Midlands 2 West (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of clubs from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, 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 (North).
Promoted teams tend to move up to Midlands 1 West with the league champions going up automatically and the runners up having to play a playoff against the runners up from Midlands 2 West (South) for their place. Demoted teams typically drop to Midlands 3 West (North). Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a level 7 national competition.
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 in was introduced in 1992:
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.
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.
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 (North) (formerly Midlands West 2)[i].
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 (North) (formerly Midlands 4 West (North)).
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.
Midlands 2 West (North) v Midlands 2 West (South) promotion play-off results
Green background is the promoted team. N = Midlands 2 West (North) (formerly Midlands 3 West (North)) and S = Midlands 2 West (South) (formerly Midlands 3 West (South))
^Due to the RFU restructuring the league system for the 2009-10 season, runners up Bournville were automatically promoted as one of the two best runners up of the four Midlands 3 divisions, meaning they did not have to face a playoff.
^The 2008-09 promotion playoffs were different as the RFU was reorganizing the leagues across the country including the Midlands division. Usually the winners of each of the four regional divisions would go up automatically along with two of the runners up who won their respective playoffs, meaning 6 teams were promoted. This year one extra was required to be promoted so the top two runners up by league points - Bourneville (40) and (40) went up - leaving the other two runners up - (34) and (38) - to compete for the final promotion spot.[17]
^Moseley Oak's title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1 and club was known as Selly Oak.
^Longton's title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.
^Luctonians title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.
^Malvern's title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.
^Newbold-on-Avon's title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.
^Newport's (Salop) title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.
^Sutton Coldfield's title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.
^ title was when league was single division known as Midlands West 1.