2013–14 National League 2 North

The 2013–14 National League 2 North was the fourth season (27th overall) of the fourth tier (north) 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 South (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.

The battle for the league title was as tight as it had ever been in the division with three teams - Darlington Mowden Park, Macclesfield and Stourbridge - looking to go up in a title race that went to the very last day of the season. Stourbridge won their final game away to Harrogate via a bonus point victory meaning that the winner of Darlington Mowden Park and Macclesfield was likely to go up. In a very close game in front of a record National 2 North crowd of 3,750 at The Northern Echo Arena, Mowden Park emerged as the victors 28 - 24 against Macclesfield only for the Cheshire side to gain 2 bonus points in defeat. These bonus points meant that it was Macclesfield that went up 1 point clear of their two title rivals, returning to their former league after just one season out. Despite the disappointment of losing out on the last day of the season, Darlington Mowden Park would follow Macclesfield up into the 2013–14 National League 1 by defeating Ampthill in the north-south promotion playoff in what was a very tight game that took extra time to be resolved. The move to The Northern Echo Arena marked a significant turnaround in fortunes for the north-east side, with large crowds attending on a regular basis, averaging more than 800 spectators per game. This was particularly impressive given that matches at their former Yiewsley Drive ground just a couple of seasons earlier had attracted only around 200 hardcore supporters. Spare a thought for Stourbridge, though, as the Midlands side would have comfortably secured promotion in almost any other season, only to miss out in what was arguably the most competitive title race in the division’s recent history.

While the fight for promotion had been extremely fierce the battle for relegation was far less so. Dudley Kingswinford ended a two-year stay in the division in what was a very poor season, failing to win any games at all and only having 6 points all season from try and losing bonuses (they were the first team to lose all 30 games in the division since Manchester in 2010-11, although bonus points gave them a better overall record). Dudley Kingswinford would be followed in relegation by fellow Midlands side Bromsgrove whose 5 wins were not enough and finally by Sheffield Tigers who did better but not enough to catch 13th placed Hull. Dudley Kingswinford and Bromsgrove would drop to National League 3 Midlands while Sheffield Tigers fell to National League 3 North.

Participating teams and locations

Twelve of the teams listed below participated in the 2012–13 National League 2 North season. Macclesfield and Sedgley Park were relegated from the 2012–13 National League 1; Chester (champions) and Harrogate (playoffs) were promoted from National League 3 North; Ampthill were promoted from National League 3 Midlands as champions and were then level transferred to the 2013–14 National League 2 South, due to an imbalance in the number of teams in the two fourth tier leagues.

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBirmingham & SolihullPortwayPortway, Birmingham, West MidlandsBromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, WorcestershireCaldyPaton Field4,000Thurstaston, Wirral, MerseysideChesterHare Lane2,000 (500 seats)Chester, CheshireDarlington Mowden ParkThe Northern Echo Arena25,000Darlington, County DurhamDudley KingswinfordHeathbrook2,260 (260 seats)Kingswinford, Dudley, West MidlandsHarrogateClaro Road4,500 (500 seats)Harrogate, North YorkshireHullFerens Ground1,500 (288 seats)Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of YorkshireLeicester LionsWestleigh Park2,000Blaby, LeicestershireLuctoniansMortimer Park2,500 (300 seats)Kingsland, HerefordshireMacclesfieldPriory Park1,250 (250 seats)Macclesfield, CheshireOtleyCross Green7,000 (852 seats)Otley, West YorkshirePreston GrasshoppersLightfoot Green2,250 (250 seats)Preston, LancashireSedgley ParkPark Lane3,000Whitefield, Bury, Greater ManchesterSheffield TigersDore Moor1,000Sheffield, South YorkshireStourbridgeStourton Park3,500 (499 seats)Stourbridge, West Midlands

League 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

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 2014.

Round 21

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 2014.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 2014.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 2014.

Round 22

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 March 2014.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 March 2014.

Round 23

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2014.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 March 2014.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2014.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2014.

