2012–13 National League 2 North

The 2012–13 National League 2 North was the third season (twenty-sixth 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 league title battle was extremely tight this year with Hull Ionians eventually taking the championship and promotion to the 2013–14 National League 1 ahead of Stourbridge with both sides dead level on points but Ionians having more wins despite Stourbridge having a much better for/against record and more bonus points. As runners up Stourbridge faced the 2012–13 National League 2 South runners up Worthing Raiders in what would be a very close game - losing 26 - 28 to the south coast side - meaning that the Stourton Park-based side would not have an instant return to National League 1. At the other end of the table Huddersfield were easily the weakest team in the division and were the first to be relegated, with the more competitive Stockport and Westoe being the other two sides to follow them by the end of the season. All three sides would drop down to National League 3 North for the following season.

Participating teams and locations

Twelve of the teams listed below participated in the 2011–12 National League 2 North season; Stourbridge and Birmingham & Solihull were relegated from the 2011–12 National League 1 while Dudley Kingswinford came up from National League 3 Midlands as playoff winners along with Darlington Mowden Park who were champions of National League 3 North. Rugby Lions had won the National League 3 Midlands title and were expected to join the 2012–13 National League 2 South instead of National League 2 North but went into liquidation over the summer and dropped out of the leagues leaving the southern division with just 15 teams. The season also saw newly demoted Birmingham & Solihull move from ground-sharing with a local football team at Damson Park to their former training base Portway. Another team would switch grounds during the season, with Darlington Mowden Park playing their first game at the 25,000 capacity The Northern Echo Arena (former home of the ill-fated football team Darlington F.C.) on 2 February 2013 against Bromsgrove.

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBirmingham & SolihullPortwayPortway, Birmingham, West MidlandsBromsgroveFinstall ParkBromsgrove, WorcestershireCaldyPaton Field4,000Thurstaston, Wirral, MerseysideDarlington Mowden ParkYiewsley DriveThe Northern Echo ArenaN/A25,000Darlington, County DurhamDudley KingswinfordHeathbrook2,260 (260 seats)Kingswinford, Dudley, West MidlandsHuddersfieldLockwood Park1,500 (500 seats)Huddersfield, West YorkshireHullFerens Ground1,500 (288 seats)Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of YorkshireHull IoniansBrantingham Park1,500 (240 seats)Brantingham, East Riding of YorkshireLeicester LionsWestleigh Park2,000Blaby, LeicestershireLuctoniansMortimer Park2,200Kingsland, HerefordshireOtleyCross Green7,000 (852 seats)Otley, West YorkshirePreston GrasshoppersLightfoot Green2,250 (250 seats)Preston, LancashireSheffield TigersDore Moor1,000Sheffield, South YorkshireStockportThe Memorial Ground500Stockport, Greater ManchesterStourbridgeStourton Park3,500 (499 seats)Stourbridge, West MidlandsWestoeWood TerraceSouth Shields, Tyne and Wear

Final 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

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 December 2012.

Round 13 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 24 November 2012.

Round 14

Round 15

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Round 16

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Round 20

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

Round 21

Rounds 15 & 16 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Game rescheduled from 15 December 2012.

Game rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

Round 22

Round 19 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Round 23

Round 24

Round 20 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013.

Round 25

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Game was initially postponed but would ultimately be cancelled due to fixture congestion at the end of the season and the result would not affect the final outcome of the league.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Game was initially postponed but would ultimately be cancelled due to fixture congestion at the end of the season and the result would not affect the final outcome of the league.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 May 2013.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2013.

Round 26

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Round 27

Round 28

Round 29

Round 30

Rounds 19, 25 & 26 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Game rescheduled from 30 March 2013.

Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

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. Stourbridge as runners-up in the north had the better league record than southern counterparts Worthing Raiders and would host the game.

Total season attendances Figures not including north-south promotion playoff. ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Birmingham & Solihull 15 3,361 224 534 122 Bromsgrove 15 3,748 250 575 120 Caldy 15 3,424 228 371 101 6% Darlington Mowden Park 15 8,343 556 1,250 242 3% Dudley Kingswinford 14 5,783 413 1,200 250 16% Huddersfield 15 3,173 212 307 150 14% Hull 15 2,469 165 310 105 11% Hull Ionians 15 4,310 287 480 150 19% Leicester Lions 14 1,817 130 184 100 6% Luctonians 15 4,878 325 517 211 15% Otley 15 4,831 322 437 208 5% Preston Grasshoppers 15 5,158 344 547 233 15% Sheffield Tigers 15 2,128 142 210 103 14% Stockport 15 1,976 132 159 100 26% Stourbridge 15 8,650 577 1,200 375 16% Westoe 15 2,277 152 230 90

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 Sean Taylor Preston Grasshoppers 28 341 2 Richard Vasey Caldy 27 289 3 Grant Cannon Darlington Mowden Park 26 257 4 Tom Outram Sheffield Tigers 28 243 5 Gregory Lound Hull 24 227 6 James Hearn Stourbridge 26 223 7 Jack Jolly Birmingham & Solihull 29 211 8 Jon Boden Leicester Lions 24 189 9 Gareth Brown Dudley Kingswinford 24 188 10 Christopher Reakes Hull Ionians 22 177

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 James Twomey Otley 30 28 2 Chris McTurk Darlington Mowden Park 24 26 Jamie Broadley Sheffield Tigers 28 26 3 Drew Cheshire Luctonians 28 25 4 Sean Taylor Preston Grasshoppers 28 21 5 Gavin Roberts Caldy 27 20 Peter Swatkins Sheffield Tigers 30 20 6 Adam Birchall Preston Grasshoppers 22 19 Kerry Wood Hull Ionians 29 19 7 James Wigglesworth Hull 19 18 Drew Harper Stourbridge 24 18

Season records

Team Largest home win — 64 pts (x2) 69 - 5 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Huddersfield on 23 February 2013 83 - 19 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Largest away win — 59 pts 64 - 5 Luctonians away to Huddersfield on 20 April 2013 Most points scored — 83 pts 83 - 19 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Most tries in a match — 13 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Most conversions in a match — 9 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x3) Darlington Mowden Park away to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 September 2012 Hull at home to Otley on 13 October 2012 Birmingham & Solihull at home to Bromsgrove on 17 November 2012 Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple times

Player Most points in a match — 33 Sean Taylor for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Most tries in a match — 4 (x3) Shaun McCartney for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Bromsgrove on 2 February 2013 James Twomey for Otley at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 27 April 2013 Adam Birchall for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Luctonians on 11 May 2013 Most conversions in a match — 9 Sean Taylor for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Gregory Lound for Hull at home to Otley on 13 October 2012 Jack Jolly for Birmingham & Solihull at home to Bromsgrove on 17 November 2012 Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple players

Attendances Highest — 1,250 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Bromsgrove on 2 February 2013 Lowest — 90 Westoe at home to Darlington Mowden Park on 22 December 2012 Highest Average Attendance — 577 Stourbridge Lowest Average Attendance — 130 Leicester Lions

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

References

External links NCA Rugby

2012–13 National League 2 North

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