| Midlands 5 West (South) | |
| Current Season: | 2019–20 Midlands 5 West (South) |
| Sport: | Rugby union |
| Founded: | (as Midlands 6 West (South-East & South-West) |
| Teams: | 11 |
| Champion: | Rugby Welsh (2nd title) |
| Season: | 2019–20) (promoted to Midlands 4 West (South) |
| Most Champs: | Birmingham Exiles, Rugby Welsh, Stoke Old Boys |
| Count: | 2 |
| 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.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherstone | Atherstone Town Cricket Club | 6th | ||
| Portway | Promoted from Greater Birmingham Merit League | |||
| Bishop's Castle & Onny Valley | 10th | |||
| Bloxwich | Stafford Road Sports Club | 8th | ||
| Cannock | Morgan Ground | Relegated from Midlands 4 West (North) (12th) | ||
| Five Ways Old Edwardians | Ash Lane | 5th | ||
| Greyhound | Hereford City Sports Club | 9th | ||
| Keresley | John E. Radford Fields | 7th | ||
| Redditch | Bromsgrove Road | 3rd | ||
| St Leonards | Universal Sports and Social Club | Promoted from Staffordshire Merit Table Division 1 | ||
| Stone | Stone Hockey Club | Promoted from Staffordshire Merit Table Division 1 | ||
| Stourport | Walshes Meadow | 4th | ||
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherstone | Atherstone Town Cricket Club | 5th | ||
| Bishop's Castle & Onny Valley | Transferred from Midlands 5 West (North) (3rd) | |||
| Bloxwich | Stafford Road Sports Club | Relegated from Midlands 4 WN (11th) | ||
| Chaddesley Corbett | Fox Lane | Transferred from Midlands 5 West (North) (5th) | ||
| Dixonians | Rowheath Park | Greater Birmingham Merit League (champions) | ||
| Five Ways Old Edwardians | Ash Lane | Joined league | ||
| Greyhound | Hereford City Sports Club | Relegated from Midlands 4 WS (10th) | ||
| Keresley | John E. Radford Fields | 4th | ||
| Redditch | Bromsgrove Road | Relegated from Midlands 4 WS (11th) | ||
| Rugby Welsh | Alwyn Road | 3rd | ||
| Stourport | Walshes Meadow | Transferred from Midlands 5 West (North) (8th) | ||
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherstone | Atherstone Town Cricket Club | 4th | ||
| Birmingham Civil Service | Land Rover Social Club | Relegated from Midlands 4 West (South) (10th) | ||
| Birmingham Exiles | Old Damson Lane | 6th | ||
| Keresley | John E. Radford Fields | 5th | ||
| Rugby Welsh | Alwyn Road | 3rd | ||
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldridge | Bourne Vale | Transferred from Midlands 5 West (North) (4th) | ||
| Atherstone | Atherstone Town Cricket Club | 5th | ||
| Birmingham Exiles | Old Damson Lane | 3rd | ||
| Keresley | John E. Radford Fields | Relegated from Midlands 4 West (North) (10th) | ||
| Hopgood Park | Relegated from Midlands 4 West (North) (11th) | |||
| Rugby Welsh | Alwyn Road | 4th | ||
| Trinity Guild | Rowley Road | 6th | ||
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 | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 10 | Pinley | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-East) | [1] | ||||||||||
| 9 | Dudley Wasps | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-West) | [2] | |||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 9 | Stoke Old Boys | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-East) | [3] | ||||||||||
| 10 | Redditch | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-West) | [4] | |||||||||||
| 2008–09 | 9 | Rugby Welsh | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-East) | [5] | ||||||||||
| 10 | Birmingham Exiles | No relegation | Midlands 6 West (South-West) | [6] | |||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | 9 | Trinity Guild | No relegation | Midlands 5 West (South-East) | [7] | ||||||||||
| 8 | Clee Hill | No relegation | Midlands 5 West (South-West) | [8] | |||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 | 8 | Claverdon | No relegation | [9] | |||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 7 | Coventrians | No relegation | [10] | |||||||||||
| 2012–13 | 8 | Stoke Old Boys | No relegation | [11] | |||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 9 | Rugby Lions | No relegation | [12] | |||||||||||
| 2014–15 | 8 | Birmingham Civil Service | No relegation | [13] | |||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 7 | Keresley | No relegation | [14] | |||||||||||
| 2016–17 | 7 | Burbage | No relegation | [15] | |||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 7 | Aldridge | No relegation | [16] | |||||||||||
| 2018–19 | 5 | Birmingham Exiles | No relegation | [17] | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 11 | Rugby Welsh | No relegation | [18] | |||||||||||
| 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 | |||||
| 2006–07[19] | Manor Park (SE) | 25-22 | Redditch (SW) | |||||||
| 2007–08[20] | Coventrians (E) | 27-0 | Clee Hill (SW) | |||||||
| 2008–09[21] | Alchester (SE) | 25-7 | Warley (SW) | |||||||
| 2009–10[22] | Atherstone (SE) | 47-15 | Tenbury (SW) | |||||||
| 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)) | ||||||||||