2008–09 National Division One

The 2008–09 National Division One was the 22nd full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. Leeds Carnegie joined National Division One, having been relegated from the Guinness Premiership after the 2007–08 season. Otley and Manchester were promoted from the 2007–08 National Division Two.

Leeds Carnegie won a quick promotion back to the Guinness Premiership, while five teams were relegated to the newly named 2009–10 National League 1: Esher, Sedgley Park, Newbury, Otley and Manchester. The reason for the large number of teams being relegated was due to the league being restructured the next season from 16 to 12 teams as the new RFU Championship was introduced.

Participating teams

Team Stadium CapacityCity/Area Bedford BluesGoldington Road5,000Bedford, BedfordshireCornish PiratesRecreation Ground9,000Camborne, CornwallCoventryButts Park Arena4,000Coventry, West MidlandsDoncaster KnightsCastle Park3,075Doncaster, South YorkshireEsherMolesey Road3,000Hersham, SurreyExeter ChiefsSandy Park8,000Exeter, DevonLeeds CarnegieHeadingley Stadium22,250Leeds, West YorkshireLondon WelshOld Deer Park4,500 (1,500 seats)Richmond, LondonManchesterGrove Park4,000Cheadle Hulme, Greater ManchesterMoseleyBillesley Common3,000+ Birmingham, West MidlandsNewburyMonk's Lane8,000Newbury, BerkshireNottinghamMeadow Lane19,588Nottingham, NottinghamshireOtleyCross Green7,000 (852 seats)Otley, West YorkshirePlymouth AlbionThe Brickfields6,500Plymouth, DevonRotherham TitansClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South YorkshireSedgley ParkPark Lane3,000Whitefield, Greater Manchester Notes

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 19 April 2009.

Round 16

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 April 2009.

Round 20

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 April 2009.

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 18 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 18 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 29 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 April 2009.

Round 24

Round 16 & Round 20 Rescheduled Games

Game rescheduled from 28 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 13 December 2008.

Game rescheduled from 28 February 2009.

Round 25

Round 26

Round 19, 20 & 23 Rescheduled Games

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009. Game was also a double header - league match and EDF National Cup semi final.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Round 27

Round 19 Rescheduled Game

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Round 28

Round 20 Rescheduled Game

Game rescheduled from 11 January 2009. Game also switched from Grove Park to Headingley in Leeds as Manchester did not have floodlights.

Round 29

Round 15 & 23 Rescheduled Games

Game rescheduled from 15 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 15 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 7 December 2008.

Round 30

Rounds 16, 20 & 23 Rescheduled Games

Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 13 December 2008.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009 but would be cancelled by Otley due to the club having 8 players on county duty for Yorkshire. The FDR gave Moseley a 20–0, 5 point win by default.

Total Season Attendances

ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% CapacityBedford Blues 15 39,406 2,627 3,307 1,933 53% Cornish Pirates 15 44,739 2,983 4,913 1,894 33%Coventry 15 20,959 1,397 3,638 838 35%Doncaster Knights 15 20,520 1,368 2,203 846 44%Esher 15 15,682 1,045 1,984 380 35%Exeter Chiefs 15 68,984 4,599 7,345 2,899 57%Leeds Carnegie 15 48,625 3,242 5,463 2,029 15%London Welsh 15 16,035 1,069 1,931 390 24%Manchester 15 7,096 473 1,781 283 9%Moseley 14 12,502 893 1,124 682 30%Newbury 15 8,164 544 878 310 7%Nottingham 15 22,391 1,493 2,663 1,088 8%Otley 14 12,194 871 2,610 450 12%Plymouth Albion 15 51,050 3,403 6,871 1,742 52%Rotherham Titans 15 18,727 1,248 2,548 642 50%Sedgley Park 15 8,130 542 886 296 18%

Notes

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 Jamie Lennard Doncaster Knights 29 303 2 David Jackson Nottingham 30 261 3 Gareth Steenson Exeter Chiefs 27 228 4 Neil Hallett Esher 28 224 5 James Pritchard Bedford Blues 20 216 6 Alberto Di Bernardo Leeds Carnegie 21 211 7 Mark Harris London Welsh 20 180 8 Rhys Jones Cornish Pirates 21 178 9 Tim Taylor Nottingham 30 176 10 Michael Whitehead Rotherham Titans 29 173

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Billy Twelvetrees Bedford Blues 29 18 David Jackson Nottingham 30 18 2 James Rodwell Moseley 21 17 3 Matthew Jess Exeter Chiefs 18 16 Sean Marsden Exeter Chiefs 19 16 Jon Feeley Rotherham Titans 28 16 Douglas Flockhart Esher 30 16 4 Paul McKenzie Exeter Chiefs 16 15 Wes Davies Doncaster Knights 24 15 Leigh Hinton Leeds Carnegie 25 15 Errie Claassens Rotherham Titans 27 15

Season records

Team Largest home win — 90 pts 95 - 5 Nottingham at home to Otley on 8 March 2009 Largest away win — 104 pts 104 - 0 Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009 Most points scored — 104 pts 104 - 0 Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009 Most tries in a match — 16 Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009 Most conversions in a match — 12 (x2) Nottingham at home to Otley on 8 March 2009 Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009 Most penalties in a match — 7 Rotherham Titans at home to Exeter Chiefs on 11 April 2009 Most drop goals in a match — 3 Cornish Pirates at home to Plymouth Albion on 12 April 2009

Player Most points in a match — 29 Tim Taylor for Nottingham at home to Otley on 8 March 2009 Most tries in a match — 5 Tom Brown for London Welsh at home to Manchester on 28 March 2009 Most conversions in a match — 12 Jason Strange for Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009 Most penalties in a match — 7 Michael Whitehead for Rotherham Titans at home to Exeter Chiefs on 11 April 2009 Most drop goals in a match — 3 Rhys Jones for Cornish Pirates at home to Plymouth Albion on 12 April 2009

Attendances

Highest — 7,345 Exeter Chiefs at home to Cornish Pirates on 27 December 2008 Lowest — 283 Manchester at home to Esher on 31 January 2009 Highest Average Attendance — 4,599 Exeter Chiefs Lowest Average Attendance — 473 Manchester

See also English rugby union system

External links national1.co.uk

References