Counties 3 Midlands West (East) / (South) (formerly Midlands 4 West (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 West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and even on occasion Oxfordshire, with home and away matches played 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 West (South) but changed to its present name for the 2008-09 season due to league restructuring. Further restructuring followed in the wake of the RFU's Adult Competition Review and from season 2022-23 it has been known by its current name. For season 2024-25 a new season a new East division was introduced.
Promoted teams move up to Counties 2 Midlands West (East) or Counties 2 Midlands West (West), depending on location, while relegated teams drop to Counties 4 Midlands West (South).
2026-27
East
Departing were Broadstreet 2XV promoted to Counties 2 Midlands West (East) while Nuneaton II (11th) and Tamworth II (12th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands West (Central) and Counties 4 Midlands West (South East) respectively.
Also leaving were Handsworth (3rd) and Veseyans II (7th) on a level transfer to Counties 3 Midlands West (South).
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Atherstone Atherstone Town Cricket Club Atherstone, Warwickshire 10th Bedworth Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth, Warwickshire 6th Burbage Recreation Ground Burbage, Leicestershire Promoted from Leicestershire RFU merit leagues Coventry Welsh Burbages Lane Exhall, Coventry, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (East) (9th) Hinckley III De Montfort Park Hinckley, Leicestershire 5th Keresley John E. Radford Fields Corley, Warwickshire 2nd Lichfield II Cooke Fields Lichfield, Staffordshire Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (North) (3rd) Old Wheatleyans Stade Wheats Coundon, Coventry, West Midlands 4th Pinley Wyken Croft Wyken, Coventry, West Midlands 9th Shipston-on-Stour II Mayo Road 600 Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (East) Stoke Old Boys Albert Gale Field Binley, Coventry, West Midlands 8th
South
Departing were Woodrush (champions) and Cleobury Mortimer promoted to Counties 2 Midlands West (South) and Counties 2 Midlands West (North) respectively, while Bishop's Castle & Onny Valley were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands West (South West).
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Camp Hill II The Shrine Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (East) Dudley Kingswinford II Heathbrook Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands 7th Handsworth Charles Lewis Memorial Ground Walsall, West Midlands Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (East) (3rd) Harborne Metchley Park Birmingham, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (East) (11th) Hereford II Wyeside Hereford, Herefordshire 6th Kings Norton Hopwood Park Hopwood, Worcestershire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (South) Old Yardleians Tilehouse Lane Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands 8th Pershore Mill Lane Pershore, Worcestershire 5th Veseyans II Memorial Ground Walsall, West Midlands Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (East) (7th) Walsall II Broadway Ground 1,150 (150 stand) Walsall, West Midlands 3rd Warley Tatbank Road Oldbury, West Midlands 4th Worcester II Offerton Lane Worcester, Worcestershire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (South)
2025-26
East
Departing were Syston II (champions) and Lutterworth II (runners-up) promoted to Counties 2 Midlands East (North) and Counties 2 Midlands West (East) respectively. Old Saltleians II (11th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands West (East). Also leaving were Lichfield II (4th) on a level transfer to Counties 3 Midlands West (North).
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Atherstone Atherstone Town Cricket Club Atherstone, Warwickshire 3rd Bedworth Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth, Warwickshire 6th Broadstreet 2XV Ivor Preece Field 1,500 (250 seats) Binley Woods, Coventry, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (East) (9th) Handsworth Charles Lewis Memorial Ground Walsall, West Midlands Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (North) (6th) Hinckley III De Montfort Park Hinckley, Leicestershire 5th Keresley John E. Radford Fields Corley, Warwickshire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (South) (3rd) Nuneaton II Liberty Way Nuneaton, Warwickshire 7th Old Wheatleyans Stade Wheats Coundon, Coventry, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (East) (10th) Pinley Wyken Croft Wyken, Coventry, West Midlands 8th Stoke Old Boys Albert Gale Field Binley, Coventry, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (East) (11th) Tamworth II Wigginton Park Tamworth, Staffordshire 10th Veseyans II Memorial Ground Walsall, West Midlands 9th
South
Departing were Upton-upon-Severn (champions) and Bournville II (runners-up) promoted to Counties 2 Midlands West (East) while Malvern II (10th), Kings Norton (11th) and Worcester II (12th) were all relegated to Counties 4 Midlands West (South).
Droitwich II and Evesham II were both promoted into the league from Counties 4 Midlands West (South) having finished 4th and 2nd respectively. Both however withdrew from the league as did Edwardians II (8th in 2024-25) leaving nine clubs to contest the outstanding fixtures.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bishop's Castle & Onny Valley Bishop's Castle Community College Bishop's Castle, Shropshire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (South) (Champions) Cleobury Mortimer Love Lane Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire 4th Dudley Kingswinford II Heathbrook Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands 6th Hereford II Wyeside Hereford, Herefordshire 9th Old Yardleians Tilehouse Lane Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands 5th Pershore Mill Lane Pershore, Worcestershire 7th Walsall II Broadway Ground 1,150 (150 stand) Walsall, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (West) (9th) Warley Tatbank Road Oldbury, West Midlands Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (North) Woodrush Icknield Street Forhill, Worcestershire 3rd
2024-25
Ahead of the season a new East division was introduced.
