The 2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2, was the 17th version of the competition that is part of the annual English rugby union County Championship organised by the RFU for the tier 2 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 (north/south) with four teams in each and the winners of each pool meeting in the final at Twickenham Stadium. Leicestershire were the reigning champions, having won the 2017 final.
At the end of the group stage, Durham County won the northern group with ease despite having another strong side, and 2017 winners, Leicestershire, in their pool. They were joined by southern winners Warwickshire who beat off stiff competition from Hampshire to qualify. At the Twickenham final, Durham showed that they were best side in the division by comfortably beating Warwickshire, 46-12, for what would be the county's first ever Division 2 victory and first county silverware since 2009.
By showing the best form over two years, Durham County were promoted from the northern group, just edging Leicestershire by virtue of a better for/against record, while Hampshire were promoted from the southern group despite missing out on the final. Both counties will play in the 2019 Bill Beaumont Cup. At the opposite end of the tables, Cumbria (north) and North Midlands (south) were relegated to the 2019 County Championship Shield. In the case of Cumbria they actually finished above Staffordshire on points/for against over the two years, but still went down for reasons that are not yet clear.
Competition format The competition format was two regional group stages divided into north and south with four teams in each group. This means that two teams in the pool had two home games, while the other two had just one. The RFU took fixtures from the previous year into account so that county sides that only played one home game in that competition now get two games and vice versa. At the end of the group stage the top teams with the best record from each group (north and south) advance to the final held on 27 May 2018 at Twickenham Stadium.
A continuation from the 2017 competition was that promotion/relegation occurred every two seasons instead of one, with points accumulated over the two seasons (2017 and 2018) taken into consideration. The two highest ranked counties (one from the north/one from the south) were promoted into the 2019 Bill Beaumont Cup competition, replacing the lowest ranked aggregate sides who dropped down into Division 2. Relegation was also introduced with the bottom two ranked sides (again one north/one south) over the two years dropping to the 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3 and being replaced by the top two teams from the 2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3.
Participating counties and ground locations
CountyStadium(s) CapacityCity/Area CumbriaLowmoor RoadMint Bridge Stadium N/A3,500 (258 seats)Wigton, CumbriaKendal, CumbriaDurham CountyHollow DriftGreenwood Road1,500 (500 seats)N/ADurham, County DurhamBillingham, County DurhamHampshireGosport ParkN/AGosport, HampshireLeicestershireWestleigh Park2,000Blaby, LeicestershireNorth MidlandsFinstall ParkN/ABromsgrove, WorcestershireSomersetHyde Park2,000 (198 seats)Taunton, SomersetStaffordshirePeel Croft5,500Burton upon Trent, StaffordshireWarwickshireLiberty WayWebb Ellis Road4,3144,000 (200 seats)Nuneaton, WarwickshireRugby, Warwickshire
Group stage
Division 2 North
2018 Bill Beaumont Division 2 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Durham County (Q, P) 3 3 0 0 195 22 173 2 0 14 2 Leicestershire 3 2 0 1 106 68 38 2 0 10 3 Staffordshire 3 1 0 2 65 248 -183 1 1 6 4 Cumbria (R) 3 0 0 3 29 149 -120 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. (P) means promoted. Updated: 19 May 2018Source:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Division 2 South
2018 Bill Beaumont Division 2 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Warwickshire (Q) 3 3 0 0 87 41 46 3 0 15 2 Hampshire (P) 3 2 0 1 146 71 75 2 1 11 3 Somerset 3 1 0 2 56 119 -63 1 0 5 4 North Midlands (R) 3 0 0 3 71 129 -58 2 0 2If 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. (P) means promoted. Updated: 19 May 2018Source:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Final
Promotion/relegation aggregate table
In order to determine promotion to the 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 1 and relegation to the 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3, results from the 2017 and 2018 competitions will be combined, with the highest and lowest ranked sides from each group being promoted or relegated.
2017 and 2018 Beaumont Cup Division 2 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Durham County (P) 6 5 0 1 312 96 216 5 0 25 2 Leicestershire 6 5 0 1 258 107 151 5 0 25 3 Cumbria (R) 6 1 0 5 90 285 -195 1 1 6 4 Staffordshire 6 1 0 5 108 372 -264 1 1 6If 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 is promoted. Pink background means the county were demoted to Division 3 for the following season. Updated: 19 May 2018
2017 and 2018 Beaumont Cup Division 2 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Hampshire (P) 6 4 1 1 283 130 153 5 0 23 2 Warwickshire 6 3 1 2 167 179 -12 4 0 18 3 Somerset 6 3 1 2 173 189 -16 4 0 18 4 North Midlands (R) 6 0 1 5 160 285 -125 4 0 6If 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 is promoted. Pink background means the county were demoted to Division 3 for the following season. Updated: 19 May 2018
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 Joel Knight Hampshire Havant 3 45 2 Mitch McGahan North Midlands Bournville 3 26 3 Rickie Aley Leicestershire South Leicester 3 25 Callum Dacey Leicestershire Hinckley 3 25 Oliver Hodgson Durham County Darlington Mowden Park 3 25 Sean Moloney Durham County Middlesbrough 4 25
Top try scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Tries 1 Callum Dacey Leicestershire Hinckley 3 5 Oliver Hodgson Durham County Darlington Mowden Park 3 5 Sean Moloney Durham County Middlesbrough 3 5 2 Conor Foley Durham County Middlesbrough 3 4 Joel Knight Hampshire Havant 3 4
Competition records
Team Largest home win — 92 points 99 - 7 Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Largest away win — 60 points 66 - 5 Hampshire away to Somerset on 12 May 2018 Most points scored — 99 points 99 - 7 Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Most tries in a match — 15 Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Most conversions in a match — 12 Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Most penalties in a match — 2 (4) Hampshire at home to North Midlands on 5 May 2018 Hampshire away to Somerset on 12 May 2018 Durham County at home to Leicestershire on 19 May 2018 Durham County versus Warwickshire at Twickenham on 27 May 2018 Most drop goals in a match — 0
Player Most points in a match — 26 Joel Knight for Hampshire away to Somerset on 12 May 2018 Most tries in a match — 3 (4) Grant Connon for Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Callum Dacey for Leicestershire at home to Cumbria on 12 May 2018 Oliver Hodgson for Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Kemp Price for Hampshire away to Somerset on 12 May 2018 Most conversions in a match — 12 Warren Seals for Durham County at home to Staffordshire on 12 May 2018 Most penalties in a match — 2 (4) Grant Hancox for Hampshire at home to North Midlands on 5 May 2018 Joel Knight for Hampshire away to Somerset on 12 May 2018 Peter Evans for Durham County at home to Leicestershire on 19 May 2018 Josh Bragman for Durham County versus Warwickshire at Twickenham on 27 May 2018 Most drop goals in a match — 0
Notes
See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby