The 2017 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 1 was the 117th version of the annual, English rugby union, County Championship organised by the RFU for the top tier English counties. This was the first season it would be officially known as Bill Beaumont Division 1 having previously been known as the Bill Beaumont Cup. 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 sections (each divided into two pools, for a total of four) with the winners of each meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. Cornwall were the defending champions.
Due to changes to the County Championship format (more detail of this below) four new teams were added to the competition, with East Midlands and Northumberland joining the northern section, while Kent and Devon joined the south. East Midlands (winners) and Kent (runners up) were promoted after reaching the final of the 2016 County Championship Plate, while Northumberland and Devon were promoted by virtue of their performances in the competition over the past couple of seasons. It also saw a lucky escape for the likes of Yorkshire, who would have been playing tier 2 rugby this year were it not for the competition restructuring.
By the end of the group stages, Lancashire and Cornwall came top of their respective pools, winning all three of their games with a bonus point in each to qualify for the final in what would be the fourth county championship final between the two sides. Lancashire possibly had the harder time of it as they edged rivals Yorkshire by just one point with neither side playing each other due to the new format, while Cornwall won all their games. In the Twickenham final, the first half started with Cornwall dominant in taking an 8-0 lead into the break - although they perhaps should have capitalized more on a Lancashire yellow card towards the end of the half. The second half was a completely different story, however, as Lancashire played some breath-taking rugby scoring three delightful tries to take the game 19-8, ending Cornwall's hope of a treble of championships, and claiming the 24th county championship title for the Red Rose.
Competition format
The 2017 County Championships saw a new competition structure introduced across all three divisions. In tier 1 there were now twelve teams instead of the eight from 2016, with six counties in the northern group, and six in the southern group. To complicate matters further, each county only played three games per group instead of five. This meant that some counties had two home games, while the others had just one. The RFU plans to switch this around the following year so that teams that played one home game in 2017 will get two during the 2018 competition - it is assumed that this is against the three teams in the group they did not play the previous season.
At the end of the group stage the top teams with the best record from each group (north and south) advanced to the final held on 28 May 2017 at Twickenham Stadium. A further change will see relegation occur every two seasons instead of one, with points accumulated over the two seasons taken into consideration. This system will also apply to promoted teams in tier 2.
Participating Counties and ground locations
CountyStadium(s) CapacityCity/Area CheshirePaton FieldHeywood Road4,0003,387Thurstaston, Wirral, MerseysideSale, Greater ManchesterCornwallRecreation Ground7,000 (780 seats)Camborne, CornwallDevonCross-in-HandPottington RoadN/A2,000 (600 seats)Ivybridge, DevonBarnstaple, DevonEast MidlandsDillingham Park3,000Ampthill, BedfordshireEastern CountiesGrantchester RoadUniversity Football Ground2,200 (200 seats)1,500Cambridge, CambridgeshireCambridge, CambridgeshireGloucestershireThe HayfieldsRegentsholmN/A1,500Mangotsfield, GloucestershireLydney, GloucestershireHertfordshireHighfields N/AWare, HertfordshireKentBroad WalkN/AKidbrooke, LondonLancashireWoodlands Memorial Ground9,000Lytham St. Annes, LancashireNorthumberlandGreensfield1,200 (200 in stand)Alnwick, NorthumberlandSurreyAthletic GroundThe Big Field4,500 (1,000 seats)1,500Richmond, LondonDorking, SurreyYorkshireLockwood ParkBrantingham Park1,500 (500 seats)1,500 (240 seats)Huddersfield, West YorkshireBrantingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
Group stage
Division 1 North
