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.
Quick Facts Sport, Instituted ...
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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.
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.
More information Team, Ground ...
Team |
Ground |
Capacity |
City/Area |
Previous season |
Aylestone St James | Covert Lane | | Scraptoft, Leicester, Leicestershire | 8th |
Bedford Swifts | International Athletics Stadium | | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 3rd |
Biggleswade | Langford Road | | Biggleswade, Bedfordshire | 5th |
Brackley | Nightingale Close | | Brackley, Northamptonshire | 6th |
Deepings | Spalding Road | | Deeping St James, Lincolnshire | 7th |
Northampton BBOB | Saint Andrew's Road | | Northampton, Northamptonshire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (South) (11th) |
South Leicester | Welford Road Ground | | Leicester, Leicestershire | New entry |
Stamford College Old Boys | Stamford Welland Academy | | Stamford, Lincolnshire | 4th |
St Neots | The Common | | St Neots, Cambridgeshire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (South) (12th) |
Thorney | Ron Jacobs Playing Fields | | Thorney, Cambridgeshire | 9th |
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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
More information Team, Ground ...
Team |
Ground |
Capacity |
City/Area |
Previous season |
Aylestone St James | Covert Lane | | Scraptoft, Leicester, Leicestershire | 6th |
Bedford Swifts | International Athletics Stadium | | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 5th |
Biggleswade | Langford Road | | Biggleswade, Bedfordshire | Relegated from Midlands 3 ES (12th) |
Birstall | Co-Op Sports Ground | | Birstall, Leicestershire | Relegated from Midlands 3 ES (11th) |
Brackley | Nightingale Close | | Brackley, Northamptonshire | 4th |
Deepings | Spalding Road | | Deeping St James, Lincolnshire | 7th |
Kempston | Cutler Hammer | | Kempston, Bedfordshire | 11th |
Northampton Men's Own | Stoke Road | | Ashton, Northamptonshire | 3rd |
Stamford College Old Boys | Stamford Welland Academy | | Stamford, Lincolnshire | 9th |
Thorney | Ron Jacobs Playing Fields | | Thorney, Cambridgeshire | 10th |
Wellingborough Old Grammarians | The Memorial Sports Ground | | Wellingborough, Northamptonshire | 8th |
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Locations of the 2019–20 Midlands 4 East (South) teams
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Participating teams & locations
More information Team, Ground ...
Team |
Ground |
Capacity |
City/Area |
Previous season |
Aylestone St James | Covert Lane | | Scraptoft, Leicester, Leicestershire | 7th |
Bedford Swifts | International Athletics Stadium | | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 3rd |
Brackley | Nightingale Close | | Brackley, Northamptonshire | 6th |
Deepings | Spalding Road | | Deeping St James, Lincolnshire | 5th |
Kempston | Cutler Hammer | | Kempston, Bedfordshire | Promoted from East Midlands Merit League (champions) |
Northampton BBOB | Saint Andrew's Road | | Northampton, Northamptonshire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (South) (12th) |
Northampton Men's Own | Stoke Road | | Ashton, Northamptonshire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (South) (11th) |
Sileby Town | Platts Lane | | Cossington, Leicestershire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (North) (12th) |
Stamford College Old Boys | Stamford Welland Academy | | Stamford, Lincolnshire | 9th |
Thorney | Ron Jacobs Playing Fields | | Thorney, Cambridgeshire | 8th |
Wellingborough Old Grammarians | The Memorial Sports Ground | | Wellingborough, Northamptonshire | 4th |
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Locations of the 2018–19 Midlands 4 East (South) teams
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Participating teams & locations
More information Team, Ground ...
Team |
Ground |
Capacity |
City/Area |
Previous season |
Aylestone St James | Covert Lane | | Scraptoft, Leicester, Leicestershire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (South) (12th) |
Bedford Swifts | International Athletics Stadium | | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 9th |
Bourne | Milking Nook Drove | | Bourne, Lincolnshire | 5th |
Brackley | Nightingale Close | | Brackley, Northamptonshire | 6th |
Deepings | Spalding Road | | Deeping St James, Lincolnshire | 3rd |
St Neots | The Common | | St Neots, Cambridgeshire | Relegated from Midlands 3 East (South) (11th) |
Stamford College Old Boys | Stamford Welland Academy | | Stamford, Lincolnshire | 4th |
Thorney | Ron Jacobs Playing Fields | | Thorney, Cambridgeshire | 7th |
Wellingborough Old Grammarians | The Memorial Sports Ground | | Wellingborough, Northamptonshire | 8th |
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Locations of the 2017–18 Midlands 4 East (South) teams
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- Bedford Queens
- Bedford Swifts
- Bourne
- Brackley
- Deepings
- Old Newtonians
- Sileby Town
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Wellingborough Old Grammarians
- Aylestone Athletic
- Bedford Swifts
- Bourne
- Brackley
- Corby
- Oundale
- St Ives (Midlands)
- St Neots
- Stamford College Old Boys
- Thorney
- Wellingborough Old Grammarians
- 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).
More information Season, No of teams ...
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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. |
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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.
More information Season, No of teams ...
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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. |
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- St Neots (2)
- Bedford Swifts (1)
- Birstall (1)
- Brackley (1)
- Long Buckby (1)
- Market Harborough (1)
- N'hampton BBOB (1)
- Northampton Men's Own (1)
- Oadby Wyggestonians (1)
- Old Newtonians (1)
- Sileby Town (1)
- Stamford (1)
- Stockwood Park (1)
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.
- 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.