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National League 2 North

Level four rugby union league in England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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National League 2 North is one of three level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in Northern England. The remainder of England is covered by the two counterpart leagues National League 2 East and National League 2 West. The champion club is promoted to National One. Relegation is to either the Regional 1 Midlands, Regional 1 North East or Regional 1 North West, depending on their location. Rotherham Titans are the current champions.

Quick Facts Founded, Country ...

Before September 2009, it was known as National Division Three North. From 2009 to 2010 the Rugby Football Union (RFU) expanded the league from fourteen to sixteen teams. Each team played thirty league games on a home and away basis. The 2019–20 season ended before all the matches were completed because of the coronavirus pandemic and the RFU used a best playing record formula to decide the final table.[1]

The RFU approved a new structure for the National Leagues from the 2022–23 season. The league is reduced to fourteen teams, there will be a two-week break over Christmas and protected weekend breaks through the season. The competition structure will be reviewed every three years.[2]

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Structure

The league consists of fourteen teams and each play the others on a home and away basis, to make a total of 26 matches each. The champions are promoted to National League 1. The RFU will release details of relegation in the summer.

The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:

  • 4 points are awarded for a win
  • 2 points are awarded for a draw
  • 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
  • 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
  • 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.
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Current season

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Participating teams and locations

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League table

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First match(es) will be played: September 2025. Source: National League Rugby [14]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of matches drawn
  3. Difference between points for and against
  4. Total number of points for
  5. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  6. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
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National Two North honours

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Promotion play-offs

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Until the 2018–19 season, there was a play-off between the league runners-up of National League 2 North and National League 2 South, for the third and final promotion place to National League 1. The team with the superior league record having home advantage in the tie. Southern teams have been more successful with fourteen wins to the northern teams four, while the home side has won thirteen teams to the away sides five.

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Number of league titles

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Original teams

When club rugby began in 1987 this division was called Area 4 North and contained the following teams:

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League format since 1987

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Records

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Note that all records are from 1996–97 season onwards as this is widely held as the dawn of professionalism across the English club game. It also offers a better comparison between seasons as the division team numbers are roughly equal (for example when league rugby union first started in 1987–88 the northern league had only 11 teams playing 10 games each, compared to 14 teams in 1996–97 playing 26 games (home & away), going up to 16 teams in 2009–10 playing 30 games each). Attendance records are from 2000 onwards unless otherwise specified. All records are up to date up till the end of the 2019–20 season.

League records

  • Most titles: 3
Hull Ionians (2012–13, 2014–15, 2018–19)
Macclesfield (2009–10, 2013–14, 2015–16)
  • Most times promoted from division: 3
Hull Ionians (2012–13, 2014–15, 2018–19)
Nuneaton (2002–03, 2005–06, 2008–09)
Macclesfield (2009–10, 2013–14, 2015–16)
  • Most times relegated from division: 3
Morley (2001–02, 2007–08, 2010–11)
Sheffield (1993–94, 1999–00, 2017–18)
Scunthorpe (2002–03, 2016–17, 2019–20)
  • Most league points in a season: 134
Hull Ionians (2014–15)
  • Fewest league points in a season: 0
Manchester (2010–11)
  • Most points scored in a season: 1,259
Fylde (2010–11)
  • Fewest points scored in a season: 205
Manchester (2010–11)
  • Most points conceded in a season: 1,985
Manchester (2010–11)
  • Fewest points conceded in a season: 305
Kendal (1999–00)[43]
  • Best points difference (for/against): 736
Fylde (2010–11)
  • Worst points difference (for/against): -1,780
Manchester (2010–11)
  • Most games won in a season: 28
Hull Ionians (2012–13)
  • Most games lost in a season: 30
Manchester (2010–11)
Dudley Kingswinford (2013-14)
  • Most games drawn in a season: 4
Huddersfield (2019–20)
  • Most bonus points in a season: 30
Sedgley Park (2017–18)

Match records

  • Largest home win: 124 – 0
Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006–07)[44]
  • Largest away win: 106 – 0
Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 (2006–07)[45]
  • Most points scored in a match: 124
Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006–07)[44]
  • Most tries scored in a match: 18
Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006–07)
Fylde at home to Manchester on 16 April 2011 (2010–11)
  • Most conversions scored in a match: 17
Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006–07)
  • Most penalties scored in a match: 9
Luctonians at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 November 2014 (2014–15)
  • Most drop kicks scored in a match: 3
Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 7 January 2006 (2005–06)
Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 and away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008 (both 2008–09)
Wharfedale at home to Scunthorpe on 19 November 2016 and Wharfedale at home to Luctonians on 28 January 2017 (both 2016–17)

Player records

  • Most times top points scorer: 2
England Tom Rhodes for Bradford & Bingley (2004–05, 2005–06)
England Chris Johnson for Huddersfield (2010–11, 2011–12)
England Lewis Mininkin for Hull Ionians (2015–16, 2018–19)
Wales Gavin Roberts for Caldy (2008–09, 2019–20)
  • Most times top try scorer: 3
England Nick Royle for Fylde (2006–07) and Caldy (2015–16, 2016–17)
  • Most points in a season: 422
England Ross Winney for Macclesfield (2009–10)
  • Most tries in a season: 32
England Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions (2010–11)
England Ryan Parkinson for Macclesfield (2013–14)
England Nick Royle for Caldy (2016–17)
  • Most points in a match: 49
England Ross Winney for Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 (2009–10)
England Lewis Minikin for Hull Ionians at home to Huddersfield on 27 April 2024 (2023–24)
  • Most conversions in a match: 17
Wales Anthony Mellalieu for Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 (2006–07)
  • Most tries in a match: 7
England Matt Donkin for Doncaster at home to Whitchurch on 10 November 2001 (2001–02)
England Nick Royle for Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 (2006–07)
England Dominic Moon for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012 (2011–12)
  • Most penalties in a match: 9
England Louis Silver for Luctonians at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 November 2015 (2014–15)
  • Most drop kicks in a match: 3
England Mike Scott for Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 7 January 2006 (2005–06)
England Rickie Aley for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 and away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008 (both 2008–09)
England Tom Barrett for Wharfedale at home to Scunthorpe on 19 November 2016 and at home to Luctonians on 28 January 2017 (both 2016–17)

Attendance records

  • Highest attendance (league game): 3,750
Darlington Mowden Park at home to Macclesfield on 26 April 2014 (2013–14)
  • Lowest attendance (league game): 37
South Leicester at home to Sedgley Park on 30 March 2019 (2018–19)
  • Highest attendance (promotion play-off): 1,500
Sedgley Park at home to Launceston (2000–01)[i]
  • Lowest attendance (promotion play-off): 925[j]
Stourbridge at home to Worthing Raiders on 11 May 2013 (2012–13)[k]
  • Highest average attendance (club): 921
Fylde (2010–11)
  • Lowest average attendance (club): 85
South Leicester (2018–19)
  • Highest average attendance (season): 348 (2019–20)
  • Lowest average attendance (season): 239 (2007–08)

National League 2 North top 10 point scorers, all time

As of  the end of the games of 27 April 2019. Stats taken from 1998–99 season onwards and include regular league games only in National League 2 North (no promotion play-off games). Points scored includes tries, drop kicks, penalties and conversions.[46]
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(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 2 North.)

National League 2 North top 10 try scorers, all time

As of  the end of the games of 27 April 2019. Stats taken from 1998–99 season onwards and include regular league games only in National League 2 North (no promotion play-off games).[47]
More information Rank, Nat ...

(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 2 North.)

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Notes

  1. Normally the 13th placed team would be relegated but due to the RFU Championship expanding from 12 to 14 teams ahead of the 2025–26 season Billingham avoided relegation from the 2024–25 National League 2 North by finishing as the best ranked 13th placed side at level 4.[4]
  2. As no northern teams from National 3 were relegated into the division, there was no relegation.
  3. This year there was a league restructure with a new league (Courage National League 4) becoming the new tier 4. Courage National 4 contained the previous season's top teams from National 4 North and National 4 South with the remaining teams joining lower tier teams as part of Courage League Division 5 (which retained the North/South divisions). This structure continued for until the end of 1996 when the league reverted to the old system.
  4. The top eight teams were all promoted to the re-organised, sixteen team, Courage League Division 3 for season 1996–97.
  5. Only 14th place Huddersfield would be relegated at the end of the 2023–24 season. This was because of the liquidation of RFU Championship side Jersey Reds in September 2023, which meant that the best 13th placed side would escape relegation, in this case National League 2 North side Hull Ionians.[16]
  6. Normally two sides would be relegated from National League 2 North but due to reorganisation of the RFU Championship for the 2025–26 season, one 13th placed side from tier 4 would be exempt from relegation, which ended up being Billingham due to a superior record to their counterparts in National 2 East and National 2 West.
  7. One of Rotherham's league titles was won during the period when tier 4 was a single national league (1993-96).
  8. Roundhay were a parent club to the modern day Leeds Tykes.
  9. Note that promotion play-off games include stats for northern clubs only. Southern club attendances will be covered on the National League 2 South page.
  10. Note that due to poor attendance keeping by press and online sources means that only seasons from 2004–-05 onwards are included (apart from play-off games).
  11. This attendance is the lowest recorded but may not actually be the lowest as a couple of play-off games involving northern clubs have no attendance figures due to poor coverage. It is also worth noting than many Stourbridge fans felt the crowd was twice this large but this is the figure given in The Rugby Paper.
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