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.
Current season or competition: 2019–20 Midlands 4 East (South) | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2006 (as Midlands 5 East (South)) |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Birstall (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to Midlands 3 East (South)) |
| Most titles | St Neots (2 titles) |
| Website | England RFU |
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. Promoted teams tend to move up to Midlands 3 East (South) and since Midlands 5 East (South) was abolished there has been no relegation.
2021-22
Participating teams & locations
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.
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
- Bedford Queens
- Bedford Swifts
- Bourne
- Brackley
- Deepings
- Old Newtonians
- Sileby Town
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Wellingborough Old Grammarians
Teams 2015-16
- Bedford Queens (relegated from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Bedford Swifts
- Birstall
- Bourne
- Brackley
- Deepings
- Northampton Men's Own (relegated from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Sileby Town
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Wellingborough Old Grammarians
Teams 2014-15
- Bedford Swifts
- Bourne
- Brackley (relegated from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Corby
- Deepings (relegated from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Kempston
- Old Newtonians
- Sileby Town
- St Neots
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Westwood
Teams 2013-14
- Aylestone Athletic
- Bedford Swifts
- Bourne
- Corby
- Kempston
- Long Buckby (relegated from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Old Newtonians (relegated from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Oundale
- St Neots
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Westwood
Teams 2012–13
Teams 2008–09
- Ashfield
- Bedford Swifts
- Brackley
- Bugbrooke
- Daventry
- Deepings
- Long Buckby
- Market Harborough
- Northampton Casuals
- Northampton Men's Own
- Peterborough Lions
- Rugby St Andrews
- Vauxhall Motors
Original teams
When this division was introduced in 2006 as Midlands 5 East (South), it contained the following teams:
- Aylestone St James - promoted from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2 (champions)
- Bedford Queens - transferred from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 (4th)
- Bedford Swifts - transferred from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 (3rd)
- Kempston - promoted from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2 (runners up)
- Market Harborough[a] - transferred from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 (5th)
- Oundle - transferred from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 (7th)
- St Ives (Midlands) - transferred from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 (8th)
- Stamford - transferred from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/North Leicestershire (11th)
- Stoneygate - relegated from Midlands 4 East (South) (10th)
- Wellingborough Old Grammarians - transferred from East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 (6th)
Midlands 4 East (South) honours
Midlands 5 West (North) (2006–2009)
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).
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||||||||||||||
Midlands 4 East (South) (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 (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.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
Notes
See also
References
- English RFU (2008). "Rugby First". RFU. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
- Rugby First: To view previous seasons in the league, search for any club within that league then click on to club details followed by fixtures and then select the appropriate season.