Midlands Premier (up until 2016-17 known as National League 3 Midlands) is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system.[1] It is one of four leagues at this level, with its counterparts, London & South East Premier, South West Premier and North Premier. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following a reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), 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.[1] Midlands Premier is the highest regional rugby union league in the English Midlands.
The club that finishes as champions are automatically promoted to National League 2 North. The runner-up meets the second placed team of North Premier in a play-off with the winner also gaining promotion. Relegated teams drop down to either Midlands 1 East or Midlands 1 West depending on location, and other factors such as the location of relegated and promoted teams in other divisions.
Format
The fourteen teams in this league are drawn from across the midlands with the league champions being promoted to National League 2 North and the runner-up going into a play-off with the second placed team from North Premier with the winner also being promoted. The league's bottom three teams are relegated to either Midlands 1 East or Midlands 1 West depending on their geographic location.
The season runs from September to May and comprises twenty-six 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 (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
Eight of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Broadstreet who were relegated from National 2 North while four teams were promoted into the league – Bedford Athletic, Bridgnorth, Derby and Towcestrians (who were level transferred from the south-west league on promotion) – as well as Sheffield who were level transferred from National League 3 North having finished 7th the previous season. Scunthorpe (champions) and Hinckley (play-off) were promoted into National League 2 North while Old Northamptonians were relegated to Midlands 1 East and Sutton Coldfield and Newport (Salop) both dropped to Midlands 1 West. In order to address a league imbalance due to only one team coming down from National League 2 South, Bromsgrove (who had finished 11th), were level transferred to National League 3 South West.[17]
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. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 29 April 2017 Source: "National League 3 Midlands". England Rugby.
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 Midlands, and National League 3 North participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 North. The team with the best playing record, in this case Rossendale, hosted the match and lost to their opponents Sheffield, 31 – 32.
Despite leading the table for most of the season Hinckley lost 13 – 23 on the final week-end of the season to Scunthorpe, to finish in second place for the second season in a row. Scunthorpe started the day four points behind and finished top due to winning one more match over the season.[18] Two of last seasons promoted teams were relegated; Newport (Salop) to Midland 1 West and Old Northamptonians to Midland 1 East. The third relegated team is Sutton Coldfield.
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. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 27 April 2016 Source: "National League 3 Midlands". England Rugby.
Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 Midland, and National League 3 North participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 North. The team with the best playing record, in this case Hinckley, host the match and they beat their opponents Wirral 33 – 20.
The top six teams from Midlands Division One and the top six from North Division One were combined to create National 5 North. Midland Division One was now the name of a tier six league and was one of two feeder leagues for National 5 North, the other being North Division One.
The leagues were reorganised at the end of 1995–96 with the top four divisions increased in size. The fifth tier National 5 North was split and reverted to Midland Division One and North Division One. Wharfedale, the champions, were promoted to National Division Three and all of the other teams, bar Broughton Park, were transferred to the fourth tier, National 4 North.[25]
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the league runners-up of Midlands Premier and North Premier for the third and final promotion place to National League 2 North. The team with the superior league record has home advantage and the home team has won twelve of the eighteen ties and the Northern teams have been stronger with twelve wins to the Midlands six.
Midlands Premier v North Premier promotion play-off results
^A breach of regulations by Ampthill during the Luctonians game on 1 May 2010 led to Ampthill being denied promotion and transferred to National League 3 London & SE. By the time of the ruling Luctonians had already won their play-off against the runner-up of National 3 North so Hinckley were also promoted, despite finishing third.[39][40]
^ Rugby Lions went into liquidation during the summer due to unpaid debts. The club was thrown out of the league, rejoining the league system in 2013–14 in Midlands 5 West (South).[43]
^One of Walsall's two league titles was won during the period when tier 5 was divided into 2 regional divisions - National 5 North and National 5 South (1993-96).
^"Drama as Hinckley are denied at death". Rugby Paper. No. 396. 17 April 2016. p. 34.
^ abcWilliams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd. pp. 327–442. ISBN1 873057 024.
^Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill. Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92. Taunton: Football Directories. pp. 343–462. ISBN1 869833 15 5.
^Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1992). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992–93. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 170–185. ISBN0 7472 7907 1.
^Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1993). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993–94. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 151–167. ISBN0 7472 7891 1.
^Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1994). Rothmans rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 163–179. ISBN0 7472 7850 4.
^Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1995). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995–96. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 179–195. ISBN0 7472 7816 4.
^ abCleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996–97. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 150–163. ISBN0 7472 7771 0.
^Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 87–100. ISBN0 7472 7732 X.
^Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998–99. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 84–98. ISBN0 7472 7653 6.