The 2009–10 National League 2 South was the first season (23rd overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. Previously known as National Division 3 South, it had been renamed due to widespread changes to the league system by the RFU with National One becoming the Championship, National 2 becoming National 1 and so on. 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. A further change to the league system would see the division increase from 14 to 15 teams (this was originally supposed to be 16 teams but one of the teams relegated from the 2008–09 National Division 2, Mounts Bay, folded at the beginning of the season).
Barking would finish as champions with only two league defeats all season, while runners up Rosslyn Park would join them in the 2010–11 National League 1 by defeating 2009–10 National League 2 North runners up Loughborough Students in the National 2 promotion playoff. At the bottom of the table Bridgwater & Albion and newly promoted Barnes would be condemned to National League 3 South West and National League 3 London & SE respectively.
Participating teams Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2008–09 National League 3 South season; Westcombe Park were relegated from the 2008–09 National Division 2, while Clifton were promoted as champions of South West Division 1 with Shelford (champions) and Barnes (playoffs) coming up from London Division 1.
TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBarkingGoresbrook1,000Barking, LondonBarnesBarn Elms Barnes, LondonBridgwater & AlbionBath Road5,000Bridgwater, SomersetCanterburyMerton Lane1,500 (75 seats)Canterbury, KentCliftonStation Road2,200 (200 seats) Clifton, BristolDings CrusadersLandseer Avenue1,500Lockleaze, BristolEaling TrailfindersTrailfinders Sports Ground3,020Ealing, LondonHenley HawksDry Leas4,000Henley-on-Thames, OxfordshireLydneyRegentsholme3,000 (340 seats)Lydney, GloucestershireRichmondAthletic Ground4,500Richmond, LondonRosslyn ParkThe Rock2,000 (630 seats)Roehampton, LondonShelfordThe Davey Field2,000 (150 seats)Great Shelford, CambridgeshireSouthendWarners Park1,500 (150 seats) Southend, EssexWestcombe ParkGoddington Dene3,200Orpington, LondonWorthing RaidersRoundstone Lane1,500 (100 seats)Angmering, West Sussex
League table
Results
Round 1
Bye: Ealing Trailfinders
Round 2
Bye: Bridgwater & Albion
Round 3
Bye: Rosslyn Park
Round 4
Bye: Henley Hawks
Round 5
Bye: Worthing Raiders
Round 6
Bye: Southend
Round 7
Bye: Westcombe Park
Round 8
Bye: Clifton
Round 9
Bye: Barnes
Round 10
Bye: Shelford
Round 11
Bye: Richmond
Round 12
Bye: Lydney
Round 13
Bye: Barking
Round 14
Bye: Canterbury
Round 15
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 February 2010. Bye: Dings Crusaders
Round 16
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010. Bye: Bridgwater & Albion
Round 17
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2010. Bye: Rosslyn Park
Round 18
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 March 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 March 2010. Bye: Henley Hawks
Round 19
Bye: Worthing Raiders
Round 20
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2010. Bye: Southend
Round 15 (Rescheduled games)
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Rescheduled from 19 December 2009.
Round 21
Postponed. Game rescheduled for 1 May 2010. Bye: Westcombe Park
Round 22
Bye: Clifton
Round 23
Bye: Barnes
Round 24
Bye: Shelford
Round 25
Bye: Richmond
Round 17 (Rescheduled game)
Rescheduled from 16 January 2010 and eventually cancelled altogether due to fixture congestion meaning both Westcombe Park and Shelford would only play 29 games each.
Rounds 16, 17 & 18 (Rescheduled games)
Game rescheduled from 2 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 16 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 2 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 2 January 2010.
Round 26
Bye: Lydney
Round 27
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2010. Bye: Barking
Round 28
Bye: Canterbury
Round 29
Bye: Dings Crusaders
Round 30
Bye: Ealing Trailfinders
Rounds 17 & 21 (Rescheduled games)
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 13 February 2010.
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Game rescheduled from 9 January 2010.
Rounds 20 & 24 (Rescheduled games)
Rescheduled from 3 April 2010.
Rescheduled from 30 January 2010.
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. Loughborough Students were runners-up in the North and would host the game as they had a better record in the league in comparison to the South runners up Rosslyn Park.
Total season attendances
ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Barking 14 4,398 314 500 180 31% Barnes 12 1,185 99 200 30 Bridgwater & Albion 14 5,468 391 627 217 8% Canterbury 14 2,617 187 247 124 12% Clifton 14 2,663 190 287 80 9% Dings Crusaders 14 1,745 125 256 101 8% Ealing Trailfinders 11 3,663 333 574 200 11% Henley Hawks 14 4,010 286 375 210 7% Lydney 14 5,900 421 650 250 14% Richmond 14 7,922 566 1,473 114 13% Rosslyn Park 14 6,310 451 780 210 23% Shelford 13 3,107 239 426 137 12% Southend 13 3,370 259 550 150 17% Westcombe Park 12 2,271 189 251 66 6% Worthing Raiders 14 3,990 285 350 200 19%
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 Ross Laidlaw Rosslyn Park 25 318 2 Craig Ratford Barking 26 277 3 Matt Hart Richmond 26 252 4 Ben Ward Ealing Trailfinders 28 245 5 Edward Gough Shelford 24 221 6 Andy Frost Southend 18 212 7 Warren Gower Barnes 28 203 8 Lee Audis Westcombe Park 25 171 9 Matthew McLean Worthing Raiders 18 163 10 Phil Chesters Ealing Trailfinders 26 140
Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Phil Chesters Ealing Trailfinders 26 28 2 James Strong Rosslyn Park 21 24 3 Robert Viol Clifton 27 22 James Kellard Barking 28 22 4 Owen Bruynseels Ealing Trailfinders 19 18 5 Chris Jones Barking 26 17 David Vincent Barking 27 17 6 Peter Hodgkinson Ealing Trailfinders 27 15 7 Nick Fraser Barking 26 14 8 Paul Unseld Rosslyn Park 11 13 Guthrie Hall Ealing Trailfinders 23 13 Joe Govett Worthing Raiders 24 13 Marc Sweeney Rosslyn Park 27 13
Season records
Team Largest home win — 82 pts 96 - 14 Barking at home to Lydney on 17 April 2010 Largest away win — 72 pts 75 - 3 Rosslyn Park away to Westcombe Park on 6 February 2010 Most points scored — 96 pts 96 - 14 Barking at home to Lydney on 17 April 2010 Most tries in a match — 14 Barking at home to Lydney on 17 April 2010 Most conversions in a match — 13 Barking at home to Lydney on 17 April 2010 Most penalties in a match — 6 Westcombe Park away to Henley Hawks on 5 September 2009 Most drop goals in a match — 3 Westcombe Park at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 5 December 2009
Player Most points in a match — 31 Craig Ratford for Barking at home to Lydney on 17 April 2010 Most tries in a match — 4 (x3) Rob Viol for Clifton at home to Richmond on 31 October 2009 Paul Unseld for Rosslyn Park away to Westcombe Park on 6 February 2010 James Strong for Rosslyn Park away to Henley Hawks on 27 March 2010 Most conversions in a match — 13 Craig Ratford for Barking at home to Lydney on 17 April 2010 Most penalties in a match — 6 Lee Audis for Westcombe Park away to Henley Hawks on 5 September 2009 Most drop goals in a match — 3 Lee Audis for Westcombe Park at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 5 December 2009
Attendances Highest — 1,473 Richmond at home to Rosslyn Park on 26 September 2009 Lowest — 30 Barnes at home to Shelford on 20 February 2010 Highest Average Attendance — 566 Richmond Lowest Average Attendance — 99 Barnes
See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby