National League 2 North

National League 2 North
	Current season or competition:; 2015–16 National League 2 North
	File:England Rugy text logo.svg
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	1987; 37 years ago
Number of teams	16
Country	England
Holders	Hull Ionians (2014–15)
Most titles	Hull Ionians; Macclesfield; Nuneaton (2 titles)
Website	clubs.rfu.com

National League 2 North, (which before September 2009 was known as National Division Three North) is a level four league in the English rugby union system and provides mostly amateur competition for teams in the northern half of England. From 2009–10 the RFU restructured the league system in England, and this league was expanded from fourteen to sixteen teams. Participating clubs are from the English Midlands and Northern England. Each team plays thirty league games on a home and away basis. The champion club is promoted to National League 1 and the runner-up participates in a one-off play-off with the runner-up of National League 2 South for promotion. Relegation is to either the National League 3 Midlands or National League 3 North leagues depending on where the teams are based.

Current season

Participating teams and locations

Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2014–15 National League 2 North season; Macclesfield and Tynedale were relegated from National League 1, Sale and Sandal (via play-off) were promoted from National League 3 North while South Leicester were promoted from National League 3 Midlands.

Locations of the 2015–16 National League 2 North teams

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Broadstreet	Ivor Preece Field	250 (seated)	Coventry, West Midlands	7th
Caldy	Paton Field	4,000	Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside	6th
Chester	Hare Lane		Chester, Cheshire	5th
Harrogate	Rudding Lane		Harrogate, North Yorkshire	4th
Huddersfield	Lockwood Park	1,500	Huddersfield, West Yorkshire	9th
Leicester Lions	Westleigh Park	2,000	Blaby, Leicestershire	11th
Luctonians	Mortimer Park	300 (seated)	Kingsland, Herefordshire	13th
Macclesfield	Priory Park		Macclesfield, Cheshire	Relegated from National League 1 (16th)
Otley	Cross Green	5,000	Otley, Leeds, West Yorkshire	8th
Preston Grasshoppers	Lightfoot Green	5,000	Preston, Lancashire	12th
Sedgley Park	Park Lane	3,000	Whitefield, Bury, Greater Manchester	3rd
Sale	Heywood Park	5,400	Sale, Greater Manchester	promoted from National League 3 North (1st)
Sandal	Milnthorpe Green		Sandal Magna, Wakefield, West Yorkshire	Promoted from National League 3 North via play-off
South Leicester	Welford Road Ground		Leicester, Leicestershire	Promoted from National League 3 Midlands (1st)
Stourbridge	Stourton Park	3,500 (499 seats)	Stourbridge, West Midlands	10th
Tynedale	Tynedale Park	400 (seated)	Corbridge, Northumberland	Relegated from National League 1 (15th)

Current standings

2015–16 National League 2 North Table

watch · edit · discuss

Club

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

Try Bonus

Losing Bonus

Points

1

Macclesfield (C)

29^{[b 1]}

25

0

4

907

507

400

22

1

123

2

Sedgley Park

30

21

0

9

951

562

389

18

6

108

3

Leicester Lions

30

19

1

10

595

485

110

7

5

90

4

Stourbridge

30

18

1

11

626

530

96

8

7

89

5

Caldy

30

17

2

11

642

547

95

8

7

87

6

Luctonians

30

15

2

13

661

714

-53

11

4

79

7

Harrogate

29^{[b 2]}

16

0

13

612

605

7

6

77

8

Otley

30

14

0

16

584

644

-60

9

8

73

9

Preston Grasshoppers

30

12

3

15

591

627

-36

7

68

10

Tynedale

30

12

1

17

659

746

-87

10

8

68

11

Chester

30

12

0

18

599

662

-63

9

66

12

South Leicester

30

11

3

16

659

732

-73

11

5

66

13

Sale

30

12

2

16

617

738

-121

7

6

65

14

Sandal (R)

30

12

1

17

506

666

-160

3

7

60

15

Broadstreet (R)

30

8

0

22

554

736

-182

4

9

45

16

Huddersfield (R)

30

7

0

23

509

771

-262

3

7

38

If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 7 May 2016
Source: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Notes

↑ Macclesfield's final (rescheduled) game at home to Harrogate was cancelled as it was a 'dead rubber' and would not adversely affect the final league standings.
↑ Harrogate's final (rescheduled) game away to Macclesfield was cancelled as it was a 'dead rubber' and would not adversely affect the final league standings.

