Middlesex 1

Middlesex 1

Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	1987; 38 years ago (1987)
Ceased	1996; 29 years ago (1996)
Number of teams	13
Country	England
Holders	Hackney (1st title) (1995–96) (promoted to Herts/Middlesex 1)

Middlesex 1 was an English level 10 Rugby Union league with teams from north-west London taking part. Promoted teams used to move up to Herts/Middlesex 1 and relegation was to Middlesex 2. The division was cancelled in at the end of the 1995–96 campaign after nine seasons due to the merger of the Hertfordshire and Middlesex regional leagues.

Original teams

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

• Finchley
• Hampstead
• Lensbury
• London New Zealand
• Old Haberdashers
• Old Meadonians[a]
• Old Millhillians
• Orleans FP
• Staines
• Sudbury Court
• Uxbridge

Middlesex 1 honours

Middlesex 1 (1987–1992)

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

Middlesex 1
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1987–88[2]	11	Finchley	Staines	Old Millhillians, Orleans FP, Old Meadonians
1988–89[3]	11	Twickenham	London New Zealand	Old Abbots, Old Paulines, Old Haberdashers
1989–90[4]	11	Uxbridge	London New Zealand	Old Millhillians, Hampstead
1990–91[5]	11	Lensbury	Staines	Old Abbots, Old Meadonians, Sudbury Court
1991–92[6]	11	Staines	Old Millhillians[b]	No relegation[c]
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 into 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
1992–93[7]	13	Hampstead	Mill Hill	Orleans FP, Old Grammarians
1993–94[8]	13	Mill Hill	Roxeth Manor Old Boys	Hammersmith & Fulham, Old Isleworthians
1994–95[9]	13	Old Hamptonians	Wembley	Antlers
1995–96[10]	13	Hackney[d]	London Nigerian[e]	No relegation[f]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

• Finchley (1)
• Hackney (1)
• Hampstead (1)
• Lensbury (1)
• Mill Hill (1)
• Old Hamptonians (1)
• Staines (1)
• Twickenham (1)
• Uxbridge (1)

Notes

1. Old Meadonians would be renamed as Chiswick RFC in 1996.[1]
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

• London & SE Division RFU
• Middlesex RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

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.