2009–10 National League 2 North

The 2009–10 National League 2 North was the first season (twenty-third overall) of the fourth tier (north) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. Previously known as National Division 3 North, it had been renamed due to widespread changes to the league system by the RFU with National One becoming the Championship, National 2 becoming National 1 and so on. The league system was 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into National League 1 while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from National League 2 South (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place. A further change to the league system would see the division increase from 14 to 16 teams.

After finishing 3rd the previous season, Macclesfield would go two places better by winning the league title in what was a very close contest with runners up Loughborough Students - Macclesfield clinching the championship by benefit of just 3 points (one more win). Loughborough Students would fail to join Macclesfield in the 2010–11 National League 1 as they lost their playoff at home to the 2009–10 National League 2 South runners up Rosslyn Park. At the other end of the table, Waterloo suffered their 3rd successive relegation as the worst side in the division, followed at later dates by the more competitive Bradford & Bingley and newly promoted Broadstreet. Waterloo and Bradford & Bingley would drop to National League 3 North while Broadstreet would fall back down to the National League 3 Midlands.

Participating teams and locations

Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2008–09 National Division Three North season; Waterloo were relegated from the 2008–09 National Division Two, while Broadstreet would come up as champions of Midlands Division 1 along with Westoe (champions) and Hull (playoffs) from North Division 1. A further move saw that Rugby Lions were level transferred (again) across from the National League 2 South as the most northerly team in that division after promotion and relegation left the two leagues unbalanced (in the end there would still be an imbalance as Mounts Bay's liquidation meant there would only be 15 teams in the 2009–10 National League 2 South compared to 16 in National League 2 North).

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBradford & BingleyWagon Lane4,000Bingley, West YorkshireBroadstreetIvor Preece Field1,500 (250 seats)Coventry, West MidlandsCaldyPaton Field4,000Thurstaston, Wirral, MerseysideFyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground7,500 (500 seats)Lytham St. Annes, LancashireHarrogateClaro Road4,500 (500 seats)Harrogate, North YorkshireHuddersfieldLockwood Park1,500 (500 seats)Huddersfield, West YorkshireHullFerens Ground1,500 (288 seats)Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of YorkshireHull IoniansBrantingham Park1,500 (240 seats)Brantingham, East Riding of YorkshireKendalMint Bridge4,600 (600 seats) Kendal, CumbriaLeicester LionsWestleigh Park2,000Blaby, LeicestershireLoughborough StudentsLoughborough University Stadium3,000Loughborough, LeicestershireMacclesfieldPriory Park1,250 (250 seats)Macclesfield, CheshirePreston GrasshoppersLightfoot Green2,250 (250 seats)Preston, LancashireRugby LionsWebb Ellis Road4,000 (200 seats)Rugby, WarwickshireWaterlooSt Anthony's Road9,950 (950 seats) Blundellsands, MerseysideWestoeWood TerraceSouth Shields, Tyne and Wear

Final league table

Results Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.

Round 16

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 29 April 2010.

Round 17

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2010.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 May 2010.

Round 18

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2010.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 May 2010.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2010.

Round 19

Round 20

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 May 2010.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2010.

Round 15 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 19 December 2009.

Round 21

Round 22

Postponed. Game rescheduled for 8 May 2010.

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Round 16 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 2 January 2010.

Round 26

Round 27

Round 28

Round 29

Round 30

Round 20 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 2 January 2010.

Round 17 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.

Round 17 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.

Rounds 18, 20 & 22 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 16 January 2010.

Game rescheduled from 20 February 2010.

Game rescheduled from 16 January 2010.

Game rescheduled from 30 January 2010.

Game rescheduled from 16 January 2010.

Rounds 18 & 20 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 30 January 2010. Game would ultimately be cancelled as result would have no outcome on final league table.

Game rescheduled from 16 January 2010. Game would ultimately be cancelled as result would have no outcome on final league table.

Promotion play-off Each season, the runners-up in the National League 2 North and National League 2 South participate in a play-off for promotion into National League 1. Loughborough Students were runners-up in the North and would host the game as they had a better record in the league in comparison to the South runners up Rosslyn Park.

Total season attendances Figures not including north–south promotion playoff. ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Bradford & Bingley 15 3,053 204 275 100 5% Broadstreet 14 3,379 241 500 150 16% Caldy 15 3,628 242 402 123 6% Fylde 15 5,961 397 735 217 5% Harrogate 13 2,561 197 300 125 4% Huddersfield 13 3,035 233 303 123 16% Hull 15 2,710 181 400 100 12% Hull Ionians 15 3,600 240 500 150 16% Kendal 15 6,446 430 523 334 9% Leicester Lions 15 2,036 136 250 100 7% Loughborough Students 15 2,470 165 250 100 5% Macclesfield 14 3,549 254 506 144 20% Preston Grasshoppers 13 3,370 259 473 123 12% Rugby Lions 14 3,407 243 533 160 6% Waterloo 15 4,946 330 595 200 3% Westoe 11 1,807 164 250 100

Individual statistics

Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Ross Winney Macclesfield 30 422 2 Richard Vasey Caldy 30 352 3 Chris Johnson Huddersfield 28 327 4 Jon Boden Leicester Lions 24 246 5 Lloyd Warner Rugby Lions 26 240 6 Mark Ireland Kendal 25 215 7 Dan Richards Broadstreet 23 201 8 Tom Barlow Fylde 23 199 9 Charlie Rayner Westoe 24 197 10 George Drake Loughborough Students 24 189

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Paul Arnold Caldy 28 27 2 Greg Summers Broadstreet 26 22 Thomas Harris Rugby Lions 28 22 Robert 'Evan' Stewart Macclesfield 28 22 3 Scott Alfred Leicester Lions 25 20 4 Nathan Lambden Loughborough Students 25 18 Gareth Collins Leicester Lions 29 18 5 Phil Burgess Loughborough Students 20 16 James O'Brien Waterloo 21 16 6 Daniel Baines Macclesfield 26 15 Richard Hughes Macclesfield 29 15

Season records

Team Largest home win — 86 pts 100 - 14 Leicester Lions at home to Kendal on 24 April 2010 Largest away win — 90 pts 104 - 14 Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Most points scored — 104 pts 104 - 14 Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Most tries in a match — 15 (x2) Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Leicester Lions at home to Kendal on 24 April 2010 Most conversions in a match — 13 Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Most penalties in a match — 6 Huddersfield away to Caldy on 12 September 2009 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Kendal away to Huddersfield on 10 April 2010

Player Most points in a match — 49 Ross Winney for Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Most tries in a match — 4 (x4) Greg Summers for Broadstreet away to Hull Ionians on 26 September 2009 John Williamson for Leicester Lions at home to Westoe on 14 November 2009 Ross Winney for Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Matthew Clark for Huddersfield at home to Waterloo on 24 April 2010 Most conversions in a match — 13 Ross Winney for Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 Most penalties in a match — 6 Chris Johnson for Huddersfield away to Caldy on 12 September 2009 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Mike Scott for Kendal away to Huddersfield on 10 April 2010

Attendances Highest — 735 Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 6 February 2010 Lowest — 100 (x11) Bradford & Bingley at home to Leicester Lions on 3 October 2009 Hull at home to Kendal on 7 November 2009 Loughborough Students at home to Rugby Lions on 2 January 2010 Westoe at home to Hull on 23 January 2010 Leicester Lions at home to Hull on 6 February 2010 Leicester Lions at home to Hull Ionians on 20 February 2010 Loughborough Students at home to Broadstreet on 27 February 2010 Leicester Lions at home to Harrogate on 27 March 2010 Loughborough Students at home to Leicester Lions on 3 April 2010 Leicester Lions at home to Kendal on 24 April 2010 Westoe at home to Loughborough Students on 5 May 2010 Highest Average Attendance — 430 Kendal Lowest Average Attendance — 136 Leicester Lions

See also English Rugby Union Leagues English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby

2009–10 National League 2 North

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