National Two North honours

List of National Two North Honours

Season

No of teams

Champions

Runner–up

Relegated teams

League Name

1987–88

11

Rugby

Durham City

Derby, Solihull and Birkenhead Park

Area League North

1988–89

11

Roundhay

Broughton Park

Birmingham

Area League North

1989–90

11

Broughton Park

Morley

No relegation

Area League North

1990–91

13

Otley

Lichfield

Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham & Solihull

National 4 North

1991–92

13

Aspatria

Hereford

Vale of Lune and Northern

National 4 North

1992–93

13

Harrogate

Rotherham

Towcestrians

National 4 North

1993–94

10

Clifton

Harrogate

Sheffield (to 5 North) and Sudbury (to 5 South)

Courage National League 4^{[n 1]}

1994–95

10

Rotherham

Reading

Askeans (to 5 South) and Broughton Park (to 5 North)

Courage National League 4

1995–96

10

Exeter

London Welsh^{[n 2]}

Aspatria (to 4 North) and Plymouth Albion (to 4 South)

Courage National League 4

1996–97

14

Worcester

Birmingham & Solihull

Hereford and Stoke-on-Trent

National 4 North

1997–98

14

Birmingham & Solihull

Manchester

No relegation

National 2 North

1998–99

14

Preston Grasshoppers

Stourbridge

Hinckley, Lichfield and Winnington Park

National 2 North

1999–00

14

Kendal

Stourbridge

Sheffield

National 2 North

2000–01

14

Stourbridge

Sedgley Park

Walsall and Aspatria

National 3 North

2001–02

14

Doncaster

Dudley Kingswinford

Whitchurch, Morley, Sandal and West Hartlepool

National 3 North

2002–03

14

Nuneaton

New Brighton

Bedford Athletic, Broadstreet, Hull Ionians and Scunthorpe

National 3 North

2003–04

14

Waterloo

Halifax

Preston Grasshoppers, Liverpool St Helens and Longton

National 3 North

2004–05

14

Halifax

Macclesfield

Rugby Lions, Dudley Kingswinford and Bedford Athletic

National 3 North

2005–06

14

Bradford & Bingley

Nuneaton

New Brighton and Kendal

National 3 North

2006–07

14

Blaydon

Tynedale

Darlington, Cleckheaton and Orrell

National 3 North

2007–08

14

Tynedale

Darlington Mowden Park

Morley, West Park St Helens and Beverley

National 3 North

2008–09

14

Nuneaton

Caldy

Darlington Mowden Park and Halifax

National 3 North

2009–10

16

Macclesfield

Loughborough Students

Waterloo and Bradford & Bingley

National League 2 North

2010–11

16

Fylde

Loughborough Students

Morley, Rugby Lions and Manchester

National League 2 North

2011–12

16

Loughborough Students

Caldy

Harrogate, Nuneaton and Kendal

National League 2 North

2012–13

16

Hull Ionians

Stourbridge

Westoe, Stockport and Huddersfield

National League 2 North

2013–14

16

Macclesfield

Darlington Mowden Park

Sheffield Tigers, Bromsgrove and Dudley Kingswinford

National League 2 North

2014–15

16

Hull Ionians

Ampthill

Birmingham & Solihull, Hull and Stockport

National League 2 North

2015–16

16

National League 2 North

Green backgrounds are promotion places.

↑ This year there was a league restructure with a new league (Courage National League 4) becoming the new tier 4. Courage National 4 would contain the previous season's top teams from National 4 North and National 4 South with the remaining teams joining lower tier teams as part of Courage League Division 5 (which retained the North/South divisions). This structure would continue for several years before being abolished at the end of 1996 where the league would revert to the old system.
↑ The top eight teams were all promoted to the re-organised, sixteen team, Courage League Division 3 for season 1996–97

Original teams

When club rugby began in 1987 this division was called Area 4 North and contained the following teams:

Birkenhead Park (now playing in National 3 North)
Broughton Park (now playing in North 1 West)
Derby (now playing in Midlands 1 East)
Durham City (now playing in Durham/Northumberland 1)
Lichfield (now playing in National 3 Midlands)
Northern (now playing in North 1 East)
Preston Grasshoppers (still playing in National League 2 North)
Roundhay (now Yorkshire Carnegie and playing in the RFU Championship)
Rugby Lions (now playing in Midlands 3 West (South) having restarted from the bottom of the league pyramid)
Solihull (now Birmingham & Solihull and playing in National League 3 Midlands|National 3 Midlands)
Stourbridge (still playing in National League 2 North)

League format since 1987

Format of fourth tier rugby union leagues in England

Year

Name

No of teams

No of matches

1987–93

Area League North and
Area League South

11

10

1993–96

National Division Four

10

18

1996–97

National Four North and
National Four South

14

26

1997–00

National Division 2 North and
National Division 2 South

14

26

2000–09

National Division Three North and
National Division Three South

14

26

2009–

National League 2 North and
National League 2 South

16

30

Records

Note that all records are from 1996-97 season onwards as this is widely held as the dawn of professionalism across the English club game. It also offers a better comparison between seasons as the division team numbers are roughly equal (for example when league rugby union first started in 1987-88 the northern league had only 11 teams playing 10 games each, compared to 14 teams in 1996-97 playing 26 games (home & away), going up to 16 teams in 2009-10 playing 30 games each). Attendance records are from 2000 onwards unless otherwise specified. All records are up to date up till the end of the 2014-15 season.

