Counties 1 Midlands East (South) (formerly Midlands 2 East (South)) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the East Midlands region including sides from Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and occasionally Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands East 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 East (North) and Midlands 3 East (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, saw it changed to Midlands 2 East (South) and post the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022–23 it adopted its current name.
The current champions are Stamford.
Format The champions and occasionally the runner-up is promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East. Teams are relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South); with the number of teams relegated depending on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above.
The season runs from September to April and comprises twenty-two rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals, home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows: 4 points are awarded for a win 2 points are awarded for a draw 0 points are awarded for a loss, however 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.
2026–27
Departing were Hinckley 2XV promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East, whilst Stewarts & Lloyds (10th) and Dunstablians (12th) were relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Also departing were Biggleswade (11th) on a level transfer to Counties 1 Hertfordshire.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bugbrooke Camp Close Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire 6th Daventry Daventry & District Sports Club Daventry, Northamptonshire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Leicester Forest Hinckley Road Leicester Forest East, Leicestershire 5th Leighton Buzzard Wright's Meadow Leighton Buzzard, Buckinghamshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) Long Buckby Station Road Long Buckby, Northamptonshire 8th Market Bosworth Cadeby Lane Market Bosworth, Leicestershire 9th Newbold on Avon Parkfield Road Newbold-on-Avon, Warwickshire 2nd Nuneaton Old Edwardians Weddington Road Nuneaton, Warwickshire 4th Oundle II Occupation Road Oundle, Northamptonshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) Towcestrians Greens Norton Road Towcester, Northamptonshire 3rd Vipers Vipers Ground Whetstone, Leicestershire 7th Wellingborough Cut Throat Lane Great Doddington, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East
2025–26 Participating teams & locations Departing were Stamford promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East, whilst Stockwood Park (10th), Peterborough Lions (11th) and Old Laurentians (12th) were relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Also leaving were Bourne (8th) and Spalding (7th) who moved on a level transfer to Counties 1 Midlands East (North).
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Biggleswade Langford Road Biggleswade, Bedfordshire 6th Bugbrooke Camp Close Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire 5th Dunstablians Bidwell Park Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (2nd) Hinckley 2XV De Montfort Park 2,000 Hinckley, Leicestershire Level transfer from Counties 1 Midlands East (North) (2nd) Leicester Forest Hinckley Road Leicester Forest East, Leicestershire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Long Buckby Station Road Long Buckby, Northamptonshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (champions) Market Bosworth Cadeby Lane Market Bosworth, Leicestershire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Newbold on Avon Parkfield Road Newbold-on-Avon, Warwickshire 4th Nuneaton Old Edwardians Weddington Road Nuneaton, Warwickshire Level transfer from Counties 1 Midlands East (North) (6th) Stewarts & Lloyds Occupation Road Corby, Northamptonshire 9th Towcestrians Greens Norton Road Towcester, Northamptonshire 3rd Vipers Vipers Ground Whetstone, Leicestershire 2nd
2024–25 Departing were Daventry and Market Bosworth, both promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East, whilst Oakham and Long Buckby were relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Joining were Newbold-on-Avon and Towcestrians, both relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East together with Stewarts & Lloyds and Biggleswade, both promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Participating teams & locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Biggleswade Langford Road Biggleswade, Bedfordshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (2nd) Bourne Milking Nook Drove Bourne, Lincolnshire 4th Bugbrooke Camp Close Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire 9th Newbold-on-Avon Parkfield Road Newbold-on-Avon, Warwickshire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Old Laurentians Fenley Field Rugby, Warwickshire 6th Peterborough Lions Bretton Woods Bretton, Cambridgeshire 10th Spalding Memorial Field Spalding, Lincolnshire 7th Stamford Hambleton Road Stamford, Lincolnshire 3rd Stewarts & Lloyds Occupation Road Corby, Northamptonshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (champions) Stockwood Park London Road Luton, Bedfordshire 8th Towcestrians Greens Norton Road Towcester, Northamptonshire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Vipers Vipers Ground Whetstone, Leicestershire 5th
League table 2024–25 Counties 1 Midlands East (South) PlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPointsPts adj 1 Stamford (P) 22 19 0 3 752 300 452 16 6 95 2 Vipers 22 15 1 6 515 395 120 8 1 71 3 Towcestrians 22 10 2 10 565 424 141 11 8 63 4 Bugbrooke 22 11 2 9 617 560 57 11 3 62 5 Newbold-on-Avon 22 12 0 10 508 561 −53 11 2 62 6 Biggleswade 22 11 0 11 452 534 −82 6 2 52 7 Spalding 22 11 4 7 451 417 34 8 4 49 −15 8 Bourne 22 10 1 11 464 480 −16 8 4 44 −10 9 Stewarts & Lloyds 22 9 2 11 485 550 −65 8 4 43 −5 10 Stockwood Park (R) 22 6 1 15 467 537 −70 6 7 39 11 Peterborough Lions (R) 22 7 0 15 378 762 −384 5 2 35 12 Old Laurentians (R) 22 4 1 17 390 524 −134 5 7 30 If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams 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 Pink background are the relegation placesUpdated: 8 December 2025
2023–24 Departing were Wellingborough, promoted to Regional 2 Midlands East, whilst Dunstablians, St. Ives and Northampton Casuals were relegated to Counties 2 Midlands East (South). Joining were Peterborough Lions and Old Laurentians, both relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East together with Daventry and Spalding, both promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Participating teams & locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bourne Milking Nook Drove Bourne, Lincolnshire 4th Bugbrooke Camp Close Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire 7th Daventry Daventry & District Sports Club Daventry, Northamptonshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (champions) Long Buckby Station Road Long Buckby, Northamptonshire 8th Market Bosworth Cadeby Lane Market Bosworth, Leicestershire 3rd Oakham Rutland Showground Oakham, Rutland 9th Old Laurentians Fenley Field Rugby, Warwickshire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Peterborough Lions Bretton Woods Bretton, Cambridgeshire Relegated from Regional 2 Midlands East Spalding Memorial Field Spalding, Lincolnshire Promoted from Counties 2 Midlands East (South) (2nd) Stamford Hambleton Road Stamford, Lincolnshire 5th Stockwood Park London Road Luton, Bedfordshire 6th Vipers Vipers Ground Whetstone, Leicestershire 2nd
League table 2023–24 Counties 1 Midlands East (South) PlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPointsPts adj 1 Daventry (P) 22 21 0 1 740 275 465 13 0 97 2 Market Bosworth (P) 22 19 0 3 827 351 476 18 2 96 3 Stamford 22 18 0 4 601 369 232 11 2 85 4 Bourne 22 14 1 7 545 368 177 10 4 73 +1 5 Vipers 22 13 1 8 533 389 144 11 5 71 +1 6 Old Laurentians 22 11 0 11 485 556 −71 5 5 54 7 Spalding 22 8 2 12 440 424 16 7 6 47 +2 8 Stockwood Park 22 7 0 15 431 667 −236 4 5 37 9 Bugbrooke 22 6 0 16 412 603 −191 6 5 35 10 Peterborough Lions 22 4 1 17 279 703 −424 4 2 22 −2 11 Long Buckby (R) 22 4 1 17 336 545 −209 5 3 21 −5 12 Oakham (R) 22 4 2 18 369 748 −379 2 2 20 −4If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams 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 Pink background are the relegation placesUpdated: 7 December 2025
2022–23 This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review with the league adopting its new name of Counties 1 Midlands East (South)).
Participating teams & locations
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Bourne Milking Nook Drove Bourne, Lincolnshire Promoted from Midlands 3 East (South) (3rd) Bugbrooke Camp Close Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire 8th Dunstablians Bidwell Park Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 3 East (South) (2nd) Long Buckby Station Road Long Buckby, Northamptonshire 6th Market Bosworth Cadeby Lane Market Bosworth, Leicestershire 4th Northampton Casuals Rush Mills House Northampton, Northamptonshire 11th Oakham Rutland Showground Oakham, Rutland 12th Stamford Hambleton Road Stamford, Lincolnshire 9th St Ives Somersham Road St Ives, Cambridgeshire 10th Stockwood Park London Road Luton, Bedfordshire Promoted from Midlands 3 East (South) (champions) Vipers Vipers Ground Whetstone, Leicestershire 5th Wellingborough Cut Throat Lane Great Doddington, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire 7th
League table 2022–23 Counties 1 Midlands East (South) PlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLoss bonusPointsPts adj 1 Wellingborough (P) 22 20 0 2 834 257 577 18 2 100 2 Vipers 22 18 0 4 578 324 254 12 2 88 +2 3 Market Bosworth 22 16 0 6 599 322 277 13 4 83 +2 4 Bourne 22 17 0 5 536 366 170 9 3 76 −4 5 Stamford 22 13 0 9 561 435 126 10 5 67 6 Stockwood Park 22 11 1 10 535 509 26 12 4 62 7 Bugbrooke 22 8 2 12 449 505 −56 10 4 47 −3 8 Long Buckby 22 8 1 13 433 541 −108 9 3 41 −5 9 Oakham 22 7 1 14 415 589 −174 5 4 39 10 St Ives (R) 22 5 1 16 321 641 −320 4 3 30 +1 11 Northampton Casuals (R) 22 5 0 17 286 644 −358 2 5 27 12 Dunstablians (R) 22 0 2 20 231 645 −414 1 2 −8 −15If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams 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 Pink background are the relegation placesUpdated: 6 December 2025
2021–22 Participating teams & locations