Midlands_2_East_(South)
Midlands 2 East (South)
English Rugby Union league
Midlands 2 East (South) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the East Midlands region including sides from Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and occasionally Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, who play home and away matches throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (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 2 East (South).
Quick Facts Sport, Instituted ...
Current season or competition: 2019–20 Midlands 2 East (South) | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1992; 32 years ago (1992) (as Midlands East 1) |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country |  England |
| Holders | Leighton Buzzard (2nd title) (2019–20) (promoted to Midlands 1 East) |
| Most titles | Northampton Old Scouts (3 titles) |
| Website | England RFU |
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Promoted teams tend to move up to Midlands 1 East with the champions going up automatically and the runners up having to play a playoff against the runners up from Midlands 2 East (North) for their place. Demoted teams typically drop to Midlands 3 East (South). Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
Participating teams & locations
More information Team, Ground ...
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  Bugbrooke Leicester Forest Long Buckby N Casuals N Old Scouts Stamford St Ives Vipers Wellingborough Locations of the 2021–22 Midlands 2 East (South) teams
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
Participating teams & locations
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Participating teams & locations
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Participating teams & locations
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- Belgrave
- Luton
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Melton Mowbray
- Oadby Wanderers
- Oakham
- Old Laurentians (relegated from Midlands 1 East)
- Olney
- Oundale (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Peterborough
- Rushden & Higham
- Stamford (transferred from Midlands 2 East (North))
- Vipers
- Belgrave (relegated from Midlands 1 East)
- Biggleswade
- Leicester Forest
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Melton Mowbray (promoted from Midlands 3 East (North))
- Oadby Wanderers
- Oakham
- Olney
- Peterborough
- Rushden & Higham (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Vipers (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Biggleswade (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Dunstablians
- Leicester Forest
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Northampton Old Scouts
- Oadby Wyggestonians
- Oakham
- Olney
- Peterborough (relegated from Midlands 1 East)
- Stewarts & Lloyds (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Wellingborough
- Dunstablians
- Leicester Forest
- Leighton Buzzard
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Newbold-on-Avon (transferred from Midlands 2 West (South))
- Northampton BBOB
- Northampton Old Scouts
- Oadby Wyggestonians
- Olney
- Rushden & Higham (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Wellingborough
- Biggleswade (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Bugbrooke
- Dunstablians
- Huntingdon & District
- Leighton Buzzard (relegated from Midlands 1 East)
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Northampton BBOB (promoted from Midlands 3 East (South))
- Northampton Old Scouts
- Oadby Wyggestonians
- Vipers
- Wellingborough
After leading the division from matchday 1, Huntingdon & District were pipped to the title by Bugbrooke by way of bonus points on the season's final day. Huntingdon were promoted alongside Bugbrooke to Midlands 1 East following a playoff victory over the second placed team from Midlands 2 East (North), Oakham. Biggleswade joined Vipers in the relegation places following a final day defeat to Oadby Wyggestonians.
- Bugbrooke
- Dunstablians
- Huntingdon
- Long Buckby
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Northampton Old Scouts
- Oadby Wygstonians
- Peterborough Lions
- Stockwood Park
- Vipers
- Wellingborough
- Bugbrooke
- Huntingdon and District
- Leicester Forest
- Lutterworth
- Market Harborough
- Northampton BBOB
- Northampton Old Scouts
- Peterborough Lions
- Stewarts and Lloyds
- Stockwood Park
- Towcestrians
- Vipers
Teams in Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South) were originally part of a single division called Midlands 1 East, which contained the following sides when it was introduced in 1992:
- Amber Valley - relegated from Midlands 2 East (9th)
- Ampthill - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (5th)
- Belgrave - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (3rd)
- Chesterfield Panthers - promoted from Nott, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (champions)
- Dronfield - promoted from Nott, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (5th)
- Hinckley - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (champions)
- Luton - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (4th)
- Mellish - promoted from Nott, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (4th)
- Scunthorpe - relegated from Midlands 2 East (10th)
- Spalding - promoted from Nott, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (runners up)
- Stewarts & Lloyds - relegated from Midlands 2 East (11th)
- Stoneygate - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (runners up)
- West Bridgford - promoted from Nott, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (3rd)
Midlands East 1 (1992–1993)
Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South) were originally part of a single tier 7 division called Midlands East 1. Promotion was to Midlands 2 and relegation to Midlands East 2[lower-alpha 1].