League records

Most titles: 2, Hull Ionians (2012–13, 2014–15), Macclesfield (2009–10, 2013–14), Nuneaton (2002-03, 2008–09)
Most times promoted from division: 3, Nuneaton (2002-03, 2005-06, 2008–09)
Most times relegated from division: 3, Morley (2001-02, 2007–08, 2010–11)
Most league points in a season: 134, Hull Ionians (2014-15)
Least league points in a season: 0, Manchester (2010-11)
Most points scored in a season: 1,259, Fylde (2010-11)
Least points scored in a season: 205, Manchester (2010-11)
Most points conceded in a season: 1,985, Manchester (2010-11)
Least points conceded in a season: 305, Kendal (1999-00)^[1]
Best points difference (For/Against): 736, Fylde (2010-11)
Worst points difference (For/Against): -1,780, Manchester (2010-11)
Most games won in a season: 28, Hull Ionians (2012–13)
Most games lost in a season: 30, Manchester (2010-11), Dudley Kingswinford (2013-14)
Most games drawn in a season: 3, Dudley Kingswinford (2001-02, 2004-05), Liverpool St Helens (2003-04), New Brighton (2004-05), Preston Grasshoppers (2005-06), Leicester Lions (2007-08, 2011-12), Morley (2007-08), Huddersfield (2011-12)
Most bonus points in a season: 28, Fylde (2010-11), Stourbridge (2012-13)

Match records

Largest home win: 124 - 0, Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006-07)^[2]
Largest away win: 106 - 0, Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 (2006-07)^[3]
Most points scored in a match: 124, Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006-07)^[2]
Most tries scored in a match: 18, Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006-07) and Fylde at home to Manchester on 16 April 2011 (2010-11)^[4]^[5]
Most conversions scored in a match: 17, Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006-07)^[6]
Most penalties scored in a match: 9, Luctonians at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 November 2014 (2014-15)^[7]
Most drop kicks scored in a match: 3, Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 7 January 2006 (2005-06), Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 and away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008 (both 2008-09)^[8]^[9]^[10]

Player records

Most times top points scorer: 2, Tom Rhodes for Bradford & Bingley (2004-05, 2005-06), Chris Johnson for Huddersfield (2010-11, 2011-12)^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]
Most times top try scorer: 2, Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions (2008-09, 2010-11)^[15]^[16]
Most points in a season: 422, Ross Winney for Macclesfield (2009-10)^[17]
Most tries in a season: 32, Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions (2010-11), Ryan Parkinson for Macclesfield (2013-14)^[16]^[18]
Most points in a match: 49, Ross Winney for Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 (2009-10)^[19]
Most conversions in a match: 17 Anthony Mellalieu for Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006-07)^[20]
Most tries in a match: 7, Matt Donkin for Doncaster at home to Whitchurch on 10 November 2001 (2001-02), Nicholas Royle for Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 (2006-07), Dominic Moon for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012 (2011-12)^[21]^[22]^[23]
Most penalties in a match: 9, Louis Silver for Luctonians at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 November 2015 (2014-15)^[24]
Most drop kicks in a match: 3, Mike Scott for Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 7 January 2006 (2005-06), Rickie Aley for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 and away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008 (both 2008-09)^[25]^[26]

Attendance records

^{[a 1]}

Highest attendance (league game): 3,750, Darlington Mowden Park at home to Macclesfield on 26 April 2014 (2013-14)^[27]
Lowest attendance (league game): 39, West Park St Helens at home to Leicester Lions on 15 December 2007 (2007-08)^[28]
Highest attendance (promotion playoff): 1,500, Sedgley Park at home to Launceston (2000-01)^[29] ^{[a 2]}
Lowest attendance (promotion playoff): 925, Stourbridge at home to Worthing Raiders on 11 May 2013 (2012-13)^[30] ^{[a 3]}
Highest average attendance (club): 921, Fylde (2010-11)^[31]
Lowest average attendance (club): 89, West Park St Helens (2007-08)^[32]
Highest average attendance (season): 327 (2013-14)^[33]
Lowest average attendance (season): 242 (2007-08)^[32]

↑ Note that due to poor attendance keeping by press and online sources means that only seasons from 2004-05 onwards are included (apart from playoff games).
↑ Note that promotion playoff games include stats for northern clubs only. Southern club attendances will be covered at the National League 2 South page.
↑ This attendance is the lowest recorded but may not actually be the lowest as a couple of playoff games involving northern clubs have no attendance figures due to poor coverage. It is also worth noting than many Stourbridge fans felt the crowd was twice this large but this is the figure given in The Rugby Paper.