Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. It is located on the banks of the River Stour, 9 miles (15 km) south-southeast of Stratford-upon-Avon, 10 miles north-northwest of Chipping Norton, 14 miles (22 km) south of Warwick and 14.5 miles west of Banbury. In the 2021 census, Shipston-on-Stour had a population of 5,849.
Warwickshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon and Victorian novelist George Eliot,, at Nuneaton. Other significant towns include Rugby, Leamington Spa, Bedworth, Kenilworth and Atherstone. The county offers a mix of historic towns and large rural areas. It is a popular destination for international and domestic tourists to explore both medieval and more recent history.
The Rugby Lions, nicknamed The Lions, is an English rugby union club based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The club plays its home matches at Webb Ellis Road. Its developmental squad is known as the Crusaders. The club also has a ladies team known as the Lionesses. It currently competes in Counties 3 Midlands East (South) at the ninth tier of the English rugby union system, having been readmitted to the league pyramid from at the start of the 2022-23 season.
Birstall Rugby Football Club is a men's senior rugby union club based in Birstall, Leicestershire. The club currently plays in the RFU Midlands leagues, currently participating in Midlands Counties 1 East (North) following promotion from Midlands 3 East (North) at the end of the 2021-22 season. Birstall won the RFU Junior Vase (midlands) competition in 2020 with the final being the last game before rugby was halted for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Midlands 3 West (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 West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and sometimes Oxfordshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 West (North) and Midlands 4 West (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 West (South).
Midlands 3 West (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 West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 West (North) and Midlands 4 West (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 West (North).
Midlands 4 West (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 West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and even on occasion Oxfordshire, 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.
Midlands 5 West (South) is a level 10 English Rugby Union league and level 5 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and even (on occasion) Cheshire and Oxfordshire, 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.
Broadstreet Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Coventry, West Midlands, England. The club currently play in Regional 1 Midlands; at the fifth tier of the English rugby union system, following their relegation from National League 2 South at the end of the 2017–18 season. The 2014–15 season was the third time the club had played in the fourth tier of English rugby, but the first time it had maintained at that level. Furthermore, the club have also recently enjoyed success, by winning the Warwickshire Cup.
Midlands 2 West (South) is a level seven English rugby union league and level two of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the West Midlands region including Herefordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, lead to the current name of Midlands 2 West (South).
Midlands 2 West (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of clubs from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, lead to the current name of Midlands 2 West (North).
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.
Kenilworth Rugby Club is an English rugby union team based in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. The club runs three senior sides, a veterans team and a full set of mini and junior teams. The first XV currently plays in Regional 1 Midlands − a league at level 5 of the English rugby union system The second XV currently plays in Counties 2 Midlands West South at level 8 of the RFU system. The Women's team is coached by Rich Bennett and play in the Championship North 1 at level 2 of the Women's league structure.
The Warwickshire 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 city of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire. The current president is Steve Wilkes of the Old Coventrians club.
The Staffordshire Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Staffordshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Staffordshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Staffordshire county rugby representative teams.
Warwickshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 West (South) and relegated sides dropped to Warwickshire 2. Warwickshire 1 was cancelled at the end of the 2005–06 season with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 5 West (South).
Warwickshire 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Warwickshire 1 and there was no relegation since the cancellation of Warwickshire 3 back in 1992. Warwickshire 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2005–06 season with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (South-East) or Midlands 6 West (South-West).
Warwickshire 3 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Warwickshire 2 and there was no relegation. Following restructuring of the Warwickshire leagues at the end of 1991–92 season, Warwickshire 3 was cancelled and the teams transferred into the newly introduced Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 or Staffordshire/Warwickshire 4.
Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 was a tier 12 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 4. Restructuring of the Staffordshire/Warwickshire leagues at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that the league was cancelled and all teams transferred into either the Staffordshire or Warwickshire regional divisions.