Midlands East 1 (1993–1996)
The top six teams from Midlands 1 and the top six from North 1 were combined to create National 5 North, meaning that Midlands 1 East dropped to become a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Midlands 2 and Midlands East 2.
More information Season, No of teams ...
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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| 1993–94 | 13 | Hinckley | Scunthorpe | Nottingham Moderns, Luton | [3] | |||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | Scunthorpe | Long Buckby | Chesterfield, Northampton BBOB, Wellingborough | [4] | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | Kettering | Huntingdon & District[lower-alpha 2] | No relegation[lower-alpha 3] | [5] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
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Midlands East 1 (1996–2000)
At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 North was discontinued and Midlands East 1 returned to being a tier 7 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Midlands 2 and Midlands East 2.
More information Season, No of teams ...
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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| 1996–97 | 17 | Nottingham Moderns | Old Northamptonians | Northampton BBOB, Biggleswade, Amber Valley | [6] | |||||||||
| 1997–98 | 17 | Lincoln | Northampton Old Scouts | Ashbourne | [7] | |||||||||
| 1998–99 | 17 | Wellingborough | Dunstablians | Coalville, Vipers | ||||||||||
| 1999–00 | 17 | Dunstablians | Luton | No relegation[lower-alpha 4] | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
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Midlands 3 East (South) (2000–2009)
Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season saw Midlands East 1 split into two tier 7 regional leagues - Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South). Promotion was now to Midlands 2 East (formerly Midlands 2) and relegation to Midlands 4 East (South) (formerly Midlands East 2)[lower-alpha 5].
More information Season, No of teams ...
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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| 2000–01 | 10 | South Leicester | Stewarts & Lloyds | Lutterworth, Old Northamptonians | [8] | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | 10 | Northampton Old Scouts | Stewarts & Lloyds | Vipers, Stockwood Park | [9] | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | 10 | Huntingdon & District | Peterborough | Long Buckby, Market Harborough | [10] | |||||||||
| 2003–04 | 10 | Old Northamptonians | Peterborough | No relegation[lower-alpha 6] | [11] | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 12 | Towcestrians | Stewarts & Lloyds | Stoneygate, Rushden & Higham | [12] | |||||||||
| 2005–06 | 12 | Northampton Old Scouts | Banbury | Stockwood Park | [13] | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 12 | Ampthill | Banbury | Bugbrooke, Northampton Mens Own | [14] | |||||||||
| 2007–08 | 12 | Wellingborough | Leighton Buzzard | Daventry, Northampton Casuals | [15] | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | 12 | Old Northamptonians | Stewarts & Lloyds[lower-alpha 7] | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | 12 | Banbury | Market Harborough | Old Newtonians | [17] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
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Midlands 2 East (South) (2009–present)
League restructuring by the RFU meant that Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) were renamed as Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South), with both leagues remaining at tier 7. Promotion was now to Midlands 1 East (formerly Midlands 2 East) and relegation to Midlands 3 East (South) (formerly Midlands 4 East (South)).
More information Season, No of teams ...
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| Season | No of teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | Reference | |||||||||
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| 2010–11 | 12 | Towcestrians | Peterborough Lions | Northampton BBOB, Stewarts & Lloyds | [18] | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | 12 | Peterborough Lions | Lutterworth | Long Buckby, Stockwood Park | [19] | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | 12 | Bugbrooke | Huntingdon & District | Vipers, Biggleswade | [20] | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | 12 | Leighton Buzzard | Newbold-on-Avon | Northampton BBOB, Rushden & Higham | [21] | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | 12 | Northampton Old Scouts | Wellingborough | Dunstablians, Stewarts & Lloyds | [22] | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | 12 | Melton Mowbray | Lutterworth | Biggleswade, Leicester Forest | [23] | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | 12 | Peterborough | Oundle | Rushden & Higham, Vipers | [24] | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | 12 | Oadby Wyggestonians | Luton | Pinley, Stamford | [25] | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | 12 | Olney | Market Harborough | Huntingdon & District, Oakham | [26] | |||||||||
| 2019–20 | 12 | Leighton Buzzard | Belgrave | Melton Mowbray, Stewarts & Lloyds | [27] | |||||||||
| 2020–21 | 12 | |||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
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Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Midlands 2 East (North) and Midlands 2 East (South) for the third and final promotion place to Midlands 1 East (asides from 2008-09 which was played between the runners up of Midlands 2 West (South) and Midlands 2 East (North) due to RFU restructuring). The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Midlands 2 East (South) teams have ten wins to the Midlands 2 East (North) teams eight; and the home team has won promotion on thirteen occasions compared to the away teams five.
More information Season, Home team ...
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| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
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| 2000–01[28] | Stewarts & Lloyds (S) | 9-13 | Ilkeston (N) | Occupation Road, Corby, Northamptonshire | ||||||||||
| 2001–02[29] | Nottingham Moderns (N) | 26-8 | Stewarts & Lloyds (S) | Ferryfields, Wilford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | ||||||||||
| 2002-03[30] | Peterborough (S) | 3-59 | Loughborough Students (N) | Fortress Fengate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
| 2003-04[31] | Peterborough (S) | 33-13 | Matlock (N) | Fortress Fengate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
| 2004-05[32] | Matlock (N) | 25-10 | Stewarts & Lloyds (S) | Cromford Meadows, Cromford, Derbyshire | ||||||||||
| 2005–06[33] | Ilkeston (N) | 24-21 | Banbury (S) | The Stute, Ilkeston, Derbyshire | ||||||||||
| 2006–07[34] | Lutterworth (N) | 3-21 | Banbury (S) | Ashby Lane, Lutterworth, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
| 2007–08[35] | Leighton Buzzard (S) | 16-15 | Spalding (N) | Wright's Meadow, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2008–09 | Promotion playoffs different for this season only.÷[lower-alpha 8] | |||||||||||||
| 2009–10[36] | Spalding (N) | 25-10 | Market Harborough (S) | Memorial Field, Spalding, Lincolnshire | 400 | |||||||||
| 2010–11[37] | Peterborough Lions (S) | 17-20 | Loughborough (N) | Bretton Woods, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
| 2011–12[38] | Market Bosworth (S) | 17-14 | Lutterworth (N) | Cadeby Lane, Market Bosworth, Warwickshire | ||||||||||
| 2012–13[39] | Huntingdon (S) | 30-17 | Oakham (N) | The Racecourse, Brampton, Cambridgeshire | ||||||||||
| 2013–14[40] | Spalding (N) | 24-14 | Newbold-on-Avon (S) | Memorial Field, Spalding, Lincolnshire | 400 | |||||||||
| 2014–15[41] | Coalville (N) | 25-36 | Wellingborough (S) | Memorial Ground, Coalville, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
| 2015–16[42] | Lutterworth (S) | 43-17 | West Bridgford (N) | Ashby Lane, Lutterworth, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
| 2016–17[43] | Oundle (S) | 30-12 | Coalville (N) | Occupation Road, Oundle, Northamptonshire | 400 | |||||||||
| 2017–18[44] | Luton (S) | 35-22 | Matlock (N) | Newlands Road, Luton, Bedfordshire | ||||||||||
| 2018–19[45] | Market Harborough (S) | 25-21[lower-alpha 9] | Dronfield (N) | Cadeby Lane, Market Bosworth, Leicestershire | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Belgrave (S) - promoted instead. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | ||||||||||||||
| Green background is the promoted team. M2EN = Midlands 2 East (North) (formerly Midlands 3 East (North)) and M2ES = Midlands 2 East (South) (formerly Midlands 3 East (South)) | ||||||||||||||
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- Northampton Old Scouts (3)
- Leighton Buzzard (2)
- Old Northamptonians (2)
- Towcestrians (2)
- Wellingborough (2)[lower-alpha 10]
- Ampthill (1)
- Banbury (1)
- Belgrave (1)[lower-alpha 11]
- Bugbrooke (1)
- Dunstablians (1)[lower-alpha 12]
- Hinckley (1)[lower-alpha 13]
- Huntingdon & District (1)
- Kettering (1)[lower-alpha 14]
- Lincoln (1)[lower-alpha 15]
- Melton Mowbray (1)
- Nottingham Moderns (1)[lower-alpha 16]
- Oadby Wyggestonians (1)
- Olney (1)
- Peterborough (1)
- Peterborough Lions (1)
- Scunthorpe (1)[lower-alpha 17]
- South Leicester (1)
- Midlands East 2 is currently split into two regional divisions - Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South).
- Due to the cancellation of National 5 North at the end of the season, four clubs were promoted including Ampthill and Long Buckby.
- Due to widespread restructuring caused by the cancellation of National 5 North there was no relegation.
- Ahead of the 2000–01 Midlands East 2 was also split into two regional leagues - Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South).
- The 2008-09 promotion playoffs were different as the RFU was reorganizing the leagues across the country including the Midlands division. Usually the winners of each of the four regional divisions would go up automatically along with two of the runners up who won their respective playoffs, meaning 6 teams were promoted. This year one extra was required to be promoted so the top two runners up by league points - Bourneville (40) and Stewarts & Lloyds (40) went up - leaving the other two runners up - Nuneaton Old Edwardians (34) and Spalding (38) - to compete for the final promotion spot.[16]
- Dunstablians title was when league was single division known as Midlands East 1.
- Hinckley's title was when league was single division known as Midlands East 1.
- Kettering's title was when league was single division known as Midlands East 1.
- Nottingham Moderns title was when league was single division known as Midlands East 1.
- Scunthorpe's title was when league was single division known as Midlands East 1.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993-94. Headline. pp. 164–167. ISBN 0-7472-7891-1.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994-95. Headline. pp. 164–167. ISBN 0-7472-7891-1.
- Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1995). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995-96. Headline. pp. 176–179. ISBN 0-7472-7850-4.
- Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996-97. Headline. pp. 192–195. ISBN 0-7472-7816-4.
- Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997-98. Headline. pp. 156–159. ISBN 0-7472-7771-0.
- Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998-99. Headline. pp. 90–93. ISBN 0-7472-7653-6.
- "2000-2001 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2001-2002 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2002-2003 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2003-2004 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2004-2005 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2005-2006 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2006-2007 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2007-2008 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2008-2009 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2009-2010 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2010-2011 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2011-2012 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2012-2013 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- "2013-2014 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- "2014-2015 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- "2015-2016 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- "2016-2017 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- "2017-2018 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- "2018-19 Midlands Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- "Men's level 5 - 7 leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2000-01". England Rugby. 19 May 2001.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2001-02". England Rugby. 27 April 2002.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2002-03". England Rugby. 26 April 2003.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2003-04". England Rugby. 24 April 2004.
- "Matlock RFC up after play-off win". Matlock Mercury. 4 May 2005.
- "RUGBY: Play-off heartbreak for Banbury". Oxford Mail. 2 May 2006.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2006-07". England Rugby. 28 April 2007.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2008-09". England Rugby. 26 April 2008.
- "Spalding go up in fine style". The Peterborough Evening Telegraph. 4 May 2010.
- "Rugby Union: Loughborough secure promotion to Midlands One (East)". This is Leicestershire. 27 April 2011.
- "Market Bosworth 17 Lutterworth 14: Bosworth RFC are promoted thanks to win over Lutterworth". Hinckley Times. 3 May 2012.
- "Oaks' promotion push falls at the final hurdle". Hinckley Times. 11 May 2013.
- "Spalding RFC win promotion after gutsy victory". Spalding Today. 26 April 2014.
- "Play off winners! #playofffever #upsetcity". Wellingborough RFC. 25 April 2015.
- "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2015-16". England Rugby. 23 April 2016.
- "Oundle Make It To Midlands 1!". Oundle RFC (Pitchero). 29 April 2017.
- "Midlands 2 East Play-off: Luton 35-22 Matlock". Luton RFC (Pitchero). 5 May 2018.
- "Extra-time drama before Harborough win play-off". Harborough Mail. 2 May 2018.