2016 County Championship Plate

English rugby union competition the first tier of the English Counties competition 2016 Bill Beaumont Cup the third tier of the English Counties competition 2016 County Championship Shield 2016 County Championship Plate 7 May 2016 - 29 May 2016 England East Midlands 1 Kent 820 Devon v Somerset (7 May 2016) 3,596 (average 320 per match) 80 Durham County v Leicestershire (7 May 2016) ENG Joe DanielEast Midlands 38 TON Maama MolitikaEast Midlands 6 2015 2017 The 2016 County Championship Plate, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2, was the 15th version 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 meet in the final to be held at Twickenham Stadium. New counties to the division included Kent and Durham County who were relegated from the 2015 Bill Beaumont Cup while Leicestershire were promoted as the winners of the 2015 County Championship Shield.https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/sport/12970802.RUGBY__Gloucestershire_survive_relegation_with_vital_win_over_Kent/?ref=rss RUGBY: Gloucestershire survive relegation with vital win over Kent Gazette 26 May 2015 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/amateur-rugby/counties-beaten-durham-relegated-northumberland-9319089 Counties beaten as Durham relegated and Northumberland miss out Chronicle Live 24 May 2015 http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Rugby-Leicestershire-win-County-Championship/story-26612987-detail/story.html Rugby: Leicestershire lift County Championship Shield after win over Cumbria at Twickenham Leicester Mercury 1 June 2015 2016-05-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20150603035332/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Rugby-Leicestershire-win-County-Championship/story-26612987-detail/story.html 2015-06-03 dead At the end of the pool stage, pool winners East Midlands (north) and Kent (south) met in the final at Twickenham. Despite it being their first final against regulars Kent, East Midlands won 33-27, with former Tongan international, Maama Molitika, scoring three tries in the game. He would finish as the competition's top try scorer.Rugby: Bedfordshire players inspire East Midlands to Twickenham triumph http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Rugby-Bedfordshire-players-inspire-East-Midlands/story-29334388-detail/story.html Bedfordshire News 29 May 2016East Midlands win County Champs Division 2 Plate http://www.englandrugby.com/news/east-midlands-win-county-champs-plate/ England Rugby 29 May 2016 yes Competition format The competition format is two regional group stages divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. This means that two teams in the pool have two home games, while the other two had just one. The top side in each group goes through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium, with both teams also being promoted to the top tier for the following season. Typically there was no relegation although teams have dropped out/been invited to join the division. Due to changes to the County Championships to be implemented for the 2017 competition, four teams instead of two would be promoted to the top tier. This meant that the two group winners would be joined by two other teams from the plate competition based on how well they have done over the past couple of seasons.http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/News/Grassroots/01/31/96/75/SeniorCountyChampionshipFixtures2017PDF_Neutral.pdf Full Men's County Championship fixture list 2016-17 England Rugby 11 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20170906181651/http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/News/Grassroots/01/31/96/75/SeniorCountyChampionshipFixtures2017PDF_Neutral.pdf 6 September 2017 dead Participating Counties and ground locations England 450 Locations of the 2016 County Championship Plate county teams England 50.547 -3.4967 Teignmouth (Devon) left England 54.954853 -1.691454 Swalwell (Durham) right England 54.6770027 -1.235051 West Hartlepool (Durham) right England 52.2350998 -0.8618500 Northampton (East Midlands) right England 52.5685806 -0.2175400 Peterborough (East Midlands) right England 51.280233 1.0789088 Canterbury (Kent) bottom England 51.3746569 0.4939288 Rochester (Kent) left England 52.6193886 -1.2327900 Leicester (Leicestershire) left England 55.170065 -1.70131 Morpeth (Northumberland) right England 51.015344 -3.106849 Taunton (Somerset) right CountyStadium(s) CapacityCity/Area DevonBitton Park Sports Ground1,210 (210 seats)Teignmouth, DevonDurham CountyCrow TreesDurham were originally meant to play their first county game at Eastwood Gardens, home of Gateshead, but a late switch in venue meant that they would play at Blaydon's home ground of Crow Trees instead.http://durhamrugby.com/durham-senior-xv-start-to-the-2016-campaign-is-disappointing Durham Senior XV start to the 2016 campaign is disappointing Durham RFU 