East Midlands/Leicestershire 1

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 (formerly East Midlands/Leicestershire) was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, parts of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 East (North) (formerly Midlands East 2) and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1
Current season or competition:
1999–00 East Midlands/Leicestershire 1
SportRugby union
Instituted1987 (1987) (as East Midlands/Leicestershire)
Ceased2000 (2000)
Number of teams12
Country England
HoldersMelton Mowbray (1st title) (1999–00)
(promoted to Midlands 4 East (North))
Most titlesMultiple teams (1 title)

At the end of the 1999–00 season the East Midlands/Leicestershire leagues split. Most teams in East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 were transferred into either Midlands 4 East (South) or Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East.

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division (then known as East Midlands/Leicestershire) contained the following teams:

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 honours

East Midlands/Leicestershire (1987–1992)

Originally known as East Midlands/Leicestershire, it was a tier 7 league with promotion to Midlands 2 East and relegation to either East Midlands 1 or Leicestershire 1.

East Midlands/Leicestershire
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1987–8811Stewart & LloydsTowcestriansMelton Mowbray, South Leicester[1]
1988–8911TowcestriansWellingboroughWigston, Loughborough[2]
1989–9011BiggleswadeWellingboroughHinckley, Oadby Wyggestonian[3]
1990–9111Bedford AthleticBelgraveNorthampton Trinity Old Boys, Long Buckby[4]
1991–9211Hinckley[lower-alpha 3]Stoneygate[lower-alpha 4]Aylestone St James[lower-alpha 5][5]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 (1992–1993)

Restructuring saw the division renamed as East Midlands/Leicestershire 1, dropping two levels to become a tier 9 league. Promotion and relegation was now to the newly introduced Midlands East 2 and East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1992–9313KibworthLoughboroughSt Ives[6]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 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 East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 dropped another level to become a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Midlands East 2 and relegation to East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1993–9413Huntingdon & DistrictOadby WyggestonianBrackley[7]
1994–9513Old NorthamptoniansBedford QueensDaventry, Old Bosworthians[8]
1995–9613Northampton Men's OwnBedford Queens[lower-alpha 6]No relegation[lower-alpha 7][9]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 (1996–1998)

At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 North was discontinued and East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 returned to being a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Midlands East 2 while relegation was now to East Midlands or Leicestershire 1.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1996–9716LutonOakhamNo relegation[lower-alpha 8][10]
1997–9817Leicester ForestLoughborough StudentsMultiple teams[lower-alpha 9][11]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 (1998–2000)

East Midlands/Leicestershire remained a tier 9 league for the 1998–99 season. Promotion continued to Midlands East 2 but relegation was to the reintroduced East Midlands/Leicestershire 2. At the end of the 1999–00 campaign the league was cancelled and teams either transferred into the new Midlands 4 East (South) and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East divisions or dropping out of the league system altogether.

East Midlands/Leicestershire 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1998–9912Market BosworthLoughborough StudentsBedford Queens[12][lower-alpha 10]
1999–0012Melton Mowbray[lower-alpha 11]Loughborough Students[lower-alpha 12]No relegation[lower-alpha 13][13][lower-alpha 14]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes
  1. Old Boys side of Trinity High School.
  2. Old Boys side of Northampton Grammar School.
  3. League restructuring saw champions Hinckley promoted into the newly introduced Midlands East 1.
  4. League restructuring meant that the top five clubs were promoted into Midlands East 1, including Belgrave, Luton and Ampthill.
  5. Aylestone St James were demoted two levels to the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 3.
  6. The cancellation of National 5 North and subsequent restructuring meant that the top six clubs were promoted into Midlands East 2 including Northampton Old Scouts, Oadby Wyggestonian, Dunstablians and Loughborough.
  7. Due to widespread league restructuring there was no relegation.
  8. No relegation as league due to increase from 16 to 17 teams.
  9. Restructuring meant that eight teams were relegation into the reintroduced East Midlands/Leicestershire 2, including Aylestone St James, Colworth House, Deepings, Old Ashbeians, Brackley, Wellingborough Old Grammarians, St Neots and Bugbrooke.
  10. 1998–99 East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 mistakenly referred to as East Midlands 1 on RFU website.
  11. Champions Melton Mowbray were promoted to the newly introduced Midlands 4 East (South).
  12. Restructuring meant that the top three sides including Northampton Casuals went into Midlands 4 East (South). Oakham (4th) and Old Newtonians (9th) went into the new Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East. The rest of the clubs dropped out of the league.
  13. The merger of cancellation of the East Midlands/Leicestershire leagues meant there was no relegation.
  14. 1999–00 East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 mistakenly referred to as East Midlands 1 on RFU website.

See also

References
  1. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988-89. Queen Anne Press. pp. 130–134. ISBN 0-356-15884-5.
  2. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1989). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989-90. Queen Anne Press. pp. 136–139. ISBN 0-356-17862-5.
  3. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1990). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990-91. Queen Anne Press. pp. 140–143. ISBN 0-356-19162-1.
  4. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1991). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991-92. Queen Anne Press. pp. 161–164. ISBN 0-356-20249-6.
  5. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1992). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992-93. Headline. pp. 183–185. ISBN 0-7472-7907-1.
  6. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993-94. Headline. pp. 164–167. ISBN 0-7472-7891-1.
  7. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994-95. Headline. pp. 164–167. ISBN 0-7472-7891-1.
  8. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1995). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995-96. Headline. pp. 176–179. ISBN 0-7472-7850-4.
  9. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996-97. Headline. pp. 192–195. ISBN 0-7472-7816-4.
  10. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997-98. Headline. pp. 156–159. ISBN 0-7472-7771-0.
  11. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998-99. Headline. pp. 90–93. ISBN 0-7472-7653-6.
  12. "1998-1999 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  13. "1999-2000 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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