Midlands 3 East (North)
# Midlands 3 East (North)

Midlands 3 East (North) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the East Midlands region including clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the occasional team from Leicestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 East (North).

Promoted teams tend to move up to Midlands 2 East (North) while demoted teams typically drop to Midlands 4 East (North). Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a level 8 national competition.

## 2020–21

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.

## Teams 2016-17

* Ashby
* Ashfield
* Bakewell Mannerians (relegated from Midlands 2 East)
* Belper
* Birstall (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Buxton (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Chesterfield Panthers
* Grimsby
* Lincoln
* Mansfield (relegated from Midlands 2 East)
* Rolls-Royce (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Sleaford

## Teams 2015-16

* Ashby (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))
* Ashfield (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Aylestone St James
* Belper (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Boston
* Chesterfield Panthers
* Grimsby
* Kesteven
* Lincoln
* Loughborough (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))
* Nottingham Moderns
* Sleaford

## Teams 2014-15

* Amber Valley (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Aylestone St James
* Boston
* Chesterfield Panthers (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Grimsby
* Kesteven (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))
* Lincoln
* Mellish
* Melton Mowbray
* Nottingham Moderns RFC
* Sleaford
* Southwell

## Teams 2013-14

* Ashby
* Aylestone St James (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))
* Boston (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* East Retford
* Grimsby
* Lincoln
* Mellish
* Nottingham Moderns
* Skegness (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Sleaford (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))
* Southwell
* West Bridgford

## Teams 2012–13

* Amber Valley
* Ashby
* Belper
* East Retford (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Grimsby
* Kesteven
* Lincoln
* Melbourne
* Mellish
* Nottingham Moderns (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))
* Southwell (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* West Bridgford RFC (relegated from Midlands 2 East (North))

## Teams 2011–12

* Amber Valley
* Ashby
* Belper
* Dronfield
* Grimsby
* Kesteven
* Lincoln
* Melbourne
* Mellish
* Nottingham Boots Corsairs
* Sleaford
* Worksop

## Teams 2010–11

* Amber Valley
* Ashbourne
* Ashfield
* Dronfield (promoted from Midlands 4 East (North))
* Grimsby
* Kesteven
* Melbourne
* Mellish
* Nottingham Casuals
* Sleaford
* Southwell
* Worksop

## Teams 2008–09

* Ashbourne
* Bakewell Mannerians
* Coalville
* Grimsby
* Ilkeston
* Lincoln
* Loughborough
* Melton Mowbray
* Nottingham Moderns
* Sleaford
* Spalding
* West Bridgford

## Original teams

Teams in Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) were originally part of a single division called Midlands 2 East, which contained the following sides when it was introduced in 1992:

* Coalville - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (6th)
* Glossop - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (6th)
* Kesteven - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (9th)
* Kettering - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (7th)
* Lincoln - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (10th)
* Long Buckby - promoted from East Midlands 1 (champions)
* Lutterworth - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (10th)
* Market Rasen & Louth - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 2 (runners up)
* Northampton BBOB - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (9th)
* South Leicester - promoted from Leicestershire 1 (champions)
* Southwell - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (7th)
* Stamford - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1 (8th)
* Wellingborough - promoted from East Midlands/Leicestershire (8th)
* Worksop - promoted from Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 2 (champions)

## Midlands 3 East (North) honours

### Midlands East 2 (1992–1993)

Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) were originally part of a single tier 8 division called Midlands East 2. Promotion was to Midlands East 1 and relegation was to either East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 or Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1.

Midlands East 2 :

| Season | No. of teams | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Reference |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1992–93 | 14 | Kettering | Northampton BBOB | Glossop, Southwell, Market Rasen & Louth, Stamford | |
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |||||||||||

### Midlands East 2 (1993–1996)

The top six teams from Midlands 1 and the top six from North 1 were combined to create National 5 North, meaning that Midlands 2 East dropped to become a tier 9 league. Promotion continued to Midlands East 1 while relegation was to either East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 or Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1.

Midlands East 2 :

| Season | No. of teams | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1993–94 | 13 | Long Buckby | Wellingborough | Dronfield, Kesteven |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Ilkeston | Huntingdon & District | Worksop, Grimsby, Luton |
| 1995–96 | 13 | Lutterworth | Old Northamptonians | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |||||||||||

### Midlands East 2 (1996–2000)

At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 North was discontinued and Midlands East 2 returned to being a tier 8 league. Promotion continued to Midlands East 1 while relegation was to either East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 or Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 1.

