2013 County Championship Plate
The 2013 County Championship Plate, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2, was the 12th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organized 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 South or National League 2 North). The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with three teams in the north division and three in the south, with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New teams to the division included Northumberland (north)) and North Midlands (south) who were relegated from the 2012 Bill Beaumont Cup.[1]
2013 County Championship Plate | |
---|---|
Countries | England |
Date | 4 May 2013 – 26 May 2013 |
Champions | Northumberland (4th title) |
Runners-up | North Midlands |
Attendance | 1,271 (average 106 per match) |
Highest attendance | 360 East Midlands v Northumberland (4 May 2013) |
Lowest attendance | 140 Northumberland v Eastern Counties (18 May 2013) |
Top point scorer | Caolan Ryan (North Midlands) 30 |
Top try scorer | Brett Daynes (East Midlands) 4 |
Both Northumberland and North Midlands would make an instant return to the 2014 Bill Beaumont Cup as they won their respective pools, with North Midlands having a more difficult time of it as they were run close by Somerset. In the final at Twickenham, Northumberland proved to be a class apart, scoring six tries as they beat North Midlands 45–10 to claim their 4th title in the plate competition.[2]
Competition format
The competition format involved six teams divided into two regional group stages of three teams each, divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 26 May 2013.
Participating Counties and ground locations
County | Stadium(s) | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Devon | Coronation Road | 750 | Tiverton, Devon |
East Midlands | Greens Norton Road | N/A | Towcester, Northamptonshire |
Eastern Counties | Grantchester Road | 1,250 | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire |
North Midlands | Stourton Park | 3,500 | Stourbridge, West Midlands |
Northumberland | Greensfield | 1,200 (200 in stand) | Alnwick, Northumberland |
Somerset | Bath Road | 5,000 | Bridgwater, Somerset |
Group stage
Division 1 North
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County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Northumberland (P) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 20 | 48 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
2 | East Midlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 51 | -14 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
3 | Eastern Counties | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 57 | -34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
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Green background means the county qualified for the final and is also promoted to the Division 1 North of the Bill Beaumont Cup for the following season. Updated: 18 May 2013 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |
Round 1
4 May 2013 15:00 |
East Midlands | 14 - 34 | Northumberland (BP) |
Report |
Greens Norton Road, Towcester Attendance: 360 Referee: Andrew Rawson |
Round 2
11 May 2013 15:00 |
(BP) Eastern Counties | 17 - 23 | East Midlands |
Grantchester Road, Cambridge Attendance: 194 Referee: Alexis Manley |
Round 3
18 May 2013 14:00 |
(BP) Northumberland | 34 - 6 | Eastern Counties |
Greensfield, Alnwick Attendance: 140 Referee: Wayne Falla |
Division 2 South
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County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | North Midlands (P) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 70 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
2 | Somerset | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 51 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||||||
3 | Devon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 45 | 80 | -35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
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Green background means the county qualified for the final and is also promoted to the Division 1 South of the Bill Beaumont Cup for the following season. Updated: 18 May 2013 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |
Round 1
4 May 2013 |
(BP) North Midlands | 50 - 34 | Devon (BP) |
Report |
Stourton Park, Stourbridge Attendance: 143 Referee: Daniel Parott |
Round 2
11 May 2013 |
Devon | 11 - 30 | Somerset (BP) |
Coronation Park, Tiverton Attendance: 204 Referee: Phil Watters |
Final
26 May 2013 9:30 |
Northumberland | 45 - 10 | North Midlands |
Report |
Twickenham Stadium, London Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys |
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
County | Home Games |
Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Devon | 1 | 204 | 204 | 204 | 204 | 29% |
East Midlands | 1 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 | |
Eastern Counties | 1 | 194 | 194 | 194 | 194 | 16% |
North Midlands | 1 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 4% |
Northumberland | 1 | 140 | 140 | 140 | 140 | 12% |
Somerset | 1 | 230 | 230 | 230 | 230 | 5% |
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
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Top try scorers
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References
- "County Championships Results: 2011–12". englandrugby.com. 18 May 2012.
- "Northumberland 45 North Midlands 10". The Journal. 27 May 2013.
- "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 242. Rugby Paper Ltd. 5 May 2014. pp. 34–35 & 37.
- "County Championships Results: 2012–13". englandrugby.com. 18 May 2013.
- "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 243. Rugby Paper Ltd. 11 May 2014. pp. 28–29 & 32.
- "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 244. Rugby Paper Ltd. 19 May 2014. pp. 28–29 & 32.
External links
- NCA Rugby Archived 2015-07-01 at the Wayback Machine