2017 Bill Beaumont Division 1 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Lancashire (Q) 3 3 0 0 115 46 69 3 0 15 2 Yorkshire 3 3 0 0 121 54 67 2 0 14 3 East Midlands 3 2 0 1 84 67 17 2 0 10 4 Cheshire 3 1 0 2 54 79 -25 1 0 5 5 Northumberland 3 0 0 3 62 118 -56 1 0 1 6 Eastern Counties 3 0 0 3 51 123 -72 0 1 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.Updated: 20 May 2017Source:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Division 1 South
2017 Bill Beaumont Division 1 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints differenceTry bonusLosing bonusPoints 1 Cornwall (Q) 3 3 0 0 135 53 82 3 0 15 2 Gloucestershire 3 2 0 1 130 70 60 2 0 10 3 Kent 3 2 0 1 58 56 2 1 1 10 4 Hertfordshire 3 2 0 1 93 76 17 2 0 8 5 Surrey 3 0 0 3 43 108 -65 0 1 1 6 Devon 3 0 0 3 43 139 -96 0 0 0If 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.Updated: 20 May 2017Source: Notes
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Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Final
15 Lewis Allen Preston Grasshoppers14 Scott Armstrong Fylde 13 Chris Briers Fylde 12 Scott Rawlings Sale FC 11 Anthony Bingham Fylde 10Chris Johnson Sale FC 9 Sam Stelmaszek Fylde 1 Dan Birchall Fylde 2 Tom Burtonwood Fylde3 Adam Lewis Fylde 4 Bob Birtwell Sedgley Park 5 Reece Tomlinson Rossendale 6 Mark Goodwin Sedgley Park 7 Evan Stewart (capt) Fylde8 Tom Ailes Sale FCReplacements:16 Peter Altham Preston Grasshoppers 17 Johnny Matthews Sedgley Park 18Simon Griffiths Fylde 19 Greg Smith Fylde 20 Connor Wilkinson Fylde 21 Rhys Davies Sale FC22 Steve Collins Sedgley Park 23 Ciaran Connolly Sale FC 15 Matthew Shepherd Plymouth Albion 14 Seti Raumakita Plymouth Albion13 Robin Wedlake Plymouth Albion 12 Jake Murphy (capt) Barnstaple11 Tom Notman Redruth 10 Jake Elderkin Redruth 9 Jack Oulton Redruth 1 Tommy Phillips Redruth 2 Richard Brown Redruth 3 Craig Williams Redruth 4 Tony Whittle Camborne 5 Bryn Jenkins Barnstaple 6 George Jones Penryn 7 Sam Matavesi Camborne 8 Grant Randlesome PenrynReplacements: 16 Matt Ballard Wadebridge Camels 17 Dan Collier Plymouth Albion 18 Jack Simmons Camborne 19 Andrius Zacharovas Camborne 20 Chris Fuca Redruth 22 David Mankee Camborne 23 Barrie-John Chapman Redruth
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 2 775 388 450 325 11% Cornwall 1 3,525 3,525 3,525 3,525 50% Devon 2 1,437 719 1,025 412 21% East Midlands 1 350 350 350 350 12% Eastern Counties 2 614 307 314 300 17% Gloucestershire 2 350 175 200 150 13% Hertfordshire 1 450 450 450 450 Kent 1 452 452 452 452 Lancashire 1 545 545 545 545 6% Northumberland 1 256 256 256 256 21% Surrey 2 874 437 643 231 15% Yorkshire 2 920 460 484 436 31%
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 Sam Goatley Gloucestershire Cinderford 3 35 Calum Irvine Yorkshire Hull Ionians 3 35 2 Tom Banks Hertfordshire Bishop's Stortford 3 28 David Mankee Cornwall Camborne 3 28 3 Tom Stradwick Kent Blackheath 3 25
Top try scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Tries 1 Sam Goatley Gloucestershire Cinderford 4 7 2 Tom Stradwick Kent Blackheath 3 5 3 Scott Armstrong Lancashire Fylde 4 4 Lewis Minikin Yorkshire Hull Ionians 3 4 Pete Swatkins Yorkshire Sheffield Tigers 3 4
Competition records
Team Largest home win — 46 points 61 - 15 Yorkshire at home to Eastern Counties on 20 May 2017 Largest away win — 45 points 56 - 11 Cornwall away to Devon on 13 May 2017 Most points scored — 61 points 61 - 15 Yorkshire at home to Eastern Counties on 20 May 2017 Most tries in a match — 9 Yorkshire at home to Eastern Counties on 20 May 2017 Most conversions in a match — 8 Yorkshire at home to Eastern Counties on 20 May 2017 Most penalties in a match — 3 Yorkshire at home to Cheshire on 6 May 2017 Most drop goals in a match — 0
Player Most points in a match — 20 Sam Goatley for Gloucestershire at home to Devon on 6 May 2017 Most tries in a match — 4 Sam Goatley for Gloucestershire at home to Devon on 6 May 2017 Most conversions in a match — 5 (x3) Calum Irvine for Yorkshire at home to Northumberland on 20 May 2017 James Moffat for Gloucestershire at home to Surrey on 20 May 2017 Matthew Shepherd for Cornwall at home to Hertfordshire on 20 May 2017 Most penalties in a match — 3 Calum Irvine for Yorkshire at home to Cheshire on 6 May 2017 Most drop goals in a match — 0
Attendances Highest — 3,525 Cornwall at home to Hertfordshire on 13 May 2017 Lowest — 150 Gloucestershire at home to Devon on 6 May 2017 Highest Average Attendance — 3,525 Cornwall Lowest Average Attendance — 150 Gloucestershire
See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby