Current season or competition:![]() | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 2006 | (as Midlands 5 East (South))
Number of teams | 11 |
Country | ![]() |
Most titles | St Neots (2 titles) |
Website | England RFU |
Counties 3 Midlands East (South North) / (South South) (formerly Midlands 4 East (South) area level 9 English Rugby Union leagues 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.
Formed for the 2006-07 season, the division was originally known as Midlands 5 East (South) but changed to its present name for the 2008-09 season due to league restructuring. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, saw it changed to Midlands 4 East (South) and post the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022–23 it adopted its current name. From 2023–24 the league was split into South and Central divisions.
Promoted teams move up to Counties 2 Midlands East (South) and since Midlands 5 East (South) was abolished, there has been no relegation.
Ahead of the new season the Central league was rebranded South (North) and the South league rebranded South (South).
Departing were West Bridgford II (champions), promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
The rest of the league were level transferred with Long Eaton II (runners-up), Castle Donington (6th), Leesbrook (7th), Melbourne II (5th), Nottinghamians (8th) who all moving to the Counties 3 Midlands East (North West) division; while Bingham (3rd) and Southwell II (4th) moved to the Counties 3 Midlands East (North East) division.
Ilkeston II (9th), Mellish II (10th) and Nottingham Moderns II (11th) did not return for the new season.
| Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Midlands East (South North) teams Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Midlands East (South North) teams in Leicester |
Departing were Leighton Buzzard (champions) and Rugby Lions (runners-up), both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South) while Luton (3rd) were promoted to the newly re-branded Counties 2 Hertfordshire (formerly Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex).
Also leaving on a level transfer to the South (North) division were Aylestone Athletic (6th), Rugby Welsh (4th), Sielby (7th), South Leicester (10th) and Stamford College Old Boys (8th).
Deepings (11th) and Northampton Men's Own (9th) did not return for the new season.
Bedford Queens (5th) were initially placed in the league but withdrew before the season began. Similarly Northampton BBOB were relegated from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (11th) into this league but also withdrew before the season began.
| Locations of the 2025-26 Counties 3 Midlands East South (South) teams |
Departing were Keyworth, promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South) together with Asbourne II, North Hykeham, Paviors II, Rolls-Royce and Sleaford who all returned to the Counties 3 Midlands East (North) East and West divisions.
Joining were Bingham, Castle Donington, Ilkeston II, Leesbrook and Nottingham Moderns II.
Spalding II (new entry) started but did not complete the season withdrawing to leave the remaining eleven sides to contest the remaining fixtures.
| Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) teams in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) teams in Nottinghamshire |
Departing were Northampton BBOB and Rugby St Andrews, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Castle Donington left on a level transfer to Counties 3 Midlands East (Central).
Joining were Luton and Bedford Queens, both relegated into the league together with Aylestone Athletic, a re-entry, and Leighton Buzzard who had withdrawn from Regional 2 Thames mid-way through the previous season.
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Ahead of the new season a new Central division was introduced.
This newly created league was formed in the majority of sides on a level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands East (North) East and West divisions plus the addition of Melllish 2XV.
Departing were Bedford Swifts and Brackley, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Thorley (7th) were relegated into the Cambridgeshire reserve leagues.
Joining were Castle Donington, Northampton BBOB, Northampton Men's Own, Rugby St Andrews, Rugby Welsh and Sielby.
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Departing were Biggleswade, St Neots and Northampton BBOB, all promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Joining were Rugby Lions.
| Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Midlands East (South) teams |
Kempston, who finished 11th in 2019-20, and Wellingborough Old Grammarians, who finished 12th in 2019-20, did not return for the current season.
Joining the league are South Leicester who withdrew from Midlands Premier in season 2019-20.
Aylestone St James withdrew from the league midway through the season leaving it with nine teams.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
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| Locations of the 2017–18 Midlands 4 East (South) teams |
When this division was introduced in 2006 as Midlands 5 East (South), it contained the following teams:
League restructuring ahead of the 2006–07 season saw the introduction of Midlands 5 East (South) and its counterpart Midlands 5 East (North) at tier 9 to replace the discontinued East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 and Notts, Lincs, Derbyshire/North Leicestershire leagues. Promotion was to Midlands 4 East (South) and relegation to Midlands 6 East (South).
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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2006–07 | 10 | Bedford Swifts | Aylestone St James | Wellingborough O.G., Kempston | [2] | |||||||||
2007–08 | 10 | Market Harborough | Deepings | St Ives (Midlands), Stamford | [3] | |||||||||
2008–09 | 10 | Stockwood Park | Bedford Queens | Kempston, Wellingborough O.G., Aylestone Athletic | [4] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Further league restructuring by the RFU meant that Midlands 5 East (North) and Midlands 5 East (South) were renamed as Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South), with both leagues remaining at tier 9. Promotion was now to Midlands 3 East (South) (formerly Midlands 4 East (South)) and relegation to Midlands 5 East (South) (formerly Midlands 6 East (South)) until that league was discontinued at the end of the 2009–10 season.
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Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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2009–10 | 8 | Oadby Wyggestonians | Rushden & Higham | No relegation [b] | [5] | |||||||||
2010–11 | 11 | Stamford | Biggleswade | No relegation | [6] | |||||||||
2011–12 | 12 | Old Newtonians | Northampton Men's Own | No relegation | [7] | |||||||||
2012–13 | 12 | Brackley | St Ives (Midlands) | No relegation | [8] | |||||||||
2013–14 | 11 | Long Buckby | Oundle | No relegation | [9] | |||||||||
2014–15 | 10 | St Neots | Old Newtonians | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
2015–16 | 10 | Northampton Men's Own | Birstall | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||
2016–17 | 9 | Sileby Town | Bedford Queens | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||
2017–18 | 9 | St Neots | Bourne | No relegation | [13] | |||||||||
2018–19 | 11 | N'hampton BBOB | Sileby | No relegation | [14] | |||||||||
2019–20 | 11 | Birstall | Northampton Men's Own | No relegation | [15] | |||||||||
2020–21 | 11 | No relegation | ||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |