The 2015 Bill Beaumont Cup, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division One, was the 115th version of the annual, English rugby union, County Championship organized by the RFU for the top tier English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system (typically National League 1, National League 2 South or National League 2 North). The counties were divided into two regional pools with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New counties to the competition were the two finalists from the 2014 County Championship Plate – Kent (winners) and Durham County (runners-up) who replaced North Midlands and Northumberland. Lancashire were the defending champions.

At the end of the group stage, Lancashire won the northern division with relative ease to book their place in the final for the seventh successive year while Cornwall joined them, squeezing through by defeating Hertfordshire in the last game of the southern group having trailed 18 - 6 at half time. Both Durham County and Kent made an instant return to the 2016 County Championship Plate after being relegated by coming bottom of their respective groups. The 2015 final was a repeat of the previous two seasons with Cornwall this time turning the tables on holders Lancashire and winning their first county title since 1999 in an 18 - 13 victory. Cornish All Black scrum half Matthew Shepherd was man of the match with two tries and also finished as the competition's top scorer.

Competition format The competition format was two regional group stages divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. This meant that two teams in the pool had two home games, while the other two had just one. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 31 May 2015. The bottom side in each group was relegated to the second tier of the county championships for the following season, with the finalists from that division replacing them.

Participating Counties and ground locations

CountyStadium(s) CapacityCity/Area CheshireHare Lane2,000Chester, CheshireCornwallRecreation Ground3,500 (580 seats)Redruth, CornwallDurham CountyCrow TreesThe Darlington Arena 2,00025,000Swalwell, Tyne and WearDarlington, County DurhamGloucestershireDockham RoadThe Hayfields2,500N/ACinderford, GloucestershireMangotsfield, GloucestershireHertfordshireHighfieldsN/AWare, HertfordshireKentMerton LaneRectory Field1,500 (75 seats)N/ACanterbury, KentGravesend, KentLancashireWoodlands Memorial Ground9,000Lytham St Annes, LancashireYorkshireLockwood ParkCastle Park1,500 (500 seats)5,000 (1,650 seats)Huddersfield, West YorkshireDoncaster, South Yorkshire

Group stage

Division 1 North

2015 Beaumont Cup Division 1 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Lancashire (Q) 3 3 0 0 67 24 29 1 0 13 2 Cheshire 3 2 0 1 95 80 15 1 1 10 3 Yorkshire 3 1 0 2 66 66 0 1 1 6 4 Durham County (R) 3 0 0 3 58 102 –44 1 0 1 If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Green background means the county qualified for the final. Pink background means the county were demoted to Division 2 North of the County Championship Plate for the following season. Updated: 12 May 2015Source:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Division 1 South

2015 Beaumont Cup Division 1 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Cornwall (Q) 3 3 0 0 74 42 32 1 0 13 2 Hertfordshire 3 2 0 1 86 69 17 2 1 11 3 Gloucestershire 3 1 0 2 53 75 –22 0 0 4 4 Kent (R) 3 0 0 3 46 73 –27 0 1 1 If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Green background means the county qualified for the final. Pink background means the county were en demoted to Division 2 South of the County Championship Plate for the following season. Updated: 12 May 2015Source:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Final

15 Billy Searle Cornish All Blacks 14 Jon Dawe Cornish All Blacks13 Jake Murphy Cornish All Blacks 12 Nielson Webber Redruth11 Robin Wedlake Redruth 10Lewis Webb Taunton 9 Matthew Shepherd Cornish All Blacks 1 Rupert Freestone Clifton 2 Jamie Salter Cornish All Blacks 3 Craig Williams Redruth 4 Tony Whittle Camborne 5 Ben Hilton Cornish All Blacks 6 Chris Fuca Redruth 7 George Jones Penryn 8 Kyle Marriott (capt) RedruthReplacements: 16 Christian Judge Cornish All Blacks 17 Damien Cook Redruth 18 Tommy Phillips Redruth 19 James Goldsworthy Camborne 20 David Mankee Camborne 22 Sam Parsons Redruth 23 Barrie-John Chapman Cornish All Blacks 15 Warren Spragg Fylde 14 Jordan Dorrington Fylde13 Chris Briers Fylde 12 Scott RawlingsFylde11 Anthony Bingham Rossendale 10 Steve Collins Sedgley Park 9 Ryan De La Harpe Fylde 1 Ben Black Sedgley Park 2 Alex Loney Fylde 3 Adam Lewis Fylde 4 Jonathan Nugent Bergerac 5 Gareth Rawlings Fylde 6 Evan Stewart (capt) Fylde 7 Steven McGinnis Loughborough Students 8 Matthew Lamprey Sedgley Park Replacements: 16 Louis McGowan Caldy 17 Peter Altham Preston Grasshoppers 18 Philip Mills Preston Grasshoppers 19 Paul Arnold Fylde 20 Chris Johnson Fylde 21 Oliver Brennand Fylde 22 Niall Crossley Hartpury College

Total season attendances Does not include final at Twickenham which is a neutral venue and involves teams from all three county divisions on the same day CountyHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Cheshire 1 250 250 250 250 13% Cornwall 1 2,800 2,800 2,800 2,800 80% Durham County 2 700 350 380 320 9% Gloucestershire 2 887 444 562 325 22% Hertfordshire 1 620 620 620 620 Kent 2 850 425 600 250 17% Lancashire 1 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 13% Yorkshire 2 996 498 550 446 20%

Individual statistics Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances will come first. Also note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included). Statistics will also include final.

Top points scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Points 1 Matthew Shepherd Cornwall Cornish All Blacks 4 64 2 Jack Lavin Cheshire Caldy 3 31 3 Dan Watt Hertfordshire Old Albanian 3 28 4 Chris Johnson Lancashire Fylde 3 21 5 Forbes Edwards Cheshire Caldy 3 20

Top try scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Tries 1 Forbes Edwards Cheshire Caldy 3 4 2 Matthew Shepherd Cornwall Cornish All Blacks 4 4 3 Jordan Dorrington Cheshire Fylde 3 3 4 Jack Lavin Cheshire Caldy 3 3 5 Robin Wedlake Cornwall Redruth 3 3

See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby