Regional 1 Midlands


Regional 1 Midlands is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Midlands Division 1. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following a reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union, and the name change from National League 3 to Premier was introduced for the 2017–18 season by the RFU in order to lessen confusion for what is a series of regional leagues. Regional 1 Midlands is the highest regional rugby union league in the English Midlands.
Syston are the current champions and are promoted to National League 2 West.

Format

The club that finishes as champions is automatically promoted to National League 2 West. Relegated teams drop down to either, Regional 2 East Midlands, Regional 2 North Midlands or Regional 2 West Midlands, depending on their location, and other factors such as the location of relegated and promoted teams in other divisions.
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 table 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 point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
  • 1 additional point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match

    2025–26

Departing were Syston promoted to National 2 West while Silhillians and Kenilworth were both relegated to Regional 2 Midlands West. Also leaving were Burton, Derby and Long Eaton all on a level transfer to Regional 1 North West.

Participating teams and locations

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BanburyBodicote Park2,500 Banbury, Oxfordshire7th
BournvilleAvery FieldsEdgbaston, Birmingham, West MidlandsRelegated from Nat 2 West
BridgnorthEdgar Davies GroundBridgnorth, Shropshire5th
BromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, Worcestershire3rd
DrybrookMannings GroundDrybrook, GloucestershirePromoted from Regional 2 Severn
Dudley KingswinfordHeathbrook2,260 Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands10th
LichfieldCooke Fields5,460 Lichfield, StaffordshirePromoted from Regional 2 North Midlands
LutterworthAshby LaneLutterworth, LeicestershirePromoted from Regional 2 East Midlands
NewentRecreation GroundNewent, GloucestershirePromoted from Regional 2 West Midlands
Newport The Old ShowgroundNewport, ShropshireLevel transfer from Regional 1 North West
NuneatonLiberty Way3,800 Nuneaton, Warwickshire6th
StourbridgeStourton Park3,500 Stourbridge, West Midlands2nd

League table

2024–25

Departing were Oxford Harlequins who were promoted to National League 2 East. Old Halesonians and Broadstreet were relegated to Regional 2 Midlands West and Regional 2 Midlands East respectively. Stoke-on-Trent left on a level transfer to Regional 1 North West.

Participating teams and locations

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BanburyBodicote Park2,500 Banbury, Oxfordshire8th
BridgnorthEdgar Davies GroundBridgnorth, Shropshire6th
BromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, Worcestershire3rd
BurtonBattlestead Croft, Tatenhill5,500 Kingswinford, Dudley, West MidlandsRelegated from Nat 2 West
KenilworthGlasshouse LaneKenilworth, Warwickshire10th
Long EatonWest Park1,000Long Eaton, DerbyshirePromoted from Regional 2 Midlands North
NuneatonLiberty Way3,800 Nuneaton, WarwickshirePromoted from Regional 2 Midlands East
SilhilliansThe Memorial GroundSolihull, West MidlandsPromoted from Regional 2 Midlands West
StourbridgeStourton Park3,500 Stourbridge, West Midlands2nd
SystonBarkby RoadQueniborough, Leicestershire9th

League table

2023–24

Departing were Dudley Kingswinford, promoted to National League 2 West. Lichfield and Nuneaton were relegated to Regional 2 Midlands North and Regional 2 Midlands East respectively. Oundle left on a level transfer to Regional 1 South East.

Participating teams and locations

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BanburyBodicote Park2,500 Banbury, OxfordshireTransferred from Regional 1 South Central
BridgnorthEdgar Davies GroundBridgnorth, Shropshire2nd
BroadstreetIvor Preece Field1,500 Binley Woods, Coventry, West Midlands10th
BromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, Worcestershire4th
BurtonBattlestead Croft, Tatenhill5,500
Oxford HarlequinsHorspath Sports Ground1,000Oxford, OxfordshireTransferred from Regional 1 South Central
Stoke-on-TrentHartwell Lane2,000Barlaston, Staffordshire9th
StourbridgeStourton Park3,500 Stourbridge, West MidlandsRelegated from National 2 West
SystonBarkby RoadQueniborough, Leicestershire3rd

League table

Results

2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review.
Departing were Newport , promoted to National League 2 West together with Sheffield promoted to National League 2 North.
Scunthorpe, Doncaster Phoenix and Paviors all left on a level transfer to Regional 1 North East while Sandbach moved to Regional 1 North West.
With six teams leaving and four joining the league was reduced from 14 clubs to 12.

Participating teams and locations

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BridgnorthEdgar Davies GroundBridgnorth, Shropshire4th
BroadstreetIvor Preece Field1,500 Binley Woods, Coventry, West Midlands9th
BromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, Worcestershire6th
BurtonBattlestead Croft, Tatenhill5,500
Dudley KingswinfordHeathbrook2,260 Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands10th
KenilworthGlasshouse LaneKenilworth, WarwickshirePromoted from Midlands 1 West
LichfieldCooke Fields5,460 Lichfield, StaffordshirePromoted from Midlands 1 West
NuneatonLiberty Way3,800 Nuneaton, Warwickshire11th
OundleOccupation RoadOundle, Northamptonshire14th
Stoke-on-TrentHartwell Lane2,000Barlaston, StaffordshirePromoted from Midlands 1 East 3rd
SystonBarkby RoadQueniborough, Leicestershire3rd

Final league table

Results

2021–22

Participating teams and locations

Ten of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by one relegated side, Scunthorpe, while the three teams promoted into the division are Dudley Kingswinford. Also not returning are South Leicester who withdrew from the league during the 2019–20 season and drop to Midlands 4 East for the coming season.
The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BridgnorthEdgar Davies GroundBridgnorth, Shropshire4th
BroadstreetIvor Preece Field1,500 Binley Woods, Coventry, West Midlands11th
BromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, Worcestershire6th
BurtonPeel Croft5,500 Burton, Staffordshire9th
Doncaster PhoenixCastle Park5,000Doncaster, South Yorkshire7th
Dudley KingswinfordHeathbrook2,260 Kingswinford, Dudley, West MidlandsPromoted from Midlands 1 West
Newport The Old ShowgroundNewport, Shropshire2nd
NuneatonLiberty Way3,800 Nuneaton, Warwickshire8th
OundleOccupation RoadOundle, NorthamptonshirePromoted from Midlands 1 East
PaviorsThe Ron Rossin GroundNottingham, Nottinghamshire10th
SandbachBradwall RoadSandbach, Cheshire5th
ScunthorpeHeslam Park1,212 Scunthorpe, LincolnshireRelegated from National League 2 South
SheffieldAbbeydale Park3,300 Sheffield, South Yorkshire3rd
SystonBarkby RoadQueniborough, LeicestershirePromoted from Midlands 1 East