Current season or competition: 2019–20 Midlands 5 West (South) | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 2006 | (as Midlands 6 West (South-East & South-West)
Number of teams | 11 |
Country | England |
Holders |
Rugby Welsh (2nd title) (2019–20) (promoted to Midlands 4 West (South)) |
Most titles | Birmingham Exiles, Rugby Welsh, Stoke Old Boys (2 titles) |
Website | England RFU |
Midlands 5 West (South) is a level 10 English Rugby Union league and level 5 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the West Midlands region including clubs from parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and even (on occasion) Cheshire and Oxfordshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Formed in 2006 originally the league was divided into two regional divisions – Midlands 6 South-East and South-West – but was merged into a single division for the 2010–11 season. In its present state promoted teams typically move up to either Midlands 4 West (North) or Midlands 4 West (South) with there being no relegation as it is the basement division for Midlands rugby. There was also another regional tier 5 Midlands league - Midlands 5 West (North) - but this league was discontinued at the end of the 2018–19 season, with most teams transferred into a new-look Midlands 5 West (South).
Dixonians, who finished 11th in 2019-20, did not return for the current season.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
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Worcester Students withdrew from the league after failing to field 15 players regularly.
When this division was introduced in 2006 it was split into two separate divisions - Midlands 6 West (South-East) and Midlands 6 West (South-West) - containing the following teams:
Midlands 6 West (South-East)
Midlands 6 West (South-West)
The league was originally divided into two sub-divisions known as Midlands 6 West (South-East) and Midlands 6 West (South-West). These divisions were introduced along with their counterpart Midlands 6 West (North) at tier 10 to replace the discontinued North Midlands 2, Warwickshire 1 and Warwickshire 2 leagues. Promotion was to Midlands 5 West (South) and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | Reference | ||||||||
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2006–07 | 10 | Pinley | Manor Park | No relegation [b] | Midlands 6 West (South-East) | [2] | ||||||||
9 | Dudley Wasps | Redditch | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-West) | [3] | |||||||||
2007–08 | 9 | Stoke Old Boys | Coventrians | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-East) | [4] | ||||||||
10 | Redditch | Clee Hill | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-West) | [5] | |||||||||
2008–09 | 9 | Rugby Welsh | Alcester | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-East) | [6] | ||||||||
10 | Birmingham Exiles | Warley | No relegation [c] | Midlands 6 West (South-West) | [7] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Further league restructuring by the RFU meant that Midlands 6 West (South-East / South-West) and their counterpart Midlands 6 West (North) were renamed as Midlands 5 West (South-East / South-West) and Midlands 5 West (North), with all leagues remaining at tier 10. Promotion was now to Midlands 4 West (South) (formerly Midlands 5 West (South)) and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | Reference | ||||||||
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2009–10 | 9 | Trinity Guild | Atherstone | No relegation | Midlands 5 West (South-East) | [8] | ||||||||
8 | Clee Hill | Tenbury | No relegation | Midlands 5 West (South-West) | [9] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Midlands 5 West (South-East / South West) were remerged into a single tier 10 division ahead of the 2010–11 season. Promotion continued to Midlands 4 West (South) and there was no relegation.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | Reference | |||||||||
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2010–11 | 8 | Claverdon | Old Wheatleyans | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||
2011–12 | 7 | Coventrians | Warwickian | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||
2012–13 | 8 | Stoke Old Boys | Greyhound | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||
2013–14 | 9 | Rugby Lions | Warwickian | No relegation | [13] | |||||||||
2014–15 | 8 | Birmingham Civil Service | Alcester | No relegation | [14] | |||||||||
2015–16 | 7 | Keresley | Five Ways Old Edwardians | No relegation | [15] | |||||||||
2016–17 | 7 | Burbage | Birmingham Civil Service | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||
2017–18 | 7 | Aldridge | Kings Norton | No relegation | [17] | |||||||||
2018–19 | 5 | Birmingham Exiles | Birmingham Civil Service | No relegation | [18] | |||||||||
2019–20 | 11 [d] | Rugby Welsh | Chaddesley Corbett | No relegation | [19] | |||||||||
2020–21 | 11 | No relegation | ||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Between 2007 and 2010 there was a promotion playoff between the runners-up of Midlands 5 West (South-East) and Midlands 5 West (South-West) for the third and final promotion place to Midlands 4 West (South), with the team with the superior league record having home advantage in the tie. The playoffs were dissolved at the end of the 2009-10 season when Midlands 5 West (South) became one division. By the end of the promotion play-offs the Midlands 5 West (South-East) teams won all four playoff games and the home team has also won promotion on all four occasions.
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Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||
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2006–07 [20] | Manor Park (SE) | 25-22 | Redditch (SW) | Heath End, Nuneaton, Warwickshire | ||||
2007–08 [21] | Coventrians (E) | 27-0 | Clee Hill (SW) | The Black Pad, Holbrooks, Coventry, Warwickshire | ||||
2008–09 [22] | Alchester (SE) | 25-7 | Warley (SW) | Fritwell Playing Fields, Fritwell, Oxfordshire | ||||
2009–10 [23] | Atherstone (SE) | 47-15 | Tenbury (SW) | Atherstone Town Cricket Club, Atherstone, Warwickshire | ||||
Green background is the promoted team. SE = Midlands 5 West (South-East) (formerly Midlands 6 West (South-East)) and SW = Midlands 5 West (South-West) (formerly Midlands 6 West (South-West)) |