East Midlands 2

English Rugby Union team
East Midlands 1
Current season or competition:
2003–04 East Midlands 2
SportRugby union
Instituted1987; 37 years ago (1987)
Ceased2004; 20 years ago (2004)
Number of teams7
Country England
HoldersCorby (1st title) (2003–04)
(promoted to East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1[a])
Most titlesMultiple teams (1 title)
WebsiteEast Midlands RFU

East Midlands 2 was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and parts of Cambridgeshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to East Midlands 1 and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands 3 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season. Restructuring of the East Midlands leagues at the end of the 2003–04 campaign meant that East Midlands 2 was discontinued and the majority of teams transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2 division.

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987, this division contained the following teams:

  • Brackley
  • Corby
  • Cutler Hammer
  • Deepings
  • Northampton Casuals
  • Northampton Men's Own
  • Old Wellingburians[b]
  • Oundle
  • Sharnbrook & Colworth
  • St Ives
  • Vauxhall Motors

East Midlands 2 honours

East Midlands 1 (1987–1992)

The original East Midlands 2 was a tier 9 league. Promotion was to East Midlands 1 and relegation to East Midlands 3. At the end of the 1991–92 season all of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues were merged and most sides in East Midlands 2 transferred to the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 2[c].

East Midlands 2
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1987–88 11 Northampton Men's Own Brackley Deepings, Old Wellingburians [1]
1988–89 11 Wellingborough Old Grammarians Corby Cutler Hammer [2]
1989–90 11 St Neots Bedford Queens Deepings [3]
1990–91 11 Northampton Casuals St Ives Vauxhall Motors, Westwood, Bedfordshire Police [4]
1991–92 11 Rushden & Higham[d] Daventry[e] No relegation[f] [5]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

East Midlands 2 (2000–2004)

After a gap of seven years East Midlands 2 was reintroduced ahead of the 2000–01 season as a tier 10 league. Promotion was to East Midlands 1 and there was no relegation. East Midlands 2 was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 campaign and most teams transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2.

East Midlands 2
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
2000–01 10 Kempston Peterborough Lions No relegation [6]
2001–02 8 Biddenham Bedford Swifts No relegation [7]
2002–03 8 Vauxhall Motors St Ives No relegation [8]
2003–04 7 Corby[g] Oundle[h] No relegation [9]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

Number of league titles

  • Biddenham (1)
  • Corby (1)
  • Kempston (1)
  • Northampton Casuals (1)
  • Northampton Men's Own (1)
  • Rushden & Higham (1)
  • St Neots (1)
  • Vauxhall Motors (1)
  • Wellingborough Old Grammarians (1)

Notes

  1. ^ Champions Corby would typically have moved up into East Midlands 1 but the cancellation of the East Midlands leagues meant they went into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 instead.
  2. ^ Old Boys side of Wellingborough School.
  3. ^ East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 was mostly formed of teams from East Midlands 2 and Leicestershire 2
  4. ^ Restructuring of the Midlands leagues saw champions Rushden & Higham transferred into the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
  5. ^ Restructuring saw the top three clubs including Dunstablians transferred into the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 2. Clubs ranked 4th to 10th, including Old Wellingburians, Oundle, Colworth House, Deepings, Bugbrooke, Bedford Swifts and Old Northamptonians went into East Midlands/Leicestershire 3.
  6. ^ Although there was no relegation due to restructuring, bottom club Corby were transferred into the newly introduced East Midlands/Leicestershire 4.
  7. ^ Restructuring would see champions Corby transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1.
  8. ^ Runners up Oundle would also be transferred into East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1. All other clubs would join East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2.

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. ^ "2000-2001 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  7. ^ "2001-2002 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  8. ^ "2002-2003 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  9. ^ "2003-2004 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  • East Midlands Rugby Union official website
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