Midlands East 2 :

| Season | No. of teams | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1996–97 | 17 | Northampton Men's Own | Northampton Old Scouts | Chesterfield Panthers, East Retford, Mellish |
| 1997–98 | 17 | Dunstablians | Oadby Wyggestonian | Bedford Queens, Northampton BBOB |
| 1998–99 | 17 | Luton | South Leicester | Nottingham Casuals, Biggleswade |
| 1999–2000 | 17 | Market Bosworth | Long Eaton | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are the promotion places. |||||||||||

### Midlands 4 East (North) (2000–2006)

Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season saw Midlands East 2 split into two tier 8 regional leagues - Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South). Promotion was now to Midlands 3 East (North) and relegation to either Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East or Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 West.

Midlands East 4 East (North) :

| Season | No. of teams | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000–01 | 10 | Matlock | Market Rasen & Louth | Worksop, Ashfield, Belper |
| 2001–02 | 10 | Loughborough Students | Paviors | Melbourne, East Retford, Amber Valley |
| 2002–03 | 10 | Mellish | West Bridgford | Ashfield, Long Eaton |
| 2003–04 | 10 | Grimsby | Lincoln | Buxton |
| 2004–05 | 10 | Oakham | Ashfield | Nottingham Casuals, East Leake |
| 2005–06 | 10 | Ashbourne | Sleaford | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Midlands 4 East (North) (2006–2009)

Midlands 4 East (North) continued to be a tier 8 league with promotion up into Midlands 3 East (North). However, the cancellation of Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 East and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire/Leicestershire 1 West at the end of the 2005–06 season meant that relegation was now to the newly introduced Midlands 5 East (North).

Midlands East 4 East (North) :

| Season | No. of teams | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2006–07 | 12 | Grimsby | West Bridgford | Chesterfield Panthers, East Retford |
| 2007–08 | 12 | Bakewell Mannerians | Ashbourne | Castle Donington |
| 2008–09 | 12 | Market Rasen & Louth | Belgrave | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Midlands 3 East (North) (2009–present)

League restructuring by the RFU meant that Midlands 4 East (North) and Midlands 4 East (South) were renamed as Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South), with both leagues remaining at tier 8. Promotion was now to Midlands 2 East (North) (formerly Midlands 3 East (North)) and relegation to Midlands 4 East (North) (formerly Midlands 5 East (North)).

Midlands East 3 (North) :

| Season | No. of teams | Champions | Runners-up | Relegated teams | Reference |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2009–10 | 11 | Oakham | Ashby | Boston | |
| 2010–11 | 12 | Ashbourne | Nottingham Casuals | Ashfield, Southwell | |
| 2011–12 | 12 | Dronfield | Sleaford | Nottingham Corsairs, Worksop | |
| 2012–13 | 12 | Melbourne | Kesteven | Amber Valley, Belper | |
| 2013–14 | 12 | Ashby | West Bridgford | Skegness, East Retford | |
| 2014–15 | 12 | Melton Mowbray | Southwell | Mellish, Amber Valley | M |
| 2015–16 | 12 | Kesteven | Loughborough | Nottingham Moderns, Boston | |
| 2016–17 | 12 | Lincoln | Bakewell Mannerians | Chesterfield Panthers, Ashfield | |
| 2017–18 | 13 | Long Eaton | Ashby | Grimsby, Sileby Town | |
| 2018–19 | 12 | Nottingham Casuals | Ashfield | Tupton, Sleaford | |
| 2019–20 | 12 | Ashby | Southwell | Rolls-Royce, Nottingham Moderns | |
| 2020–21 | 12 | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Number of league titles

* Ashbourne (2)
* Ashby (2)
* Grimsby (2)
* Oakham (2)
* Bakewell Mannerians (1)
* Dronfield (1)
* Dunstablians (1)
* Ilkeston (1)
* Kesteven (1)
* Kettering (1)
* Lincoln (1)
* Long Buckby (1)
* Long Eaton (1)
* Loughborough Students (1)
* Lutterworth (1)
* Luton (1)
* Market Bosworth (1)
* Market Rasen & Louth (1)
* Matlock (1)
* Melbourne (1)
* Mellish (1)
* Melton Mowbray (1)
* Northampton Men's Own (1)
* Nottingham Casuals (1)
