The Premiership 2 was the eleventh 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 West Hartlepool and Orrell who had been relegated from National Division 1 (renamed as Premiership 1) while Exeter and Fylde were promoted from National League 1 (formerly National Division 3). For the first time Premiership 2, along with Premiership 1, was sponsored by the assurance company Allied Dunbar. For the previous ten seasons the league was known as the Courage Clubs Championship and sponsored by Courage Brewery.

Bedford, the champions, were promoted to the Allied Dunbar Premiership for season 1998–99, along with runner-up West Hartlepool. From next season, the top two divisions would consist of fourteen teams, an increase of two per division. The bottom two teams in the top tier played the third and fourth teams in Premiership 2 for the final two places in the top division. Third place London Scottish won promotion by beating Bristol in a two legged play-off, while fourth placed Rotherham lost to London Irish. There was no relegation to Jewson National League 1 because of the increase in teams in the top two divisions.

Participating teams

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaPrevious seasonBedfordGoldington Road6,500Bedford, Bedfordshire4th (lost playoff)BlackheathRectory Field3,500 (500 seats)Greenwich, London10thCoventryCoundon Road10,000 (1,100 seats) Coventry, West Midlands3rd (lost playoff)ExeterCounty Ground5,750 (750 seats)Exeter, DevonPromoted from National 3 (1st)FyldeWoodlands7,500 (500 seats)Lytham St Annes, LancashirePromoted from National 3 (2nd)London ScottishAthletic Ground7,300 (1,300 seats)Richmond, London5thMoseleyThe Reddings9,999 (1,800 seats)Birmingham, West Midlands8thOrrellEdge Hall Road5,300 (300 seats) Orrell, Greater ManchesterRelegated from National 1 (12th)RotherhamClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South Yorkshire7thWakefieldCollege Grove4,000 (500 seats) Wakefield, West Yorkshire6thWaterlooSt Anthony's Road9,950 (950 seats) Blundellsands, Merseyside9thWest HartlepoolVictoria Park7,856Hartlepool, County DurhamRelegated from National 1 (11th)

Final table

Results Round 1

Round 2

match postponed and rescheduled to 25 April 1998.

match postponed and rescheduled to 2 May 1998.

match postponed and rescheduled to 18 April 1998.

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

postponed, match rescheduled to 24 January 1998.

postponed, match rescheduled to 24 January 1998.

postponed, match rescheduled to 18 April 1998.

postponed, match rescheduled to 11 April 1998.

Rescheduled match

Round 14

Round 13 (rescheduled matches)

Round 15

Round 16

Rescheduled match

Rescheduled matches

Round 17

postponed, match rescheduled to 4 April 1998.

Round 18

Round 19

Round 17 (rescheduled match)

Round 20 (including postponed match from round 13)

postponed, match rescheduled to 22 April 1998.

match rescheduled from round 13.

Round 21 (including postponed matches from rounds 2 & 13)

match rescheduled from round 2.

match rescheduled from round 13.

Round 20 (rescheduled match)

Round 22

Round 2 (rescheduled match)

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 Mike Rayer Bedford 21 289 2 Lyndon Griffiths Waterloo 22 263 3 Simon Binns Rotherham 22 244 4 Steven Vile West Hartlepool 17 238 5 Matt Jones Moseley 17 176 6 John Fabian Exeter 22 174 7 Simon Verbickas Orrell 18 170 8 Derrick Lee London Scottish 15 154 9 Greg Miller Wakefield 14 141 10 Jez Harris Coventry 14 133

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Ben Whetstone Bedford 19 17 Darragh O'Mahony Moseley 20 17 2 Conan Sharman London Scottish 20 14 Jason Forster Bedford 21 14 3 John Clarke Blackheath 14 13 Simon Verbickas Orrell 18 13 4 Greg Austin Rotherham 17 12 5 Emmet Farrell West Hartlepool 22 11 6 Steven Vile West Hartlepool 17 8 Simon Binns Rotherham 22 8

Season records

Team Largest home win — 74 pts 77 – 3 Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997 Largest away win — 60 pts 67 – 7 Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997 Most points scored — 151 pts 77 – 3 Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997 Most tries in a match — 11 Bedford Blues at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997 Most conversions in a match — 8 (x3) Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997 Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997 West Hartlepool at home to Fylde on 14 February 1998 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x9) N/A - multiple teams Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x4) Exeter at home to Bedford on 13 September 1997 Moseley at home to Orrell on 25 October 1997 Coventry at home to West Hartlepool on 31 January 1998 Wakefield at home to Rotherham on 28 March 1998

Player Most points in a match — 32 Mike Rayer for Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997 Most tries in a match — 4 (x3) John Clarke for Blackheath at home to Fylde on 20 September 1997 Jason Forster for Bedford at home to Fylde on 17 January 1998 Ben Wade for Rotherham at home to Exeter on 25 April 1998 Most conversions in a match — 8 (x3) Mike Rayer for Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997 Mike Rayer for Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997 Steven Vile for West Hartlepool at home to Fylde on 14 February 1998 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x9) N/A - multiple players Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3) Meeku Patidar for Exeter at home to Bedford on 13 September 1997 Matt Jones for Moseley at home to Orrell on 25 October 1997 Greg Miller for Wakefield at home to Rotherham on 28 March 1998

Attendances Note that attendances were very poorly documented this season and there is no information available

Highest — N/A N/A Lowest — N/A N/A Highest Average Attendance — N/A N/A Lowest Average Attendance — N/A N/A

See also 1997–98 Premiership 1 1997–98 National League 1 1997–98 National League 2 North 1997–98 National League 2 South

References