1996–97 National Division 2

The 1996–97 National Division 2 (sponsored by Courage Brewery) was the tenth season of the top tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, currently known as Champ Rugby, and was the first season that saw professional rugby openly introduced into the English game. It was also the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage. New sides to the division included Richmond, Coventry, Rugby Lions and Rotherham (all promoted from tier 3) and there had been no teams relegated from tier 1 due to league restructuring.

The top two teams, Richmond and Newcastle Falcons were automatically promoted to the new look 1997–98 Premiership 1 (formerly National Division 1), and for the first time there were play–offs between the third and fourth placed teams, and the ninth and tenth placed teams in Division One, which meant 2 to 4 teams could be promoted/relegated between the divisions. The Division 2 sides played at home first with the winners of the two matches, on aggregate score, playing in the top division the following season. Coventry and Bedford both failed to win promotion.

At the end other end of the table, Rugby Lions and Nottingham were relegated to the newly named 1997–98 National League 1 (formerly National Division 3). Last season Nottingham finished in the bottom two and escaped relegation due to the division being increased from ten clubs to twelve clubs. This season they were not so lucky and next season will be their first in Division Three.

Structure Restructuring from the previous season increased the division from ten to twelve teams with each side playing one another twice, in a round robin system, home and away, to make a total of twenty-two matches for each team.

The reorganisation of the Courage Clubs Championship for the following season by the RFU meant there would be between two to four sides promoted to the new look Premiership 1. Sides finishing 1st and 2nd would be automatically promoted while sides finishing 3rd and 4th would be involved in a promotion/relegation playoff against the 9th and 10th ranked sides from the 1996–97 National Division 1 with 4th v 9th and 3rd v 10th.

Participating teams

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaPrevious seasonBedfordGoldington Road6,500Bedford, Bedfordshire10th (no relegation)BlackheathRectory Field3,500 (500 seats)Greenwich, London7thCoventryCoundon Road10,000 (1,100 seats) Coventry, West MidlandsPromoted from National 3 (1st)London ScottishAthletic Ground7,300 (1,300 seats)Richmond, London3rdMoseleyThe Reddings9,999 (1,800 seats)Birmingham, West Midlands6thNewcastleKingston Park6,600Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear8thNottinghamIreland Avenue4,990 (590 seats) Beeston, Nottinghamshire9th (No relegation)RichmondAthletic Ground7,300 (1,300 seats)Richmond, LondonPromoted from National 3 (2nd)RotherhamClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South YorkshirePromoted from National 3 (4th)RugbyWebb Ellis Road3,200 (200 seats) Rugby, WarwickshirePromoted from National 3 (3rd)WakefieldCollege Grove4,000 (500 seats) Wakefield, West Yorkshire4thWaterlooSt Anthony's Road9,950 (950 seats) Blundellsands, Merseyside5th

Table

Fixtures & Results Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Postponed due to Newcastle requesting game be switched due to international call-ups. Game rescheduled to 5 May 1997.

Round 11

Round 12

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 29 March 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 30 April 1997.

Round 13

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 31 March 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 1997.

Round 14

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 April 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 February 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 January 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 March 1997.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 3 May 1997.

Round 15

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 29 March 1997.

Round 14 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 11 January 1997.

Round 16

Round 13 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 4 January 1997.

Round 17

Rounds 13 & 14 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 11 January 1997.

Game rescheduled from 4 January 1997.

Round 18

Rounds 12 & 15 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 18 January 1997.

Game rescheduled from 28 December 1996.

Round 13 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 4 January 1997.

Round 19

Round 20

Round 15 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 11 January 1997.

Round 21

Round 22

Round 12 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 28 December 1996.

Rounds 10, 12 & 14 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 11 January 1997.

Game rescheduled from 9 November 1996.

Promotion play–offs For the first time play–offs took place between the third and fourth placed teams in Division Two and the ninth and tenth placed teams in Division One. The play–offs followed a 4th v 9th, 3rd v 10th system - with the games being played over two legs and the second-tier team playing at home in the first leg.

First leg

Second leg

Bristol won 39 – 23 on aggregate to retain their place in Division One

London Irish won 42 – 23 on aggregate to retain their place in Division One

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 Simon Mason Richmond 22 324 2 Rob Andrew Newcastle Falcons 22 297 3 John Steele London Scottish 18 256 4 Mike Rayer Bedford 21 238 5 Jez Harris Coventry 20 236 6 Mike Jackson Wakefield 19 199 7 Richard Le Bas Moseley 14 177 8 Chris Braithwaite Blackheath 14 137 9 Tim Stimpson Newcastle Falcons 21 116 10 John Bentley Newcastle Falcons 18 115

Top try scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 John Bentley Newcastle Falcons 18 23 2 Gary Armstrong Newcastle Falcons 21 21 Scott Quinnell Richmond 21 21 3 Jim Fallon Richmond 21 19 4 Andy Smallwood Coventry 20 17 5 Pat Lam Newcastle Falcons 11 15 Darragh O'Mahony Moseley 13 15 6 Andy McAdam Coventry 18 14 Tim Stimpson Newcastle Falcons 18 14 7 Ben Whetstone Bedford 18 13 Guy Easterby Rotherham 21 13

Season records

Team Largest home win — 151 pts 156 - 5 Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996 Largest away win — 72 pts 87 - 15 Richmond away to Moseley on 5 October 1996 Most points scored — 151 pts 156 - 5 Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996 Most tries in a match — 24 Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996 Most conversions in a match — 18 Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996 Most penalties in a match — 7 Rotherham away to Richmond on 14 September 1996 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3) Coventry at home to Wakefield on 21 September 1996 London Scottish away to Blackheath on 8 February 1997 Blackheath at home to Nottingham on 22 March 1997

Player Most points in a match — 42 Jez Harris for Coventry at home to Nottingham on 5 October 1996 Most tries in a match — 5 Pat Lam for Newcastle Falcons at home to Rotherham on 4 May 1997 Most conversions in a match — 18 Rob Andrew for Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996 Most penalties in a match — 7 Matt Inman for Rotherham away to Richmond on 14 September 1996 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2) Jez Harris for Coventry at home to Wakefield on 21 September 1996 Chris Braithwaite for Blackheath at home to Nottingham on 22 March 1997

Attendances

Note that attendances were very poorly documented this season and aside from a few big games there is almost no information available

Highest — 8,000 Coventry at home to Newcastle Falcons on 2 November 1996 Lowest — N/A N/A Highest Average Attendance — N/A N/A Lowest Average Attendance — N/A N/A

Notes

See also 1996–97 National Division 1 1996–97 National Division 3 1996–97 National Division 4 North 1996–97 National Division 4 South

References

1996–97 National Division 2

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