7 May 2016 9 May 2016 3 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160603114633/http://durhamrugby.com/durham-senior-xv-start-to-the-2016-campaign-is-disappointing dead aBrinkburn 2,000 (400 seats)1,000 (76 seats)Swalwell, Tyne and WearHartlepool, County Durham East MidlandsRushmere RoadFortress FengateN/AN/ANorthampton, NorthamptonshirePeterborough, CambridgeshireKentMerton LanePriestfields1,500 (75 seats)N/ACanterbury, KentRochester, KentLeicestershireHinckley RoadN/ALeicester Forest East, LeicestershireNorth MidlandsHeathbrook2,260 (260 seats)Kingswinford, West MidlandsNorthumberlandGrange House Field1,000Morpeth, NorthumberlandSomersetHyde Park2,000 (198 seats)Taunton, Somerset a Group stage Division 2 North 2016 Beaumont Cup Division 2 North TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 East Midlands (P) 3 3 0 0 90 36 54 2 0 14 2 Leicestershire 3 2 0 1 60 73 -13 1 0 9 3 Northumberland (P)*Northumberland would be promoted to tier 1 for the 2017 season due to competition restructuring, based on performances over the past couple of seasons. b Northumberland 3 1 0 2 45 58 -13 1 0 5 4 Durham County 3 0 0 3 76 104 -28 1 0 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 and is also promoted to the Division 1 North of the Bill Beaumont Cup for the following season. Updated: 12 May 2016Source: http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2015-2016/ County Championships englandrugby.com Notes b Round 1 7 May 2016 15:00 Northumberland 7 - 17 Report East Midlands Grange House Field, Morpeth 252 Callum Sharp 7 May 2016 15:15 (BP) Durham County 28 - 38 Report Leicestershire (BP) Crow Trees, Swalwell 80 Ben Rayner Bill Beaumont Cup The RUGBYPaper 399 Rugby Paper Ltd 8 May 2016 28–29 & 34 Round 2 14 May 2016 15:00 Durham County 29 - 38 Report Northumberland (BP) Brinkburn, Hartlepool 297 Chris Dennis 14 May 2016 15:00 (BP) East Midlands 45 - 10 Leicestershire Rushmere Road, Northampton 320 Neil Chivers Bill Beaumont Cup The RUGBYPaper 400 Rugby Paper Ltd 15 May 2016 30–31 & 36 Round 3 21 May 2016 14:30 Leicestershire 12 - 0 Report Northumberland Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest East 250 Robert Teare 21 May 2016 15:00 (BP) East Midlands 28 - 19 Report Durham County Fortress Fengate, Peterborough 450 Simon Harding Bill Beaumont Cup The RUGBYPaper 401 Rugby Paper Ltd 22 May 2016 30–31 & 32 Division 2 South 2016 Beaumont Cup Division 2 South TableCountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Kent (P) 3 2 0 1 94 62 32 2 1 11 2 Devon (P)*Devon would be promoted to tier 1 for the 2017 season due to competition restructuring, based on performances over the past couple of seasons. c Devon 3 2 0 1 97 57 40 2 0 10 3 Somerset 3 2 0 1 50 68 -18 0 0 8 4 North Midlands 3 0 0 3 53 107 -54 1 1 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 and is also promoted to the Division 1 South of the Bill Beaumont Cup for the following season. Updated: 21 May 2016Source: http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2015-2016/ County Championships englandrugby.com Notes c Round 1 7 May 2016 15:00 (BP) Devon 39 - 10 Report Somerset Bitton Park Sports Ground, Teignmouth 820 Adam Leal 7 May 2016 15:00 (BP) Kent 43 - 28 Kent ReportNorth Midlands Report North Midlands (BP) Merton Lane, Canterbury 230 Daniel Collins Round 2 14 May 2016 14:30 Somerset 26 - 22 Report Kent (BP) Hyde Park, Taunton 260 Don Conway 14 May 2016 15:00 North Midlands 18 - 50 Report Devon (BP) Heathbrook, Kingswinford 203 Matt Turvey Round 3 21 May 2016 14:30 Somerset 14 - 7 Report North Midlands (BP) Hyde Park, Taunton 150 Luis Caviglia 21 May 2016 15:00 (BP) Kent 29 - 8 Report Devon Priestfields, Rochester 284 David Clarkson Final 29 May 2016 East Midlands 33 - 27 Report Kent Twickenham Stadium, London 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 CountyHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Devon 1 820 820 820 820 68% Durham County 2 377 189 297 80 17% East Midlands 2 770 385 450 320 Kent 2 514 257 284 230 15% Leicestershire 1 250 250 250 250 North Midlands 1 203 203 203 203 9% Northumberland 1 252 252 252 252 25% Somerset 2 410 205 260 150 10% 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 ENG Joe Daniel East Midlands Kettering 4 38 2 TON Maama Molitika East Midlands Ampthill 4 30 3 ENG Josh Bragman Durham County Hull 3 26 4 ENG Brad Barnes Somerset Clifton 2 25 5 ENG Jordan Petherbridge Devon Barnstaple 2 22 Top try scorers Rank Player County Club Side Appearances Tries 1 TON Maama Molitika East Midlands Ampthill 4 6 2 ENG Callum Mackenzie Durham County Darlington Mowden Park 3 4 3 ENG Dan Williams Devon Torquay Athletic 2 3 ENG Ben Haigh Northumberland Tynedale 3 3 ENG Terry Read Kent Canterbury 3 3 See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England References 30em External links NCA Rugby https://web.archive.org/web/20150701021407/http://www.ncarugby.org/index.php 2015-07-01 2016 Category:2015–16 County Championship