Midlands 4 East (North)

Last updated

Counties 3 Midlands East (North)
Sport Rugby union
Instituted2006;19 years ago (2006)(as Midlands 5 East (North))
Number of teams14
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Holders Boston (2nd title) (2019–20)
(promoted to Midlands 3 East (North))
Most titles Belper, Boston (2 titles)
Website England RFU

Counties 3 Midlands East (North East) / (North West) (formerly Midlands 4 East (North)) are level 9 English Rugby Union leagues and level 4 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. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

Contents

Formed for the 2006–07 season, the division was originally known as Midlands 5 East (North) but changed to its present name for the 2008–09 season due to league restructuring.

Promoted teams tend to move up to Counties 2 Midlands East (North), while relegation is to Counties 4 Midlands East (West) or Counties 4 Midlands East (East).

The division was split across two geographic areas (East & West) for the 2021–22 season as part of an RFU reorganisation of the Midlands regional league. Further restructuring followed in the wake of the RFU's Adult Competition Review, with the league(s) initially known as Counties 3 Midlands East (North) East / West. From season 2023-24 a Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) was introduced before in 2024-25 the East (North) league was split North East and North West.

2025-26

North East

Departing were Sleaford promoted to Counties 2 Midlands (East) North.

East Retford (9th), Meden Vale (8th) and Worksop (10th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands East (West) while Lincoln II (11th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands East (East)

North West

Departing were Tupton (champions), promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (North). Amber Valley (10th), Chesterfield Panthers (8th), Mansfield II (11th) and Matlock II (9th) were all relegated to Counties 4 Midlands East (West) while Paviors II (7th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands East (East).

2024-25

Ahead of the new season the league was divided into two divisions, North East and North West.

North East

Departing were Mosborough promoted to Counties 2 Midlands (East) North.

Joining were Grimsby, Lincoln II, Market Rasen & Louth II, North Hykeham, Skegness and Sleaford.

North West

Joining were Ashbourne II, Belper, Paviors II and Rolls-Royce

2023-24

Departing from the East league were Newark II and from the West, Departing were Derby II, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands (East) North. Nottingham Medics (3rd) withdrew from the league.

Moving on a level transfer to the newly formed Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) from the East league were North Hykeham, Nottinghamians, Paviors II, Sleaford and Southwell II; and from the West were Ashbourne II, Keyworth, Long Eaton II, Melbourne II, Rolls-Royce and West Bridgford II.

Joining were Mosborough, Bakewell Mannerians and East Retford.

2022-23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review [1] with the league adopting its new name(s) of Counties 3 Midlands West (North) East / West.

East

Departing were Gainsborough, promoted to Counties 2 Midlands (East) North.

Joining were Meden Vale, Newark II, Nottinghamians, Nottingham Medics, Paviors II and Southwell II .

West

Departing were Nottingham Moderns, promoted to Counties 2 Midlands (East) North.

Joining were Ashbourne II, Derby II, Dronfield II, Keyworth, Long Eaton II, Matlock II, Melbourne II and West Bridgford II.

2021–22

Skegness, who finished 12th in 2019–20, were placed in the East division for the current season but were unable to fulfil their fixtures and subsequently withdrew from the league.

The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the positions in brackets refer to that season not 2020–21.

Participating teams & locations

2020–21

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.

2019–20

Participating teams & locations


2018–19

Participating teams & locations

2017–18

Participating teams & locations

Teams 2016–17

Teams 2015–16

Teams 2014–15

Teams 2013–14

Teams 2012–13

Teams 2009–10

Teams 2008–09

Original teams

When this division was introduced in 2006 as Midlands 5 East (North), it contained the following teams:

Midlands 4 East (North) honours

Midlands 5 West (North) (2006–2009)

League restructuring ahead of the 2006–07 season saw the introduction of Midlands 5 East (North) and its counterpart Midlands 5 East (South) 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 (North) and relegation to either Midlands 6 East (North-East) or Midlands 6 East (North-West).

Midlands 5 East (North)
SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners-upRelegated teamsReference
2006–0710 Bakewell Mannerians Boston Long Eaton, Worksop, Keyworth [2]
2007–0810 Barton & District Nottingham Casuals University of Derby, Dronfield [3]
2008–0910 Worksop Melbourne No relegation [a] [4]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Midlands 4 East (North) (2009–present)

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 (North) (formerly Midlands 4 East (North)) and relegation to Midlands 5 East (North) (formerly Midlands 6 East (North)) until that league was discontinued at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Midlands 4 East (North)
SeasonNo. of teamsChampionsRunners-upRelegated teamsReference
2009–1012 Uttoxeter Dronfield Castle Donington [5]
2010–1111 Belper Nottingham Corsairs Boston [6]
2011–1212 Southwell East Retford Leesbrook, East Leake [7]
2012–1312 Boston Skegness Horncastle, Nottingham Corsairs [8]
2013–1412 Chesterfield Panthers Amber Valley Nottinghamians, Leesbrook [9]
2014–1512 Belper Ashfield Skegness, Keyworth, Bingham [10]
2015–1610 Buxton Rolls-Royce Cleethorpes, North Hykeham [11]
2016–1710 Long Eaton Nottingham Moderns Meden Vale, Amber Valley [12]
2017–189 Ashfield Tupton No relegation [b] [13]
2018–1914 Grimsby Mellish No relegation [14]
2019–2014 Boston East Retford No relegation [15]
2020–2114No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes

  1. No relegation as division would increase from 10 to 12 teams for the following season.
  2. Due to Midlands 5 East (North) being abolished there was no relegation and Midlands 4 East (North) would increase from 9 to 14 teams for the following season.

See also

References

  1. "RFU announce new men's community structure". RFU. 13 June 2022.
  2. "2006–2007 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  3. "2007–2008 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  4. "2008–2009 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  5. "2009–2010 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  6. "2010–2011 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  7. "2011–2012 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  8. "RFU". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  9. "2013–2014 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  10. "2014–2015 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  11. "RFU". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  12. "2016–2017 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  13. "2017–2018 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  14. "2018–19 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  15. "Men's Midlands Level 8 and below leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.