The 2016 Bill Beaumont Cup, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division One, was the 116th 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 North or National League 2 South). The counties were divided into two regional pools with the winners of each meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New counties to the competition were the two finalists from the 2015 County Championship Plate – Surrey (winners) and Eastern Counties (runners-up) who replaced Kent and Durham who were relegated from their respective groups. Cornwall were the defending champions.

The two pool winners, Cheshire (north) and holders Cornwall met in the final. Cheshire had beaten 2015's runners up, Lancashire, in the pool stage, but came up short against a Cornish side managed once more by Graham Dawe who had lost his job at Plymouth Albion at the end of the season. The bulk of his team were Albion players, and they beat Cheshire, 35–13, to retain their title, with Matthew Shepherd having another good final by getting 20 of Cornwall's points including a last minute try. Due to changes to the County Championship format for the 2017 competition, no teams would be relegated to the second tier of the county championships for the following season.

Competition format The competition format is two regional group stages divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. This means that two teams in the pool have two home games, while the other two had just one. The top side in each group goes through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium. Unlike previous seasons, due to changes to the following seasons championships there would be no relegation.

Participating Counties and ground locations

CountyStadium(s) CapacityCity/Area CheshireHare LaneHeywood Road2,0005,400Chester, CheshireSale, Greater ManchesterCornwallThe Recreation GroundRecreation Ground3,500 (580 seats)7,000 (780 seats)Redruth, CornwallCamborne, CornwallEastern CountiesUniversity Football Ground1,500Cambridge, CambridgeshireGloucestershireStation Road2,500 (400 seats)Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, BristolHertfordshireWoollam Playing FieldsSilver Leys1,0001,600St Albans, HertfordshireBishop's Stortford, HertfordshireLancashireWoodlands Memorial GroundPark Lane9,0003,000Lytham St Annes, LancashireWhitefield, Greater ManchesterSurreyHazelwood2,000Sunbury-on-Thames, SurreyYorkshireSilver Royd4,500 (425 seats) Scalby, North Yorkshire

Group stage

Division 1 North

2016 Beaumont Cup Division 1 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Cheshire (Q) 3 3 0 0 85 29 56 2 0 14 2 Lancashire 3 2 0 1 87 64 23 2 0 10 3 Eastern Counties 3 1 0 2 66 98 -32 1 0 5 4 Yorkshire 3 0 0 3 67 114 -47 1 0 1If 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: 21 May 2016Source:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Division 1 South

2016 Beaumont Cup Division 1 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Cornwall (Q) 3 3 0 0 88 56 32 2 0 14 2 Hertfordshire 3 2 0 1 69 56 13 1 0 9 3 Gloucestershire 3 1 0 2 70 78 -8 1 1 6 4 Surrey 3 0 0 3 64 101 -37 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: 21 May 2016Source:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Final

15 Matthew Shepherd Plymouth Albion 14 Lewis Vinnicombe Redruth13 Jake Murphy Plymouth Albion 12 Nielson Webber Redruth11 Robin Wedlake Plymouth Albion 10 Billy Searle Plymouth Albion 9 Greg Goodfellow Chinnor 1 Tom Cowan-Dickie Redruth 2 Rupert Freestone Plymouth Albion 3 Craig Williams Redruth 4 Ben Hilton Cornish All Blacks 5 Tony Whittle Camborne 6 Kyle Marriott (capt) Redruth 7 Sam Matavesi Plymouth Albion 8 Herbie Stupple Plymouth AlbionReplacements: 16 Richard Brown Redruth 17 Barrie-John Chapman Redruth 18 Damien Cook Camborne 19 Chris Fuca Camborne 20 Jon Dawe Redruth 22 Sam Parsons Plymouth Albion 23 Peter Joyce Redruth 24 Lewis Webb Taunton 15 Charlie Venables Macclesfield 14 Jack Leech Sandbach13 Craig Harvey Wirral 12 Rhys Hayes Chester11 Ali Baker Wirral 10 Jack Lavin Caldy 9 Joe Murray Wirral 1 Gavin Woods Chester 2 Paul Millea Macclesfield 3 Elliot Millar-Mills Macclesfield 4 David Marwick (capt) Macclesfield 5 Tom Sanders Caldy 6 Nyle Davidson Caldy 7 Harry Broadbent Rosslyn Park 8 Ryan Parkinson MacclesfieldReplacements: 16 Benjamin Jones Caldy 17 Forbes Edward Unattached 18 Nathan Rushton Caldy 19 Timothy Oakes Sandbach 20 Chris Roddy Stourbridge 22 Nicholas Pearson Sheffield Tigers 23 Mike Craven Chester

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 2 823 412 523 300 12% Cornwall 2 4,975 2,488 3,125 1,850 49% Eastern Counties 1 250 250 250 250 17% Gloucestershire 1 350 350 350 350 14% Hertfordshire 2 850 425 490 360 36% Lancashire 2 1,219 610 719 500 12% Surrey 1 200 200 200 200 10% Yorkshire 1 1,896 1,896 1,896 1,896 42%

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 Jack Lavin Cheshire Caldy 4 49 2 Matthew Shepherd Cornwall Plymouth Albion 4 48 3 Chris Johnson Lancashire Fylde 3 32 4 Greg Lound Yorkshire Hull Ionians 3 27 5 Simon Horbeck Eastern Counties Shelford 3 26

Top try scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Tries 1 Sam Baker Gloucestershire Cinderford 3 5 2 Sam Matavesi Cornwall Plymouth Albion 4 5 3 Billy Searle Cornwall Plymouth Albion 3 4 4 Jack Lavin Cheshire Caldy 4 3 5 Matthew Noble Surrey Dorking 2 2

See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby