National League 3 Midlands

National League 3 Midlands
Current season or competition:
2015–16 National League 3 Midlands
Sport Rugby union
Instituted 1987
Number of teams 14
Country  England
Holders Scunthorpe (2nd title) (2015–16
promoted to National League 2 North)
Most titles Broadstreet (3 titles)
Website clubs.rfu.com

National League 3 Midlands (known before September 2009 as Midlands 1) is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of four leagues at this level, with its counterparts, National League 3 London & SE, National League 3 North and National League 3 South West. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union.

National League 3 Midlands is the highest, regional rugby union league in the English Midlands and the champion club is automatically promoted to National League 2 North. The runner-up meets the second placed team of National League 3 North with the winner also gaining promotion. Relegated teams drop down to either Midlands 1 East or Midlands 1 West depending on location, and other factors such as the location of relegated and promoted teams in other divisions.

2015–16

Despite leading the table for most of the season Hinckley lost 13 – 23 on the final week-end of the season to Scunthorpe, to finish in second place for the second season in a row. Scunthorpe started the day four points behind and finished top due to winning one more match over the season.[1] Two of last seasons promoted teams were relegated; Newport (Salop) to Midland 1 West and Old Northamptonians to Midland 1 East. The third relegated team is Sutton Coldfield.

Participating teams and locations

2015-16 West Midlands National League 3 Midlands clubs
Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season
Birmingham & Solihull Portway Portway, Birmingham, West Midlands relegated from 2014–15 National League 2 North (14th)
Bromsgrove Finstall Park Bromsgrove, Worcestershire 6th
Hinckley Leicester Road Hinckley, Leicestershire 2nd (lost play-off)
Lichfield Cooke Fields Lichfield, Staffordshire 9th
Longton Trentham Fields Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire 10th
Newport (Salop) The Old Showground Newport, Shropshire promoted from Midlands 1 West (champions)
Nuneaton Liberty Way 4,314 (514 seats) Nuneaton, Warwickshire 4th
Old Halesonians Wassell Grove Hagley, Stourbridge, Worcestershire 5th
Old Northamptonians Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion Northampton, Northamptonshire promoted from Midlands 1 East (play-off)
Peterborough Lions Bretton Woods Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 3rd
Sandbach Bradwell Road Sandbach, Cheshire 8th
Scunthorpe Heslam Park Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire 7th
Sutton Coldfield Roger Smoldon Ground Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 11th
Syston Barkby Road Queniborough, Leicestershire promoted from Midlands 1 East (champions)

Final league table

National League 3 Midlands 2015–16
Team Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Loss bonus Points
1 Scunthorpe 26 23 0 3 766 343 423 14 2 108
2 Hinckley 26 22 1 3 790 343 447 16 2 108
3 Old Halesonians 26 18 0 8 630 408 222 13 6 91
4 Peterborough Lions 26 15 0 11 593 464 129 10 4 69
5 Nuneaton 26 14 0 12 573 463 110 8 5 69
6 Syston 26 13 0 13 538 562 –24 11 4 67
7 Birmingham & Solihull 26 13 0 13 500 475 25 8 6 66
8 Longton 26 11 1 14 530 577 –47 12 3 61
9 Bromsgrove 26 12 0 14 559 670 –111 8 3 59
10 Sandbach 26 11 0 15 546 591 –45 9 4 57
11 Lichfield 26 9 0 17 600 683 –83 12 7 55
12 Old Northamptonians (R) 26 9 0 17 498 702 –204 6 7 49
13 Newport (Salop) (R) 26 8 0 18 451 738 –287 6 0 38
14 Sutton Coldfield (R) 26 3 0 23 412 967 –555 2 4 18
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 27 April 2016
Source: "National League 3 Midlands". England Rugby. 

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 Midland, and National League 3 North participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 North. The team with the best playing record, in this case Hinckley, host the match and their opponents are Wirral.

Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Loss bonus Points
Hinckley 26 22 1 3 790 343 447 16 2 108
Wirral Rugby Club 26 19 0 7 677 486 191 13 4 93
30 April 2016
15:00
Hinckley 33 – 20 Wirral
Report
Leicester Road
Attendance: 650

2014–15

2013–14

2012–13

2011–12

2010–11

2009–10

First season as National 3 Midlands

2007–08

National League 3 Midlands honours

List of National League 3 Midlands Honours
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams League Name
1998–99[2] 17 Bedford Athletic Scunthorpe Leighton Buzzard, Mansfield, Wolverhampton Midlands Division 1
1999–00[3] 17 Dudley Kingswinford Scunthorpe Belgrave, Lichfield, Hinckley, Syston Midlands Division 1
2000-01[4] 12 Scunthorpe Leicester Lions Stoke-on-Trent, Burton, Newbold-on-Avon Midlands Division 1
2001-02[5] 12 Broadstreet Walsall Banbury, Camp Hill, Hereford Midlands Division 1
2002-03[6] 12 Longton Luctonians Barkers Butts, Kenilworth, Hinckley Midlands Division 1
2003-04[7] 12 Bedford Athletic Kettering Luton, Old Laurentians, Spalding Midlands Division 1
2004-05[8] 12 Leicester Lions Kettering Mansfield, Broadstreet, Derby Midlands Division 1
2005-06[9] 12 Rugby Lions Bedford Athletic Bromsgrove, Burton, Kettering Midlands Division 1
2006-07[10] 12 Luton Dudley Kingswinford Market Bosworth, Walsall Midlands Division 1
2007-08[11] 12 Loughborough Students Luctonians Dudley Kingswinford, Scunthorpe, Dunstablians Midlands Division 1
2008-09[12] 12 Broadstreet Chester No relegation due to league restructure[n 1] Midlands Division 1
2009-10[13] 14 No champion [n 2] Luctonians, Hinckley Bedford Athletic, Malvern National League 3 Midlands
2010-11[16] 14 Bromsgrove Sheffield Tigers Burton, Kenilworth, Peterborough Lions National League 3 Midlands
2011-12[17] 14 Rugby Lions[n 3] Dudley Kingswinford Manchester, Old Northamptonians, Hereford National League 3 Midlands
2012-13[19] 14 Ampthill Sutton Coldfield Derby, Mansfield National League 3 Midlands
2013-14[20] 14 Broadstreet Sutton Coldfield Bedford Athletic, Syston, Newport (Salop) National League 3 Midlands
2014-15[21] 14 South Leicester Hinckley Dudley Kingswinford, Burton, Bournville National League 3 Midlands
2015-16[22] 14 Scunthorpe Hinckley Sutton Coldfield, Newport (Salop), Old Northamptonians National League 3 Midlands
2016-17[23] 14
Green background are promotion places.
  1. ↑ The division would be renamed National League 3 Midlands for the next season and along with the whole national restructure of the league system by the RFU lead to mass changes at all levels.
  2. ↑ A breach of game regulations by Ampthill during the Luctonians game on 01/05/2010 led to Ampthill being denied promotion and transferred to National League 3 London & SE. By the time of the ruling Luctonians had already won their playoff against the runner up of National 3 North so Hinckley were promoted along with them despite finishing third.[14][15]
  3. ↑ Despite winning the league Rugby Lions would not be promoted to National 2 South as the club would go into liquidation during the summer due to unpaid debts. The club was thrown out of the league and would only rejoin in 2013-14 as part of Midlands 5 West (South).[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Drama as Hinckley are denied at death". Rugby Paper (396). 17 April 2016. p. 34.
  2. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/1998-1999/
  3. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/1999-2000/
  4. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2000-2001/
  5. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2001-2002/
  6. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2002-2003/
  7. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2003-2004/
  8. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2004-2005/
  9. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2005-2006/
  10. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2006-2007/
  11. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2007-2008/
  12. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2008-2009/
  13. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2009-2010/
  14. ↑ http://www.rolling-maul.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4062&PN=2&title=ampthill-appeal
  15. ↑ Hereford Times: Site Logo
  16. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2010-2011/
  17. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2011-2012/
  18. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-18901930
  19. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2012-2013/
  20. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2013-2014/
  21. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2014-2015/
  22. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2015-2016/
  23. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2016-2017/
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