] | Nottingham Moderns (N) | 26-8 | Stewarts & Lloyds (S) | Ferryfields, Wilford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | ||||||||||
2002-03 [31] | Peterborough (S) | 3-59 | Loughborough Students (N) | Fortress Fengate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
2003-04 [32] | Peterborough (S) | 33-13 | Matlock (N) | Fortress Fengate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
2004-05 [33] | Matlock (N) | 25-10 | Stewarts & Lloyds (S) | Cromford Meadows, Cromford, Derbyshire | ||||||||||
2005–06 [34] | Ilkeston (N) | 24-21 | Banbury (S) | The Stute, Ilkeston, Derbyshire | ||||||||||
2006–07 [35] | Lutterworth (N) | 3-21 | Banbury (S) | Ashby Lane, Lutterworth, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
2007–08 [36] | Leighton Buzzard (S) | 16-15 | Spalding (N) | Wright's Meadow, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | ||||||||||
2008–09 | Promotion playoffs different for this season only.÷ [h] | |||||||||||||
2009–10 [37] | Spalding (N) | 25-10 | Market Harborough (S) | Memorial Field, Spalding, Lincolnshire | 400 | |||||||||
2010–11 [38] | Peterborough Lions (S) | 17-20 | Loughborough (N) | Bretton Woods, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
2011–12 [39] | Market Bosworth (S) | 17-14 | Lutterworth (N) | Cadeby Lane, Market Bosworth, Warwickshire | ||||||||||
2012–13 [40] | Huntingdon (S) | 30-17 | Oakham (N) | The Racecourse, Brampton, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
2013–14 [41] | Spalding (N) | 24-14 | Newbold-on-Avon (S) | Memorial Field, Spalding, Lincolnshire | 400 | |||||||||
2014–15 [42] | Coalville (N) | 25-36 | Wellingborough (S) | Memorial Ground, Coalville, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
2015–16 [43] | Lutterworth (S) | 43-17 | West Bridgford (N) | Ashby Lane, Lutterworth, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
2016–17 [44] | Oundle (S) | 30-12 | Coalville (N) | Occupation Road, Oundle, Northamptonshire | 400 | |||||||||
2017–18 [45] | Luton (S) | 35-22 | Matlock (N) | Newlands Road, Luton, Bedfordshire | ||||||||||
2018–19 [46] | Market Harborough (S) | 25-21 [i] | Dronfield (N) | Cadeby Lane, Market Bosworth, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Belgrave (S) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
Green background is the promoted team. M2EN = Midlands 2 East (North) (formerly Midlands 3 East (North)) and M2ES = Midlands 2 East (South) (formerly Midlands 3 East (South)) | ||||||||||||||
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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
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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.
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