Rounds 20 & 21 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 1 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 1 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 1 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 25 January 2014.

Round 24

Round 25

Rounds 22 & 23

Game rescheduled from 15 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 8 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 8 February 2014.

Round 26

Round 27

Round 28

Round 29

Round 23 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 15 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 15 February 2014.

Game rescheduled from 15 February 2014.

Round 30

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 Division 1. Darlington Mowden Park were runners-up in the North and as they had a better record than the 2013–14 National League 2 South runners-up, Ampthill, they hosted the play–off match. The game was played on 3 May 2014 at The Northern Echo Arena and finished 25 – 25 after normal time, so went to two 10-minute periods of extra time. The game was won with a try scored by DMP in the 3rd minute of added on time. As a result, they will play in National League 1 in the 2014–15 season for the first time.

Total season attendances Figures not including north-south promotion playoff. ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Birmingham & Solihull 15 3,775 252 540 166 Bromsgrove 15 3,341 223 400 125 Caldy 15 3,598 240 398 132 6% Chester 15 6,281 419 750 289 21% Darlington Mowden Park 15 13,693 913 3,750 510 4% Dudley Kingswinford 15 4,000 267 1,000 130 10% Harrogate 15 4,050 270 700 150 6% Hull 15 2,207 147 192 90 10% Leicester Lions 15 1,825 122 141 105 6% Luctonians 15 5,745 383 608 240 15% Macclesfield 15 5,177 345 512 248 31% Otley 15 5,521 368 817 218 5% Preston Grasshoppers 15 5,200 347 507 203 15% Sedgley Park 15 3,846 256 453 175 9% Sheffield Tigers 15 1,879 125 159 97 13% Stourbridge 15 9,291 619 1,200 370 18%

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 Stephen Collins Sedgley Park 29 298 2 Mark Ireland Otley 26 272 3 James Hearn Stourbridge 28 268 4 Jon Boden Leicester Lions 24 220 5 Richard Vasey Caldy 28 209 6 Joe Rowntree Harrogate 30 209 7 Tom Eaton Macclesfield 30 205 8 Adam Canning Birmingham & Solihull 20 172 9 Ryan Parkinson Macclesfield 27 160 10 James Cameron Hull 28 145

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Ryan Parkinson Macclesfield 27 32 2 Edward Stobart Macclesfield 26 23 3 Nathan Bressington Stourbridge 22 22 4 Drew Cheshire Luctonians 27 21 Matthew Lamprey Sedgley Park 29 21 5 Andrew Riley Sedgley Park 27 20 6 Johnny Matthews Sedgley Park 25 17 Elliot Brierley Macclesfield 27 17 7 Henry Robinson Darlington Mowden Park 21 16 Stefan Shillingford Stourbridge 28 16

Season records

Team Largest home win — 96 pts 111 - 15 Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Largest away win — 74 pts 74 - 0 Leicester Lions away to Dudley Kingswinford on 26 April 2014 Most points scored — 111 pts 111 - 15 Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Most tries in a match — 17 Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Most conversions in a match — 13 Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Otley away to Sedgley Park on 26 October 2013 Leicester Lions away to Caldy on 4 January 2014 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Birmingham & Solihull away to Luctonians on 5 October 2013

Player Most points in a match — 35 Stephen Collins for Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Most tries in a match — 5 (x2) Matthew Lamprey for Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Nathan Bressington for Stourbridge at home to Bromsgrove on 12 April 2014 Most conversions in a match — 13 Stephen Collins for Sedgley Park at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 7 December 2013 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Mark Ireland for Otley away to Sedgley Park on 26 October 2013 Jon Boden for Leicester Lions away to Caldy on 4 January 2014 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Adam Canning for Birmingham & Solihull away to Luctonians on 5 October 2013

Attendances Highest — 3,750 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Macclesfield on 26 April 2014 Lowest — 90 Hull at home to Otley on 14 December 2013 Highest Average Attendance — 913 Darlington Mowden Park Lowest Average Attendance — 122 Leicester Lions

See also English Rugby Union Leagues English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby