Midlands 2 West (South)

Midlands 2 West (South) is a level seven English rugby union league and level two of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the southern part of the West Midlands region including Herefordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 1, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, lead to the current name of Midlands 2 West (South).

Promoted teams usually move up to Midlands 1 West with the league champions going up automatically and the runner-up in a play-off against the runner-up from Midlands 2 West (North) for the third promotion place. Relegated teams usually drop to Midlands 3 West (South). Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.

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

2016–17

 * Barkers Butts
 * Berkswell & Balsall
 * Dunlop
 * Earlsdon
 * Leamington
 * Malvern
 * Nuneaton Old Edwardians
 * Pinley
 * Rugby Lions (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Silhillians (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Southam (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Spartans (Midlands)

2015–16

 * Banbury
 * Barkers Butts (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Bedworth (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Berkswell & Balsall (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Droitwich
 * Dunlop (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Earlsdon (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Leamington
 * Malvern
 * Nuneaton Old Edwardians
 * Pilney
 * Spartans (Midlands)

2014–15

 * Banbury
 * Droitwich
 * Leamington
 * Malvern (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Newbold on Avon
 * Nuneaton Old Edwardians
 * Old Coventrians
 * Old Laurentians (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Old Leamingtonians
 * Old Yardleians (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Pilney(promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Spartans (Midlands)

2013–14

 * Banbury
 * Bedworth
 * Droitwich
 * Dunlop
 * Earlsdon
 * Kidderminster
 * Leamington
 * Nuneaton Old Edwardians
 * Old Coventrians (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Old Leamingtonians (promoted from Midlands 3 West (South))
 * Spartans (Midlands)
 * Stourbridge Lions

2012–13

 * Banbury
 * Bedworth
 * Droitwich
 * Dunlop
 * Earlsdon
 * Kenilworth (relegated from Midlands 1 West)
 * Kidderminster
 * Leamington
 * Newbold-on-Avon
 * Old Laurentians
 * Shipton-on-Stour
 * Upton-on-Severn

2011–12

 * Banbury
 * Barkers Butts
 * Barkswell & Balsall
 * Cheltenham North
 * Droitwich
 * Kidderminster Carolians
 * Leamington
 * Newbold-on-Avon
 * Old Laurentians
 * Pershore
 * Silhillians
 * Upton on Severn

2008–09

 * Barkers Butts
 * Berkswell & Balsall
 * Droitwich
 * Earlsdon
 * Kidderminster Carolians
 * Leamington
 * Newbold-on-Avon
 * Nuneaton Old Edwardians
 * Old Coventrians
 * Old Laurentians
 * Silhillians
 * Spartans

Original teams
Teams in Midlands 2 West (North) and Midlands 2 West (South) were originally part of a single division called Midlands 1 West, which contained the following sides when it was introduced in 1992:


 * Bromsgrove - relegated from Midlands 2 West (11th)
 * Dudley Kingswinford - promoted from North Midlands 1 (runners up)
 * Kings Norton - promoted from North Midlands 1 (4th)
 * Leek - promoted from Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 (4th)
 * Ludlow - promoted from North Midlands 1 (5th)
 * Newbold-on-Avon - relegated from Midlands 2 West (9th)
 * Newcastle (Staffs) - promoted from Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 (runners up)
 * Old Halesonians - promoted from North Midlands 1 (3rd)
 * Old Leamingtonians - promoted from Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 (5th)
 * Old Longtonians - promoted from Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 (champions)
 * Old Yardleians - promoted from North Midlands 1 (champions)
 * Sutton Coldfield - relegated from Midlands 2 West (10th)
 * Willenhall - promoted from Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 (3rd)

Midlands West 1 (1992–1993)
Midlands 2 West (North) and Midlands 2 West (South) were originally part of a single tier 7 division called Midlands West 1. Promotion was to Midlands 2 and relegation to Midlands West 2.

Midlands West 1 (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 1 West dropped to become a tier 8 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Midlands 2 and Midlands West 2.

Midlands West 1 (1996–2000)
At the end of the 1995–96 season National 5 North was discontinued and Midlands West 1 returned to being a tier 7 league. Promotion and relegation continued to Midlands 2 and Midlands West 2.

Midlands 3 West (South) (2000–2009)
Restructuring ahead of the 2000–01 season saw Midlands West 1 split into two tier 7 regional leagues - Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South). Promotion was now to Midlands 2 West (formerly Midlands 2) and relegation to Midlands 4 West (South) (formerly Midlands West 2).

Midlands 2 West (South) (2009–present)
League restructuring by the RFU meant that Midlands 3 West (North) and Midlands 3 West (South) were renamed as Midlands 2 West (North) and Midlands 2 West (South), with both leagues remaining at tier 7. Promotion was now to Midlands 1 West (formerly Midlands 2 West) and relegation to Midlands 3 West (South) (formerly Midlands 4 West (South)).

Promotion play-offs
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Midlands 2 West (North) and Midlands 2 West (South) for the third and final promotion place to Midlands 1 West (asides from 2008-09 which was played between the runners up of Midlands 2 West (South) and Midlands 2 East (North) due to RFU restructuring). The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season the Midlands 2 West (South) teams had ten wins to Midlands 2 West (North) teams eight; and the home team has won promotion on eleven occasions compared to the away teams seven.

2008-09 promotion play-offs
As mentioned above the 2008-09 promotion playoffs in Midlands 3 were different due to RFU restructuring for the following season. The two runners up with the worst league records in the four regional divisions at this level would have to face each other for the final promotion spot, with the team with the superior league record having home advantage.

Number of league titles

 * Barkers Butts (2)
 * Kenilworth (2)
 * Leamington (2)
 * Newbold-on-Avon (2)
 * Stratford-upon-Avon (2)
 * Sutton Coldfield (2)
 * Banbury (1)
 * Droitwich (1)
 * Dunlop (1)
 * Earlsdon (1)
 * Hereford (1)
 * Longton (1)
 * Luctonians (1)
 * Malvern (1)
 * Newport (Salop) (1)
 * Nuneaton Old Edwardians (1)
 * Old Coventrians (1)
 * Rugby Lions (1)
 * Selly Oak (1)
 * Solihull (1)
 * Willenhall (1)
 * Worcester Wanderers (1)