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. Sedgley Park are the current champions.
| Founded | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Country |  England |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | Level 4 |
| Promotion to | National League 1 |
| Relegation to |
|
| Current champions | Sedgley Park (1st title) (2022–23 (promoted to National One) |
| Most championships | Hull Ionians, Macclesfield (3 titles) |
| Website | [1] |
| Current: 2024–25 National League 2 North | |
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]
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.
Current season
Participating teams and locations
Locations of the 2023–24 National League 2 North teams
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotherham Titans (C) | 26 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 970 | 472 | +498 | 22 | 1 | 123 | Promoted |
| 2 | Leeds Tykes | 26 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 1111 | 483 | +628 | 23 | 2 | 121 | |
| 3 | Sheffield | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 801 | 638 | +163 | 18 | 4 | 92 | |
| 4 | Wharfedale | 26 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 673 | 504 | +169 | 13 | 3 | 84 | |
| 5 | Fylde | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 775 | 685 | +90 | 18 | 7 | 79 | |
| 6 | Tynedale | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 705 | 680 | +25 | 16 | 7 | 77 | |
| 7 | Sheffield Tigers | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 689 | 737 | −48 | 12 | 2 | 68 | |
| 8 | Hull | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 683 | 799 | −116 | 11 | 2 | 67 | |
| 9 | Otley | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 722 | 773 | −51 | 14 | 9 | 61 | |
| 10 | Lymm | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 724 | 902 | −178 | 12 | 5 | 55 | |
| 11 | Preston Grasshoppers | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 747 | 920 | −173 | 14 | 6 | 54 | |
| 12 | Billingham | 26 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 576 | 787 | −211 | 9 | 3 | 44 | |
| 13 | Hull Ionians[a] | 26 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 730 | 916 | −186 | 11 | 7 | 44 | |
| 14 | Huddersfield (R) | 26 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 574 | 1184 | −610 | 11 | 2 | 23 | Relegated |
Updated to match(es) played on 27 April 2024. Source: National League 2 North RFU [14]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Rules for classification: 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
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated
Notes:
National Two North honours
Promotion play-offs
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.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01[16] | Sedgley Park (N) | 40–23 | Launceston (S) | Park Lane, Whitefield, Greater Manchester | 1,500 | |||||||||
| 2001–02[17] | Launceston (S) | 26–0 | Dudley Kingswinford (N) | Polson Bridge, Launceston, Cornwall | 2,500 | |||||||||
| 2002–03[18] | Lydney (S) | 21–7 | New Brighton (N) | Regentsholme, Lydney, Gloucestershire | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[19][20] | Halifax (N) | 16–18 | Launceston (S) | Ovenden Park, Halifax, West Yorkshire | ||||||||||
| 2004-05[21] | Redruth (S) | 33–14 | Macclesfield (N) | The Recreation Ground, Redruth, Cornwall | 4,000 | |||||||||
| 2005–06[22][23] | North Walsham (S) | 5–15 | Nuneaton (N) | Norwich Road, Scottow, Norfolk | 1,302 | |||||||||
| 2006–07[24][25] | Westcombe Park (S) | 36–20 | Tynedale (N) | Goddington Dene, Orpington, Greater London | 1,700[26] | |||||||||
| 2007–08[27][28] | Cinderford (S) | 15–14 | Darlington Mowden Park (N) | Dockham Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire | 2,800 | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | No promotion play-offs this season due to the restructuring of the English rugby union league system, with only the champions of each division promoted.[29] | |||||||||||||
| 2009–10[30][31] | Loughborough Students (N) | 21–43 | Rosslyn Park (S) | Loughborough University Stadium, Loughborough, Leicestershire | 1,000 | |||||||||
| 2010–11[32][33] | Jersey (S) | 30–5 | Loughborough Students (N) | St. Peter, Saint Peter, Jersey | 3,100 | |||||||||
