East Midlands 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and parts of Cambridgeshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 East (North) (formerly Midlands East 2) and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands 2. Originally a feeder league for East Midlands/Leicestershire, it ran for three spells between 1987–1992, 1996–1998 (as East Midlands) and 2000–2004.
At the end of the 2003–04 season the East Midlands leagues were restructured and the majority of teams in East Midlands 1 were transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 division.
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987, this division contained the following teams:
Ampthill Biggleswade Daventry Dunstablians Huntingdon & District Northampton BBOB Northampton Old Scouts Rushden & Higham St Neots Wellingborough Wellingborough Old Grammarians
East Midlands 1 honours
East Midlands 1 (1987–1992)
The original East Midlands 1 was a tier 8 league. Promotion was to East Midlands/Leicestershire and relegation to East Midlands 2. At the end of the 1991–92 season all of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues were merged and most sides in East Midlands 1 transferred to the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
East Midlands 1SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated teamsReference 1987–88 11 Wellingborough St Neots Dunstablians, Wellingborough Old Grammarians 1988–89 11 Biggleswade Ampthill St Neots 1989–90 11 Ampthill Northampton Men's Own Corby 1990–91 11 Northampton BBOB Brackley Old Northamptonians, Daventry, Rushden & Higham 1991–92 11 Long Buckby St Neots No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
East Midlands (1996-1998)
After an absence of four seasons the division was reintroduced, this time as East Midlands, sitting at tier 10 of the league system. Promotion was to East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 and there was no relegation. Remerging of all the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues meant that East Midlands was cancelled at the end of the 1997–98 season and the majority of teams transferred into East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
East Midlands 1SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated teamsReference 1996–97 10 Deepings Northampton Casuals No relegation 1997–98 10 Northampton Casuals Oundle No relegation Green backgrounds are the promotion places.
East Midlands 1 (2000–2004)
An East Midlands division returned for the third time, this time renamed back to East Midlands 1 and rising to become a tier 9 league following the cancellation of the East Midlands/Leicestershire leagues at the end of the 1999–00 season. Promotion was to the newly introduced Midlands 4 East (South) and relegation to East Midlands 2. East Midlands 1 was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season and most teams transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1.
East Midlands 1SeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated teamsReference 2000–01 11 Biggleswade Bugbrooke Bedford Swifts 2001–02 10 Northampton BBOB Rushden & Higham Deepings, St Ives 2002–03 9 Daventry Biddenham Bedford Queens, Kempston 2003–04 9 Biggleswade Vauxhall Motors No relegation Green backgrounds are the promotion places.
Number of league titles
Biggleswade (3) Northampton BBOB (2) Ampthill (1) Daventry (1) Deepings (1) Long Buckby (1) Northampton Casuals (1) Wellingborough (1)
Notes
See also East Midlands 2 East Midlands 3 Midlands RFU East Midlands RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links East Midlands Rugby Union official website