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Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 2006 | (as Midlands 5 East (South))
Number of teams | 11 |
Country | ![]() |
Holders | Birstall (1st title) (2019–20) (promoted to Midlands 3 East (South)) |
Most titles | St Neots (2 titles) |
Website | England RFU |
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.
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.
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.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
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When this division was introduced in 2006 as Midlands 5 East (South), it contained the following teams:
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 | |||||||||
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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. |
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 | |||||||||
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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. |