| 2011–12[34][35] | Richmond (S) | 20–13 (aet) | Caldy (N) | Athletic Ground, Richmond, Greater London | 1,600 | |||||||||
| 2012–13[36] | Stourbridge (N) | 26–28 | Worthing Raiders (S) | Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands | 925 | |||||||||
| 2013–14[37] | Darlington Mowden Park (N) | 30–28 (aet) | Ampthill (S) | The Northern Echo Arena, Darlington, County Durham | 975 | |||||||||
| 2014–15[38][39] | Ampthill (N) | 19–10 | Bishop's Stortford (S) | Dillingham Park, Ampthill, Bedfordshire | 1,253 | |||||||||
| 2015–16[40][41] | Old Albanian (S) | 24–0 | Sedgley Park (N) | Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans, Hertfordshire | 473 | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Sale FC (N) | 14–19 | Old Elthamians (S) | Heywood Road, Sale, Greater Manchester | 1,297 | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Chinnor (S) | 40–31 | Sedgley Park (N) | Kingsey Road, Thame, Oxfordshire | 1,378 | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | Canterbury (S) | 19–10 | Chester (N) | The Marine Travel Ground, Canterbury, Kent | 1,114 | |||||||||
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner-up – Tonbridge Juddians (S) promoted. | |||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. | |||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | Cancelled due the reorganisation of tier three and four national leagues. | |||||||||||||
| Green background represent the promoted teams. (N) stands for the northern teams and (S) stands for the southern teams. | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Hull Ionians (3)
- Macclesfield (3)
- Caldy (2)
- Nuneaton (2)
- Rotherham Titans (2)[e]
- Aspatria (1)
- Birmingham & Solihull (1)
- Blaydon (1)
- Bradford & Bingley (1)
- Broughton Park (1)
- Doncaster (1)
- Fylde (1)
- Halifax (1)
- Harrogate (1)
- Hull (1)
- Kendal (1)
- Loughborough Students (1)
- Otley (1)
- Preston Grasshoppers (1)
- Roundhay (1)
- Rugby (1)
- Sale FC (1)
- Sedgley Park (1)
- Stourbridge (1)
- Tynedale (1)
- Waterloo (1)
- Worcester (1)
Original teams
When club rugby began in 1987 this division was called Area 4 North and contained the following teams:
- Birkenhead Park (now playing in North 1 West)
- Broughton Park (now playing in North 1 West)
- Derby (now playing in Midlands 1 East)
- Durham City (now playing in North 1 East)
- Lichfield (now playing in Midlands 1 West)
- Northern (now playing in Durham/Northumberland 1)
- Preston Grasshoppers (now playing in North Premier)
- Roundhay (now Leeds Tykes and playing in National League 1)
- Rugby Lions (now playing in Midlands 1 East)
- Solihull (now Birmingham & Solihull and playing in Midlands 4 West (South))
- Stourbridge (still playing in National League 2 North)
League format since 1987
| |||||||||||||
| Year | Name | No of teams | No of matches | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–93 | Area League North Area League South | 11 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 1993–96 | National Division Four | 10 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 1996–97 | National Four North National Four South | 14 | 26 | ||||||||||
| 1997–00 | National Division 2 North National Division 2 South | 14 | 26 | ||||||||||
| 2000–09 | National Division Three North National Division Three South | 14 | 26 | ||||||||||
| 2009–22 | National League 2 North National League 2 South | 16 | 30 | ||||||||||
| 2022– | National Two East National Two North National Two West | 14 | 26 | ||||||||||
Records
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
- 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
- Fewest league points in a season: 0
- Most points scored in a season: 1,259
- Fewest points scored in a season: 205
- Most points conceded in a season: 1,985
- Fewest points conceded in a season: 305
- Best points difference (for/against): 736
- Worst points difference (for/against): -1,780
- Most games won in a season: 28
- Most games lost in a season: 30
- Most games drawn in a season: 4
- Most bonus points in a season: 30
Match records
- Largest home win: 124 – 0
- Largest away win: 106 – 0
- Most points scored in a match: 124
- 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
- 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
Tom Rhodes for Bradford & Bingley (2004–05, 2005–06)- Chris Johnson for Huddersfield (2010–11, 2011–12)
- Lewis Mininkin for Hull Ionians (2015–16, 2018–19)
Gavin Roberts for Caldy (2008–09, 2019–20)
- Most times top try scorer: 3
- Most points in a season: 422
- Ross Winney for Macclesfield (2009–10)
- Most tries in a season: 32
- Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions (2010–11)
- Ryan Parkinson for Macclesfield (2013–14)
- Nick Royle for Caldy (2016–17)
- Most points in a match: 49
- Ross Winney for Macclesfield away to Waterloo on 30 January 2010 (2009–10)
- Lewis Minikin for Hull Ionians at home to Huddersfield on 27 April 2024 (2023–24)
- Most conversions in a match: 17
- Most tries in a match: 7
- Matt Donkin for Doncaster at home to Whitchurch on 10 November 2001 (2001–02)
- Nick Royle for Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 (2006–07)
- Dominic Moon for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012 (2011–12)
- Most penalties in a match: 9
- Louis Silver for Luctonians at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 November 2015 (2014–15)
- Most drop kicks in a match: 3
- Mike Scott for Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 7 January 2006 (2005–06)
- Rickie Aley for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 and away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008 (both 2008–09)
- 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)[f]
- Lowest attendance (promotion play-off): 925[g]
- Stourbridge at home to Worthing Raiders on 11 May 2013 (2012–13)[h]
- Highest average attendance (club): 921
- Lowest average attendance (club): 85
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.[45]
| Rank | Nat | Name | Years | Club(s) | Points | Apps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Jon Boden | 2006–18 | Leicester Lions | 2,059 | 277 | 7.4 |
| 2 | | Chris Johnson | 2008–12, 2018–19 2016–18 | Huddersfield Sale | 1,927 | 187 | 10.3 |
| 3 | | Mark Ireland | 2009–12 2013–14 2017– | Kendal Otley Sheffield Tigers | 1,479 | 159 | 9.3 |
| 4 | | Stephen Collins | 2010–11 2013– | Fylde Sedgley Park | 1,470 | 159 | 9.2 |
| 5 | | Richard Vasey | 2009–17 | Caldy | 1,449 | 158 | 9.2 |
| 6 | | Ross Winney | 2005–10 | Macclesfield | 1,290 | 126 | 10 |
| 7 |  | Gavin Roberts | 2007–17, 2019– | Caldy | 1,284 | 232 | 5.5 |
| 8 | | Rickie Aley | 2008–09 2015–18 2018– | Nuneaton South Leicester Stourbridge | 1,126 | 110 | 10.2 |
| 9 | | Phillip Belgian | 2001–08 | Tynedale | 1,070 | 116 | 9 |
| 10 | | Mark Bedworth | 2001–05 2010–12 | Darlington Mowden Park Westoe | 1,052 | 120 | 9 |
(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).[46]
| Rank | Nat | Name | Years | Club(s) | Tries | Apps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Nick Royle | 2003–04 2005–11 2014–17, 2019– | Liverpool St Helens Fylde Caldy | 193 | 212 | 0.9 |
| 2 | | Jamie Broadley | 2009–11 2011–12, 2016– 2014-15 | Harrogate Sheffield Tigers Hull | 157 | 190 | 0.8 |
| 3 | | Gareth Collins | 2004–05 2005–14 | Rugby Lions Leicester Lions | 152 | 229 | 0.7 |
| 4 | | Andrew Riley | 2013– | Sedgley Park | 122 | 171 | 0.7 |
| 5 | | Gavin Roberts | 2007–17 | Caldy | 114 | 232 | 0.5 |
| 6 | | Oliver Brennand | 2004–11 | Fylde | 96 | 102 | 0.9 |
| 7 | | Devon Constant | 2014–19 | Leicester Lions | 88 | 135 | 0.7 |
| 8 | | Andrew Soutar | 2006–-08 2008–17 | West Park St Helens Caldy | 83 | 281 | 0.3 |
| 9 | | Peter Swatkins | 2011– | Sheffield Tigers | 82 | 148 | 0.6 |
| | Craig Ross | 2007–08, 2009–11, 2013–14 2014– | Caldy Chester | 82 | 165 | 0.5 | |
| | Nicholas Sharpe | 2006–07 2008–13, 2014–16, 2017– | Rugby Lions Huddersfield | 82 | 261 | 0.3 |
(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 2 North.)
Notes
See also
References
External links
🔥 Top keywords: Main PageSpecial:SearchPage 3Wikipedia:Featured picturesHouse of the DragonUEFA Euro 2024Bryson DeChambeauJuneteenthInside Out 2Eid al-AdhaCleopatraDeaths in 2024Merrily We Roll Along (musical)Jonathan GroffJude Bellingham.xxx77th Tony AwardsBridgertonGary PlauchéKylian MbappéDaniel RadcliffeUEFA European Championship2024 ICC Men's T20 World CupUnit 731The Boys (TV series)Rory McIlroyN'Golo KantéUEFA Euro 2020YouTubeRomelu LukakuOpinion polling for the 2024 United Kingdom general electionThe Boys season 4Romania national football teamNicola CoughlanStereophonic (play)Gene WilderErin DarkeAntoine GriezmannProject 2025