The 2001–02 National Division One (known as the Jewson National Division One for sponsorship reasons) was the 15th full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Rotherham who had been relegated from the Zurich Premiership 2000–01 while Bracknell and Rugby Lions had been promoted from the 2000–01 National Division Two.

For the first time the team finishing first, Rotherham, were denied promotion to the Zurich Premiership for season 2002–03 because their ground was not of the required standard - this was the first time a team had been denied entry to the top flight of English rugby since the leagues started in 1987 due to the introduction of the controversial 'minimum standards' rule for clubs seeking to join the Premiership. Worcester were runners-up for the second consecutive season, and Henley Hawks and Bracknell were relegated to the 2002–03 National Division Two with Bracknell spending just one season in the division.

Participating teams

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBedford Blues Goldington Road 5,000 Bedford, BedfordshireBirmingham & Solihull Sharmans Cross 4,000 Solihull, West MidlandsBracknell Lily Hill Park 1,250 (250 seats) Bracknell, BerkshireCoventry Coundon Road 10,000 (1,100 seats) Coventry, West MidlandsExeter Chiefs County Ground 5,750 (750 seats) Exeter, DevonHenley Hawks Dry Leas 4,000 Henley-on-Thames, OxfordshireLondon Welsh Old Deer Park 4,500 (1,500 seats) Richmond, LondonManchester Grove Park 4,000 Cheadle Hulme, Greater ManchesterMoseley Bournbrook Birmingham, West MidlandsOtley Cross Green 7,000 (852 seats) Otley, West YorkshireRotherham Clifton Lane 2,500 Rotherham, South YorkshireRugby Lions Webb Ellis Road 3,200 (200 seats) Rugby, WarwickshireWakefield College Grove 4,000 (500 seats) Wakefield, West YorkshireWorcester Sixways 8,477 Worcester, Worcestershire

Table

Results

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Postponed. Rescheduled for 24 November 2001.

Postponed. Rescheduled for 16 February 2002.

Postponed. Rescheduled for 15 December 2001.

Postponed. Rescheduled for 15 February 2002.

Round 9

Round 10

Round 8 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 27 October 2001.

Round 11

Round 12

Round 8 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 27 October 2001.

Round 13

Round 14

Game rescheduled to 2 March 2002.

Game rescheduled to 2 March 2002.

Game rescheduled to 17 February 2002.

Game rescheduled to 2 March 2002.

Game rescheduled to 16 February 2002.

Game rescheduled to 2 March 2002.

Game rescheduled to 2 March 2002.

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2002.

Round 18

Round 19

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2002.

Rounds 8 & 14 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 27 October 2001.

Game rescheduled from 27 October 2001.

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Round 20

Round 14 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Game rescheduled from 5 January 2002.

Round 21

Round 22

Round 17 & 19 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 26 January 2002.

Game rescheduled from 9 February 2002.

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Round 26

Total season attendances

ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% CapacityBedford Blues 13 18,445 1,419 1,908 956 28%Birmingham & Solihull 13 6,350 488 1,000 200 12%Bracknell 13 4,805 370 750 150 30%Coventry 13 24,718 1,901 4,132 924 19%Exeter Chiefs 13 11,932 918 1,530 487 16%Henley Hawks 13 9,575 737 1,325 300 18%London Welsh 13 11,750 904 1,400 400 20%Manchester 13 6,685 514 828 225 13%Moseley 13 6,673 513 1,529 150 Otley 13 9,300 715 1,500 430 10%Rotherham 13 18,451 1,419 2,500 1,000 57%Rugby Lions 13 6,491 499 836 300 16%Wakefield 13 4,800 369 1,100 250 9%Worcester 12 28,515 2,376 4,800 1,448 28%

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 Binns Otley 24 283 2 Chris Malone Exeter Chiefs 22 247 3 James Pritchard Bedford Blues 24 244 4 Rob Liley Wakefield 24 237 5 Martyn Davies Coventry 21 223 6 John Fabian Henley Hawks 21 199 7 Ramiro Pez Rotherham 20 197 8 Marcus Barrow Manchester 16 141 9 John Ufton London Welsh 17 133 10 Richard Davies Rugby Lions 26 127

Top try scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Chris Garrard Worcester 23 25 2 Ben Hinshelwood Worcester 26 21 3 Duncan Roke Worcester 20 16 Richard Baxter Exeter Chiefs 26 16 4 Nick Baxter Birmingham & Solihull 26 15 5 Oriol Ripol Rotherham 13 14 Kurt Johnson Coventry 23 14 6 Michael Wood Rotherham 19 13 Alfie To'oala Rotherham 22 13 7 Chris Johnson Rotherham 21 12 Phil Read Rugby Lions 25 12

Season records

Team Largest home win — 73 pts 73 - 0 Rotherham at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 13 April 2002 Largest away win — 65 pts 72 - 7 Rotherham away to Manchester on 6 April 2002 Most points scored — 73 pts 73 - 0 Rotherham at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 13 April 2002 Most tries in a match — 12 Rotherham away to Manchester on 6 April 2002 Most conversions in a match — 9 Worcester at home to Henley Hawks on 19 January 2002 Most penalties in a match — 9 Manchester at home to Wakefield on 15 December 2001 Most drop goals in a match — 3 Exeter Chiefs away to Rotherham on 10 November 2001

Player Most points in a match — 32 Sateki Tuipulotu for Worcester at home to Henley Hawks on 19 January 2002 Most tries in a match — 5 (x2) Chris Garrard for Worcester at home to Otley on 9 March 2002 Michael Wood for Rotherham at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 13 April 2002 Most conversions in a match — 8 (x2) Tony Yapp for Worcester at home to Henley Hawks on 19 January 2002 Link Wilfley for Rotherham at home to Moseley on 30 March 2002 Most penalties in a match — 9 Marcus Barrow for Manchester at home to Wakefield on 15 December 2001 Most drop goals in a match — 3 Chris Malone for Exeter Chiefs away to Rotherham on 10 November 2001

Attendances

Highest — 4,800 Worcester at home to Rotherham on 22 September 2001 Lowest — 150 (x2) Bracknell at home to Exeter Chiefs on 2 March 2002 Moseley at home to Rugby Lions on 23 March 2002 Highest Average Attendance — 2,376 Worcester Lowest Average Attendance — 369 Wakefield

See also English rugby union system

References