The 1997–98 National League 2 North was the eleventh full season of rugby union within the fourth tier (north) of the English league system, previously known as Division 4 North, and was the first to be sponsored by Jewson who replaced former sponsor Courage. It is counterpart to National League 2 South, which covers the southern half of the country.
| 1997–98 National League 2 North | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Birmingham & Solihull (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Manchester (also promoted) |
| Relegated | No relegation |
| Matches played | 182 |
The title battle was keenly contested between Birmingham & Solihull and Manchester but in the end it was the West Midlands side that was triumphant, finishing two points clear to finish as champions. Both clubs would gain promotion to the 1998–99 National League 1.[1] There was no relegation this season in order to prevent an imbalance of teams in the leagues due to RFU changes for the following season which would see tier 2 increased from 12 to 14 teams and tier 3 reduced from 16 to 14 teams.[2][3]
Structure
editEach team played home and away matches against each of the other teams, playing a total of twenty-six matches each. The league champions and runners up were promoted to National League 1. There was no relegation this season due to changes higher up in the English league system.
Participating teams and locations
edit
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspatria | Bower Park | Aspatria, Cumbria | 10th | |
| Birmingham & Solihull | Sharmans Cross | 2,500 | Solihull, West Midlands | Runners up (not promoted) |
| Hinckley | Leicester Road | 2,000 | Hinckley, Leicestershire | Promoted from Midlands 1 (champions) |
| Kendal | Mint Bridge | 3,000 | Kendal, Cumbria | 9th |
| Lichfield | Cooke Fields | Lichfield, Staffordshire | 11th | |
| Manchester | Grove Park | 4,000 | Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester | 4th |
| Nuneaton | Harry Cleaver Ground | Nuneaton, Warwickshire | 12th | |
| Preston Grasshoppers | Lightfoot Green | 5,000 | Preston, Lancashire | 3rd |
| Sandal | Milnthorpe Green | Sandal Magna, Wakefield, West Yorkshire | 5th | |
| Sedgley Park | Park Lane | 3,000 | Whitefield, Greater Manchester | Promoted from North 1 (champions) |
| Sheffield | Abbeydale Park | 3,200 | Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire | 8th |
| Stourbridge | Stourton Park | 3,500 | Stourbridge, West Midlands | 6th |
| Walsall | Broadway | 1,150 | Walsall, West Midlands | Relegated from National 3 (13th) |
| Winnington Park | Burrows Hill | Northwich, Cheshire | 7th |
League table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham & Solihull (C, P) | 26 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 805 | 334 | +471 | 46 | Promoted |
| 2 | Manchester (P) | 26 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 1029 | 472 | +557 | 44 | |
| 3 | Kendal | 26 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 619 | 357 | +262 | 38 | |
| 4 | Preston Grasshoppers | 26 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 549 | 469 | +80 | 30 | |
| 5 | Sedgley Park | 26 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 655 | 595 | +60 | 30 | |
| 6 | Stourbridge | 26 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 685 | 605 | +80 | 28 | |
| 7 | Nuneaton | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 453 | 570 | −117 | 26 | |
| 8 | Sandal | 26 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 485 | 547 | −62 | 25[a] | |
| 9 | Aspatria | 26 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 524 | 783 | −259 | 22 | |
| 10 | Sheffield | 26 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 557 | 539 | +18 | 20[a] | |
| 11 | Walsall | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 539 | 723 | −184 | 19 | |
| 12 | Hinckley | 26 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 429 | 726 | −297 | 13 | |
| 13 | Winnington Park | 26 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 470 | 750 | −280 | 10 | |
| 14 | Lichfield | 26 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 365 | 694 | −329 | 9 |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows: 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a draw, 0 pts for a loss. If teams are level at any stage, difference between points for and against applies.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
Sponsorship
editNational League 2 North is part of the Jewson National Leagues is sponsored by Jewson. It was the first year they would sponsor the league.
References
edit- ^ a b "Jewson National League 2 North 1997/98". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ Mick Cleary and John Griffiths, ed. (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98 (26 ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 87–100. ISBN 0 7472 7732 X.
- ^ Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998–99 (27th ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 84–98. ISBN 0 7472 7653 6.