*** Welcome to piglix ***

Midlands Premier

Midlands Premier
Current season or competition::
2017–18 Midlands Premier
England Rugby text logo.svg
Sport Rugby union
Instituted 1987
Number of teams 14
Country  England
Holders Broadstreet (4th title) (2016–17
promoted to National League 2 North)
Most titles Broadstreet (4 titles)
Website clubs.rfu.com

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. 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. 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. The current champions are Broadstreet, who won the league by two points over the runner-up, Sheffield. Sheffield won at Rossendale in the promotion play-off and will join Broadstreet, who were relegated last season, in National League North. Subject to confirmation by the RFU three clubs are relegated; Sandbach, Bedford Athletic and Syston.

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.


...
Wikipedia

...