2012–13 National League 2 South

The 2012–13 National League 2 South was the fourth season (26th overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. 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 North (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.

Henley Hawks, as champions, were promoted to the third tier (2013–14 National League 1) for next season, along with Worthing Raiders who finished second. Worthing beat the 2012–13 National League 2 North runners up Stourbridge 28–26 to win the annual promotion playoff. Barking and Lydney were both relegated to National League 3 London & SE and National League 3 South West respectively with Barking winning just one game in what was a very poor season. As well as winning the league Henley Hawks also saw a divisional record attendance at Dry Leas with 3,270 fans turning up to the last game of the season - the championship decider against Worthing Raiders which Henley won 55 - 27 to seal the title for the Oxfordshire club.

Participating teams Twelve of the teams listed below participated in the 2011–12 National League 2 South season. Barking were relegated from National League 1 after just one season and both Bournemouth and Chinnor were promoted from National League 3 South West. Rugby Lions were on the original fixture list after winning promotion from National League 3 Midlands but during July 2012 they went into liquidation and were unable to participate in the division, leaving fifteen teams instead of the usual sixteen.

TeamGroundCapacityCity/Area Barking Goresbrook 1,000 Barking, London Bournemouth Chapel Gate 1,500 Bournemouth, Dorset Canterbury Merton Lane 1,500 (75 seats) Canterbury, Kent Chinnor Kingsey Road 2,000 Thame, Oxfordshire Clifton Station Road 2,200 (200 seats) Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, Bristol Dings Crusaders Landseer Avenue 1,500 Lockleaze, Bristol Hartpury College College Stadium 2,000 Hartpury, Gloucestershire Henley Hawks Dry Leas 4,000 Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire Launceston Polson Bridge 3,000 Launceston, Cornwall Lydney Regentsholme3,000 (340 seats) Lydney, Gloucestershire Redruth The Recreation Ground 3,500 (580 seats) Redruth, Cornwall Shelford The Davey Field 2,000 (150 seats) Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire Southend SaxonsWarners Park1,500 (150 seats) Southend, Essex Taunton Titans Hyde Park, Bathpool 2,000 (198 seats) Taunton, Somerset Worthing Raiders Roundstone Lane 1,500 (100 seats) Angmering, West Sussex

League table

Results

Round 1

Bye: Worthing Raiders

Round 2

Bye: Chinnor

Round 3

Bye: Redruth

Round 4

Bye: Hartpury College

Round 5

Bye: Dings Crusaders

Round 6

Bye: Shelford

Round 7

Bye: Henley Hawks

Round 8

Bye: Southend Saxons

Round 9

Bye: Clifton

Round 10

Bye: Taunton Titans

Round 11

Bye: Launceston

Round 12

Bye: Lydney

Round 13

Postponed. Game to be rescheduled to 1 December 2012. Bye: Bournemouth

Round 13 (Rescheduled Game)

Game rescheduled from 24 November 2012.

Round 14

Bye: Barking

Round 15

Bye: Canterbury

Round 16

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013. Bye: Chinnor

Round 17

Bye: Redruth

Round 18

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. Bye: Hartpury College

Round 19

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. Bye: Dings Crusaders

Round 20

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013. Bye: Shelford

Round 21

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013. Bye: Henley Hawks

Rounds 16, 19 & 21 (Rescheduled Games)

Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 2 February 2013.

Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Round 22

Bye: Southend Saxons

Rounds 18 & 19 (Rescheduled Games)

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 12 January 2013.

Round 23

Bye: Clifton

Round 24

Bye: Taunton Titans

Rounds 19 & 20 (Rescheduled Games)

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 26 February 2013.

Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Round 25

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 May 2013. Bye: Launceston

Round 26

Bye: Lydney

Round 27

Bye: Bournemouth

Round 28

Bye: Barking

Round 29

Bye: Canterbury

Round 30

Bye: Worthing Raiders

Rounds 20 & 25 (Rescheduled Games)

Rescheduled from 26 January 2013.

Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Rescheduled from 26 January 2013.

Round 25 (Rescheduled Game)

Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Promotion play–off Each season, the runners–up in the National League 2 South and National League 2 North participate in a play–off for promotion into National League 1. The team with the best playing record, in this case northern runners up Stourbridge, would gain the home advantage with southern runners up Worthing Raiders having to travel up to the Midlands for the game.

Total Season Attendances

ClubHome GamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Barking 14 1,430 102 165 67 10% Bournemouth 14 4,502 322 400 200 21% Canterbury 14 2,733 195 323 113 13% Chinnor 14 5,075 363 428 188 18% Clifton 14 3,174 227 900 80 10% Dings Crusaders 14 2,168 155 250 105 10% Hartpury College 14 4,105 293 800 150 15% Henley Hawks 14 10,134 724 3,270 206 18% Launceston 14 8,474 605 1,327 388 20% Lydney 14 5,260 376 606 279 13% Redruth 14 11,376 813 1,140 624 23% Shelford 14 3,893 278 469 132 14% Southend Saxons 14 2,018 144 281 85 10% Taunton Titans 14 6,039 431 917 200 22% Worthing Raiders 14 5,777 413 628 328 28%

Individual statistics

Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Does not include North - South playoff game.

Top Points Scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Mark Woodrow Dings Crusaders 25 289 2 Kieron Lewitt Launceston 26 262 3 Joseph Govett Worthing Raiders 27 260 4 Gary Kingdom Taunton Titans 27 214 5 Paul Thirlby Redruth 26 197 6 Craig Jackson Hartpury College 23 196 7 James Combden Henley Hawks 14 181 8 Will Robinson Henley Hawks 12 164 9 Ben Roberts Clifton 23 160 10 Anthony Wicks Southend 24 155 Scott Browne Canterbury 25 155

Top Try Scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Ian Clark Hartpury College 20 20 Alexander Nielsen Worthing Raiders 22 20 2 Tom Duncan Redruth 20 19 Jack Maslen Worthing Raiders 23 19 Xavier Andre Henley Hawks 25 19 3 Robbie Stapley Henley Hawks 28 18 4 Wim Baars Canterbury 25 17 Lewis Paterson Launceston 26 17 5 Feofaaku Lea Shelford 26 16 6 Robert Smith Worthing Raiders 22 15

Season records

Team Largest home win — 78 pts 74 - 0 Taunton Titans at home to Barking on 17 November 2012 Largest away win — 83 pts 85 - 3 Henley Hawks away to Barking on 27 October 2012 Most points scored — 85 pts 85 - 3 Henley Hawks away to Barking on 27 October 2012 Most tries in a match — 13 Henley Hawks away to Barking on 27 October 2012 Most conversions in a match — 10 Henley Hawks away to Barking on 27 October 2012 Most penalties in a match — 7 (x2) Hartpury College away to Dings Crusaders on 17 November 2012 Dings Crusaders away to Lydney on 1 December 2012 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2) Launceston away to Hartpury College on 5 January 2013 Southend Saxons away to Worthing Raiders on 30 March 2013

Player Most points in a match — 29 Kieron Lewitt for Launceston at home to Barking on 6 April 2013 Most tries in a match — 5 Gareth Evans for Hartpury College at home to Clifton on 27 April 2013 Most conversions in a match — 10 James Combden for Henley Hawks away to Barking on 27 October 2012 Most penalties in a match — 7 (x2) Luke Cozens for Hartpury College away to Dings Crusaders on 17 November 2012 Danial Trigg for Dings Crusaders away to Lydney on 1 December 2012 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2) Jake Murphy for Launceston away to Hartpury College on 5 January 2013 Robert Kirby for Southend Saxons away to Worthing Raiders on 30 March 2013

Attendances Highest — 3,270 Henley Hawks at home against Worthing Raiders on 4 May 2013 Lowest — 67 Barking at home against Taunton Titans on 30 March 20131 Highest Average Attendance — 724 Redruth Lowest Average Attendance — 102 Barking

See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby