National League 2 North


National League 2 North, is a level four league in the English rugby union system and provides Semi-professional competition for teams in the northern half of England. From 2009–10 the RFU restructured the league system in England, and this league was expanded from fourteen to sixteen teams. Participating clubs are from the English Midlands and Northern England. Each team plays thirty league games on a home and away basis. The champion club is promoted to National League 1 and the runner-up participates in a one-off play-off with the runner-up of National League 2 South for promotion. Relegation is to either the Midlands Premier or North Premier leagues depending on where the teams are based.

Current season

Participating teams and locations

Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2019–20 National League 2 North season. The 2019–20 champions, Caldy, were promoted into the 2020–21 National League 1, replacing Rotherham Titans and Hull Ionians who were relegated from the 2019–20 National League 1. The three teams relegated from National League 2 North the previous season were Otley and Preston Grasshoppers and Scunthorpe.
The promoted teams were Bournville, while Blaydon and Harrogate come up as champions and runners-up of North Premier. In order to address an imbalance of teams, Hinckley have been level transferred to the 2019–20 National League 2 South as the most appropriate located team in terms of access to the southern sides.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BlaydonCrow Trees2,000 Swalwell, Tyne and WearPromoted from North Premier
BournvilleEdgbaston, Birmingham, West MidlandsPromoted from Midlands Premier
ChesterHare Lane2,000 Chester, Cheshire6th
FyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground9,000Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire2nd
HarrogateRudding LaneHarrogate, North YorkshirePromoted from North Premier
HuddersfieldLockwood Park1,500 Huddersfield, West Yorkshire12th
HullFerens Ground1,500 Kingston upon Hull, East Riding8th
Hull IoniansBrantingham Park1,500 Brantingham, East RidingRelegated from League 1
Loughborough StudentsLoughborough University Stadium3,000Loughborough, Leicestershire5th
LuctoniansMortimer Park2,500 Kingsland, Herefordshire13th
Rotherham TitansClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South YorkshireRelegated from League 1
Sedgley ParkPark Lane3,000Whitefield, Bury, Greater Manchester4th
Sheffield TigersDore MoorSheffield, South Yorkshire10th
StourbridgeStourton Park3,500 Stourbridge, West Midlands7th
TynedaleTynedale Park2,000 Corbridge, Northumberland11th
WharfedaleThe Avenue2,000Threshfield, North Yorkshire9th

Current standings

National Two North honours

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been 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. As of the end of the 2019–20 season the 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.

Number of league titles

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

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. Attendance records are from 2000 onwards unless otherwise specified. All records are up to date up till the end of the 2019-10 season.

League records

RankNatNameYearsClubPointsAppsRatio
1Jon Boden2006-18Leicester Lions2,0592777.4
2Chris Johnson2008-12, 2018-19
2016-18		Huddersfield
Sale		1,92718710.3
3Mark Ireland2009-12
2013-14
2017-		Kendal
Otley
Sheffield Tigers		1,4711599.3
4Stephen Collins2010-11
2013-		Fylde
Sedgley Park		1,4701599.2
5Richard Vasey2009-17Caldy1,4491589.2
6Ross Winney2005-10Macclesfield1,29012610
7Gavin Roberts2007-17, 2019-Caldy1,2842325.5
8Rickie Aley2008-09
2015-18
2018-		Nuneaton
South Leicester
Stourbridge		1,12611010.2
9Phillip Belgian2001-08Tynedale1,0701169
10Mark Bedworth2001-05
2010-12		Darlington Mowden Park
Westoe		1,0521209

National League 2 North top 10 try scorers, all time

RankNatNameYearsClubTriesAppsRatio
1Nick Royle2003-04
2005-11
2014-17, 2019-		Liverpool St Helens
Fylde
Caldy		1932120.9
2Jamie Broadley2009-11
2011-12, 2016-
2014-15		Harrogate
Sheffield Tigers
Hull		1571900.8
3Gareth Collins2004-05
2005-14		Rugby Lions
Leicester Lions		1522290.7
4Andrew Riley2013-Sedgley Park1221710.7
5Gavin Roberts2007-17Caldy1142320.5
6Oliver Brennand2004-11Fylde961020.9
7Devon Constant2014-19Leicester Lions881350.7
8Andrew Soutar2006-08
2008-17		West Park St Helens
Caldy		832810.3
9Peter Swatkins2011-Sheffield Tigers821480.6
9Craig Ross2007-08, 2009–11, 2013-14
2014-		Caldy
Chester		821650.5
9Nicholas Sharpe2006-07
2008-13, 2014–16, 2017-		Rugby Lions
Huddersfield		822610.3