National League 3 Midlands

National League 3 Midlands
Current season or competition:
2014–15 National League 3 Midlands
Sport Rugby union
Instituted 1987
Number of teams 14
Country  England
Holders South Leicester (2014–15
promoted to National League 2 North)
Website clubs.rfu.com

National League 3 Midlands (known before September 2009 as Midlands 1) is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of four leagues at this level, with its counterparts, National League 3 London & SE, National League 3 North and National League 3 South West. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union.

National League 3 Midlands is the highest, regional rugby union league in the English Midlands and the champion club is automatically promoted to National Division 2 North. The runner-up meets the second placed team of National League 3 North with the winner also gaining promotion. Relegated teams drop down to either Midlands 1 East or Midlands 1 West depending on location, and other factors such as the location of relegated and promoted teams in other divisions.

Teams 2014-15

Teams 2013-14

Teams 2012–13

Teams 2011–12

Teams 2010–11

Teams 2009-10

First season as National 3 Midlands

Teams 2007–08

National League 3 Midlands Honours

List of National League 3 Midlands Honours
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams League Name
1998-99[1] 17 Bedford Athletic Scunthorpe Leighton Buzzard, Mansfield, Wolverhampton Midlands Division 1
1999-00[2] 17 Dudley Kingswinford Scunthorpe Belgrave, Lichfield, Hinckley, Syston Midlands Division 1
2000-01[3] 12 Scunthorpe Leicester Lions Stoke-on-Trent, Burton, Newbold-on-Avon Midlands Division 1
2001-02[4] 12 Broadstreet Walsall Banbury, Camp Hill, Hereford Midlands Division 1
2002-03[5] 12 Longton Luctonians Barkers Butts, Kenilworth, Hinckley Midlands Division 1
2003-04[6] 12 Bedford Athletic Kettering Luton, Old Laurentians, Spalding Midlands Division 1
2004-05[7] 12 Leicester Lions Kettering Mansfield, Broadstreet, Derby Midlands Division 1
2005-06[8] 12 Rugby Lions Bedford Athletic Bromsgrove, Burton, Kettering Midlands Division 1
2006-07[9] 12 Luton Dudley Kingswinford Market Bosworth, Walsall Midlands Division 1
2007-08[10] 12 Loughborough Students Luctonians Dudley Kingswinford, Scunthorpe, Dunstablians Midlands Division 1
2008-09[11] 12 Broadstreet Chester No relegation due to league restructure[n 1] Midlands Division 1
2009-10 14 No champion [n 2] Luctonians, Hinckley Bedford Athletic, Malvern National League 3 Midlands
2010-11 14 Bromsgrove Sheffield Tigers Burton, Kenilworth, Peterborough Lions National League 3 Midlands
2011-12 14 Rugby Lions[n 3] Dudley Kingswinford Manchester, Old Northamptonians, Hereford National League 3 Midlands
2012-13 14 Ampthill Sutton Coldfield Derby, Mansfield National League 3 Midlands
2013-14 14 Broadstreet Sutton Coldfield Bedford Athletic, Syston, Newport National League 3 Midlands
2014-15 14 South Leicester Hinckley Dudley Kingswinford, Burton, Bournville National League 3 Midlands
Green background are promotion places.
  1. ↑ The division would be renamed National League 3 Midlands for the next season and along with the whole national restructure of the league system by the RFU lead to mass changes at all levels.
  2. ↑ A breach of game regulations by Ampthill during the Luctonians game on 01/05/2010 led to Ampthill being denied promotion and transferred to National League 3 London & SE. By the time of the ruling Luctonians had already won their playoff against the runner up of National 3 North so Hinckley were promoted along with them despite finishing third.[12][13]
  3. ↑ Despite winning the league Rugby Lions would not be promoted to National 2 South as the club would go into liquidation during the summer due to unpaid debts. The club was thrown out of the league and would only rejoin in 2013-14 as part of Midlands 5 West (South).[14]

See Also

References