East
The league was formed with three teams - Bedworth, Pinley & Tamworth II - moving on a level transfer from the Counties 3 Midlands West (South) league and the addition of the 2XV/3XVs from eight clubs; these included three - Hinckley, Lutterworth and Syston - from Leicestershire whose teams would historically competed in East Midlands RFU reserve leagues.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Atherstone Atherstone Town Cricket Club Atherstone, Warwickshire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (North) Bedworth Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth, Warwickshire Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (South) (6th) Hinckley III De Montfort Park Hinckley, Leicestershire New entry Lichfield II Cooke Fields Lichfield, Staffordshire New entry Lutterworth II Ashby Lane Lutterworth, Leicestershire New entry Nuneaton II Liberty Way Nuneaton, Warwickshire New entry Old Saltleians II Watton Lane Water Orton, Warwickshire New entry Pinley Wyken Croft Wyken, Coventry, West Midlands Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (South) (7th) Syston II Barkby Road Queniborough, Leicestershire New entry Tamworth II Wigginton Park Tamworth, Staffordshire Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (South) (9th) Veseyans II Memorial Ground Walsall, West Midlands New entry
South
Departing were Harbury and Stoke Old Boys, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands West (East). Old Leamingtonians II (12th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands West (South). Kenilworth II (11th) did not return for the new season. Also leaving, but on a level transfer were Bedworth (6th), Pinley (7th) and Tamworth II (9th), all tot the newly formed Counties 3 Midlands West (East).
Joining were Edwardians II, Bournville II, Malvern, Dudley Kingswinford II, Upton-upon-Severn, Woodrush and Cleobury Mortimer.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bournville II Avery Fields Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands New entry Cleobury Mortimer Love Lane Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire Level transfer from Counties 3 Midlands West (North) (6th) Dudley Kingswinford II Heathbrook Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands New entry Edwardians II Memorial Ground Solihull, West Midlands New entry Hereford II Wyeside Hereford, Herefordshire 4th Kings Norton Hopwood Park Hopwood, Worcestershire 10th Malvern II Spring Lane Malvern, Worcestershire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (South) Old Yardleians Tilehouse Lane Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands 5th Pershore Mill Lane Pershore, Worcestershire 3rd Upton-upon-Severn Banwell Park Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire Promoted from Counties 4 Midlands West (South) Woodrush Icknield Street Forhill, Worcestershire Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (East) Worcester II Offerton Lane Worcester, Worcestershire 8th
2023-24
Departing were Birmingham & Solihull and Coventrians, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands West (East). Birmingham Exiles (10th) and Upton-upon-Severn (11th) were relegated to Counties 4 Midlands West (South). Rugby Welsh (6th) went on a level transfer to Counties 3 Midlands East (South).
Joining were Pinley (12th) and Kenilworth II, both relegated. Also entering the league were Hereford II, Worcester II, Tamworth II and Old Leamingtonians II.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bedworth Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth, Warwickshire 7th Harbury Waterloo Fields Harbury, Warwickshire 3rd Hereford II Wyeside Hereford, Herefordshire New entry Kenilworth II Glasshouse Lane Kenilworth, Warwickshire Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (South) Kings Norton Hopwood Park Hopwood, Worcestershire 8th Old Leamingtonians II The Crofts Blackdown, Warwickshire New entry Old Yardleians Tilehouse Lane Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands 9th Pershore Mill Lane Pershore, Worcestershire 4th Pinley Wyken Croft Wyken, Coventry, West Midlands Relegated from Counties 2 Midlands West (South) Stoke Old Boys Albert Gale Field Binley, Coventry, West Midlands 5th Tamworth II Wigginton Park Tamworth, Staffordshire New entry Worcester II Offerton Lane Worcester, Worcestershire New entry
2022-23
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review with the league adopting its new name of Counties 3 Midlands West (South).
Departing were Claverdon and Old Wheatleyans, both promoted to Counties 2 Midlands West (South). Chaddesley Corbett (8th) did not return for the new season.
Joining were Birmingham & Solihull, Birmingham Exiles and Stoke Old Boys.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bedworth Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth, Warwickshire 3rd Birmingham Exiles Old Damson Lane Elmdon, West Midlands Level transfer from Midlands 4 West (North) (10th) Birmingham & Solihull Portway Portway, Birmingham, West Midlands Promoted from Midlands 5 West (South) Coventrians The Black Pad Holbrooks, Coventry, West Midlands 9th Harbury Waterloo Fields Harbury, Warwickshire 6th Kings Norton Hopwood Park Hopwood, Worcestershire 11th Old Yardleians Tilehouse Lane Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands 5th Pershore Mill Lane Pershore, Worcestershire 10th Rugby Welsh Alwyn Road Rugby, Warwickshire 7th Stoke Old Boys Albert Gale Field Binley, Coventry, West Midlands Relegated from Midlands 3 West (South) Upton-upon-Severn Banwell Park Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire 4th
2021-22
Participating teams & locations
Birmingham Civil Service, who finished 10th in 2019-20, did not return for the current season.