Counties 1 Middlesex

Counties 1 Middlx
Current season or competition:
2025–26
SportRugby union
Instituted1987; 39 years ago (1987)
Number of teams12
Country England
HoldersHackney (1st title) (1995–96)
(promoted to Herts/Middlesex 1)

Counties 1 Middlesex (formerly Middlesex 1) is a level 7 Rugby Union league with teams from north-west London taking part. Historically, the league was a level 10 completion, and the division was cancelled at the end of the 1995–96 campaign after nine seasons due to the merger of the Hertfordshire and Middlesex regional leagues. After nearly twenty years, ahead of the 2025–26 season, the league was re-formed following the decision to have mostly Hertfordshire teams in Counties 1 Hertfordshire. Promoted teams typically move up to Regional 2 Thames and relegated sides go down to Counties 2 Middlesex.

2026–27

Departing were champions Ealing Trailfinders 1871 promoted to Regional 2 Thames together with runners-up Finchley promoted to Regional 2 Anglia, while Saracens Amateurs (10th) were relegated to Counties 2 Middlesex.

2025–26

Participating clubs and locations

This is the first season in which Hertfordshire RFU and Middlesex RFU clubs from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex moved to their respective county leagues. Teams in this league were level transferred from Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex or were promoted from Counties 2 Hert/Middlesex.

1996–2025

Not contested

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

Middlesex 1 honours

Middlesex 1 (1987–1992)

The original Middlesex 1 was a tier 8 league with promotion to London 3 North West and relegation to Middlesex 2.

Middlesex 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams
1987–8811FinchleyStainesOld Millhillians, Orleans FP, Old Meadonians
1988–8911TwickenhamLondon New ZealandOld Abbots, Old Paulines, Old Haberdashers
1989–9011UxbridgeLondon New ZealandOld Millhillians, Hampstead
1990–9111LensburyStainesOld Abbots, Old Meadonians, Sudbury Court
1991–9211StainesOld MillhilliansNo relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Middlesex 1 (1992–1996)

The creation of Herts/Middlesex at the beginning of the 1992–93 season meant that Middlesex 1 dropped to become a tier 9 league. The introduction of National 5 South for the 1993–94 season meant that Middlesex 1 dropped another level to become a tier 10 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion was into the new Herts/Middlesex league while relegation continued to Middlesex 2. The merging of the Hertfordshire and Middlesex regional divisions at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Middlesex 1 was cancelled.

Middlesex 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams
1992–9313HampsteadMill HillOrleans FP, Old Grammarians
1993–9413Mill HillRoxeth Manor Old BoysHammersmith & Fulham, Old Isleworthians
1994–9513Old HamptoniansWembleyAntlers
1995–9613HackneyLondon NigerianNo relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes

  1. ↑ Old Meadonians would be renamed as Chiswick RFC in 1996.
  2. ↑ League restructuring for the following season due to the creation of the new Herts/Middlesex division, meant that there were multiple promotions from the league. Runners up Old Millhillians were promoted to London 3 North West along with champions Staines, while seven clubs ranked from 3rd to 9th were promoted into the new Herts/Middlesex division, including Haringey Rhinos, Harrow, Centaurs, London New Zealand, Uxbridge, Hendon and Twickenham. The bottom two sides - Mill Hill and Hackney - would remain in Middlesex 1.
  3. ↑ The creation of Herts/Middlesex for the following season meant that there was no relegation.
  4. ↑ Champions Hackney would be promoted into the newly named Herts/Middlesex 1.
  5. ↑ The merging of the Herts/Middlesex regional divisions saw runners up London Nigerian were transferred into Herts/Middlesex 3.
  6. ↑ Although there would be no relegation, all remaining teams would be transferred into the new Herts/Middlesex leagues - CS Stags 1863, Harrow, Old Haberdashers, HAC, Old Paulines, Wembley, Twickenham and Actonians would join Herts/Middlesex 2; Roxeth Manor Old Boys and Sudbury Court would join Herts/Middlesex 3. Bottom club Belsize Park would drop out of the leagues before the start of the new season.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "CLUB HISTORY". Chiswick RFC. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  2. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988-89. 1989.
  3. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989-90. 1990.
  4. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990-91. 1991.
  5. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991-92. 1992.
  6. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992-93. 1993.
  7. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1993-94. 1994.
  8. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994-95. 1995.
  9. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1995-96. 1996.
  10. ↑ Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996-97. 1997.