The 2017 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2 was the 16th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organised by the RFU for the tier 2 English counties. This was the first season it would be officially known as Bill Beaumont Division 2 having previously been known as the County Championship Plate. 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 (north/south) with four teams in each and the winners of each pool meeting in the final at Twickenham Stadium.
Due to changes to the County Championship format (more detail of this below) four new teams were added to the competition, with Hampshire (winners) and Staffordshire (runners up) coming up due to reaching the final of the 2016 County Championship Shield, while Warwickshire and Cumbria were also promoted by virtue of their performances in the competition during the past two seasons. The changes also meant that there were no teams relegated into the division.
Leicestershire and Hampshire won their respective groups to qualify for the Twickenham final, with Leicestershire being the more impressive with three easy victories. The first half of the final was fairly close with Leicestershire going in 8-0 up, but in the second half they added a further four tries to win their first ever Division 2 competition by a final score of 39-7.
Competition format The competition format was two regional group stages divided into north and south with four teams in each group. 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. 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.
Due to changes to the County Championships implemented for this competition there was no promotion for the Division 2 finalists as there had been in previous seasons. Instead, points will be accumulated over two seasons with the two most successful sides over that period being promoted to the top tier for the 2019 competition. The RFU has also introduced relegation to the division, with the bottom sides in each group over two years dropping to Division 3.
Participating Counties and ground locations
CountyStadium(s) CapacityCity/Area CumbriaBleach GreenN/AEgremont, CumbriaDurham CountyMayfield ParkN/AHartlepool, County DurhamHampshireGosport ParkHook's LaneN/A1,500 (500 seats)Gosport, HampshireBedhampton, Havant, HampshireLeicestershireAshby LaneShowground WayN/ALutterworth, LeicestershireBarleythorpe, Oakham, RutlandNorth MidlandsHeathbrook2,260 (260 seats)Kingswinford, West MidlandsSomersetOld Bath Road5,000Bridgwater, SomersetStaffordshireCooke FieldsTrentham FieldsN/AN/ALichfield, StaffordshireLongton, Stoke-on-Trent, StaffordshireWarwickshireWebb Ellis Road4,000 (200 seats)Rugby, Warwickshire
Group stage
Division 2 North
2017 Bill Beaumont Division 2 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Leicestershire (Q) 3 3 0 0 152 39 113 3 0 15 2 Durham County 3 2 0 1 117 74 43 2 0 10 3 Cumbria 3 1 0 2 61 136 -75 1 0 5 4 Staffordshire 3 0 0 3 43 124 -81 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:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Division 2 South
2017 Bill Beaumont Division 2 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Hampshire (Q) 3 2 1 0 137 59 78 3 0 13 2 Somerset 3 2 1 0 117 70 47 3 0 13 3 North Midlands 3 0 1 2 89 156 -67 2 0 4 4 Warwickshire 3 0 1 2 80 138 -58 1 0 3If 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
Final
Individual statistics 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 Callum Dacey Leicestershire Hinckley 4 40 2 Ricky Aley Leicestershire South Leicester 4 33 3 Fraser Wilson Durham County Blaydon 3 30 Pierre-Alex Clarke Hampshire Tottonians 4 30 4 Alex Everett-Bolter Hampshire Bournemouth 4 25
Top try scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Tries 1 Callum Dacey Leicestershire Hinckley 4 8 2 Fraser Wilson Durham County Blaydon 3 6 3 Alex Everett-Bolter Hampshire Bournemouth 4 5 4 Tom Johnson North Midlands Moseley Oak 1 4 Richard Buck Hampshire Tottonians 2 4 Callum Gunn Leicestershire South Leicester 2 4 Kemp Price Hampshire University of the West of England 3 4
Competition records
Team Largest home win — 62 - 5 Durham County at home to Cumbria on 6 May 2017 Largest away win — 49 points 62 - 13 Hampshire away to North Midlands on 6 May 2017 Most points scored — 62 (x2) 62 - 5 Durham County at home to Cumbria on 6 May 2017 62 - 13 Hampshire away to North Midlands on 6 May 2017 Most tries in a match — 10 (x2) Durham County at home to Cumbria on 6 May 2017 Hampshire away to North Midlands on 6 May 2017 Most conversions in a match — 8 Warwickshire at home to North Midlands on 13 May 2017 Most penalties in a match — 4 Hampshire at home to Somerset on 13 May 2017 Most drop goals in a match — 0
Player Most points in a match — 20 (x2) Richard Buck for Hampshire at home to North Midlands on 6 May 2017 Tom Johnson for North Midlands away to Warwickshire on 13 May 2017 Most tries in a match — 4 (x2) Richard Buck for Hampshire at home to North Midlands on 6 May 2017 Tom Johnson for North Midlands away to Warwickshire on 13 May 2017 Most conversions in a match — 8 Ben Palmer for Warwickshire at home to North Midlands on 13 May 2017 Most penalties in a match — 4 Pierre-Alex Clarke for Hampshire at home to Somerset on 13 May 2017 Most drop goals in a match — 0
See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby