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Counties 3 Midlands East (South) / (Central) (formerly Midlands 4 East (South) area level 9 English Rugby Union leagues 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: 2024-25 Counties 3 Midlands East (South) | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2006 (as Midlands 5 East (South)) |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Country |  England |
| 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. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, saw it changed to Midlands 4 East (South) and post the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name. From 2023-24 the league was split into South and Central divisions.
Promoted teams move up to Counties 2 Midlands East (South) and since Midlands 5 East (South) was abolished there has been no relegation.
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Joining were Bingham, Castle Donnington, Ilkeston II, Leesbrook, Nottingham Moderns II and Spalding II.
Departing were Keyworth, promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South) together with Asbourne II, North Hykeham, Paviors II, Rolls-Royce and Sleaford who all returned to the Counties 3 Midlands East (North) East and West divisions.
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Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) teams in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) teams in Nottinghamshire
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Departing were Northampton BBOB and Rugby St Andrews, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Castle Donnington left on a level transfer to Counties 3 Midlands East (Central).
Joining were Aylestone Athletic, Bedford Queens, Leighton Buzzard and Luton
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  Aylestone Queens Deepings Northampton MO Rugby Lions Rugby Welsh Sileby Stamford COB Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 3 Midlands East (South) teams
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Ahead of the new season a new Central division was introduced.
This newly created league was formed in the majority of sides on a level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands East (North) East and West divisions plus the addition of Melllish 2XV.
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Departing were Bedford Swifts and Brackley, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Thorley (7th) were relegated into the Cambridgeshire reserve leagues.
Joining were Castle Donnington, Northampton BBOB, Northampton Men's Own, Rugby St Andrews, Rugby Welsh and Sielby.
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 Castle Donnington Deepings N'hampton BBOB Northampton MO Rugby Lions Rugby SA Rugby Welsh Sileby Stamford COB Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 3 Midlands East (South) teams
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Departing were Biggleswade, St Neots and Northampton BBOB, all promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Joining were Rugby Lions.
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Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Midlands East (South) teams
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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.
Aylestone St James withdrew from the league midway through the season leaving it with nine teams.
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Aylestone Bedford Swifts Brackley Deepings N'hampton BBOB Stamford COB Locations of the 2021–22 Midlands 4 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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Aylestone Bedford Swifts Brackley Deepings Kempston N'hampton MO Stamford COB Wellingborough Locations of the 2019–20 Midlands 4 East (South) teams
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Participating teams & locations
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Aylestone Bedford Swifts Brackley Deepings Kempston N'hampton BBOB N'hampton MO Sileby Stamford COB Wellingborough Locations of the 2018–19 Midlands 4 East (South) teams
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Participating teams & locations
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- Bedford Queens
- Bedford Swifts
- Bourne
- Brackley
- Deepings
- Old Newtonians
- Sileby Town
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Wellingborough Old Grammarians
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Ashfield
- Bedford Swifts
- Brackley
- Bugbrooke
- Daventry
- Deepings
- Long Buckby
- Market Harborough
- Northampton Casuals
- Northampton Men's Own
- Peterborough Lions
- Rugby St Andrews
- Vauxhall Motors
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 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).
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| 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.
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| 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. | ||||||||||||||
- Market Harborough RUFC were known as Kibworth RFC prior to this season.[1]
- No relegation as division due to increase from 8 to 11 teams and Midlands 5 East (South) abolished for the following season.
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