2019–20 National League 2 North

2019–20 National League 2 North
Countries	England
Date	September 2019 – 14 March 2020
Champions	Caldy (2nd title)
Relegated	Scunthorpe
Matches played	199
Attendance	69,282 (average 348 per match)
Highest attendance	1,059 Fylde v Preston Grasshoppers 14 September 2019
Lowest attendance	110 (3) Scunthorpe v Luctonians 23 November 2019 Scunthorpe v Loughborough Students 7 March 2020 Scunthorpe v Chester 14 March 2020
Top point scorer	Gavin Roberts (Caldy) 269 points
Top try scorer	Dan Rundle (Stourbridge) 30 tries

The 2019–20 National League 2 North was the eleventh season (33rd overall) of the fourth tier (north) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced.

On 22 February Scunthorpe were the first side to be relegated after suffering a massive 109–12 defeat against Chester, going down with eight games still to play. Although it was a miserable season on the pitch for Scunthorpe, comfortably the weakest side in the division in terms of results, the loss of their player James Walker, who died earlier in the season was a far keener felt blow. On 7 March Caldy became champions with a resounding 49–5 win away to relegation threatened Preston Grasshoppers to seal an instant return to National League 1 and claim their second National League 2 North title.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the Rugby Football Union officially cancelled the season on 20 March 2020, after an initial postponement of all rugby in England including training. After the cancellation was announced the RFU used a best playing record formula to decide the final table. With Caldy already promoted, Fylde claimed the runners up spot but missed out on promotion as the 2019–20 National League 2 South runner up, Tonbridge Juddian had a better comparative league record and went up instead (the playoff had been cancelled). Joining Scunthorpe in the relegation spots were Preston Grasshoppers and Otley. Although Preston were as good as down by the time the leagues were suspended, Otley were in a real battle against Luctonians, and will feel hard done by. Scunthorpe will drop to Midlands Premier while Otley and Preston Grasshoppers will drop to North Premier. For Otley, once a second tier club, the drop to the regional leagues will be the lowest level they have played at since the 1990s.

The league was an interesting one in terms of National League 2 North records, included records that might have been achieved had the full 30 games been played. For instance, Caldy, with 25 wins out of 25 were looking to break the record of 28 wins (out of 30) set by Hull Ionians in the 2012–13 season. They may also have shattered the 134 point record set by Ionians during the 2014–15 season with a maximum of 144 achievable. A club record that were achieved despite the premature ending were the 4 draws achieved by Huddersfield (breaking the record of 3 set by numerous teams), while Caldys Gavin Roberts, in finishing as league top scorer for the second time in his career, tied a record set by a number of other players such as the prolific Chris Johnson. Stourbridge's Dan Rundle, finishing as top try scorer with 30 tries would likely have beating the existing record of 32 tries in a season (set several times by Nick Royle).

While Caldy had been looking to break records, Scunthorpe were looking to avoid making any of their own. Although the early end of the season meant they wouldn't equal the 30 games lost by Manchester and Dudley Kingswinford in the 2010–11 and 2013–14 seasons respectively, the club's relegation was their third from the division - equalling Morley and Sheffield. A final record that was set was the league average league attendance which reached an all time divisional high of 348, helped by good regular attendances at the likes of Fylde, Hinckley and Wharfedale. This was the first time in recent seasons that the National League North average attendances trumped those in National League South.

Structure

The league consists of sixteen teams with all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches each. There is one automatic promotion place, one play-off place and three relegation places. The champions are promoted to the 2020–21 National League 1 and the runners up play the second-placed team in the 2019–20 National League 2 South with the winner also being promoted. The last three teams are relegated to either North Premier or Midlands Premier depending on the geographical location of the team (in some cases teams may join the southern regional leagues).

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.

Participating teams and locations

Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2018–19 National League 2 North season. The 2018–19 champions, Hull Ionians, were promoted into the 2019–20 National League 1, replacing Caldy and Loughborough Students who were relegated from the 2018–19 National League 1. The three teams relegated from National League 2 North the previous season were Peterborough Lions and South Leicester (both Midlands Premier) and Macclesfield (North Premier).

The promoted teams include Scunthorpe (champions) and Luctonians (play-offs) from Midlands Premier, while Hull come up as champions of North Premier. In order to address an imbalance of teams, Leicester Lions 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.

Tables

Fixtures & Results

Round 1

---

Round 2

---

Round 3

---

Round 4

---

Round 5

---

Round 6

---

Round 7

---

Round 8

• Postponed due to adverse weather conditions (wind/rain). Game to be rescheduled for 22 February 2020.

---

Round 9

• Postponed out of respect for James Walker - a Scunthorpe 1st XV player - who died on the morning before the game. Game to be rescheduled for 22 February 2020.

---

Round 10

---

Round 11

---

Round 12

---

Round 13

---

Round 14

---

Round 15

---

Round 16

---

Round 17

---

Round 18

---

Round 19

---

Round 20

---

Round 21

---

Round 22

---

Round 23

• Postponed. Game to be rescheduled for 22 February 2020.

• Postponed. Game to be rescheduled for 22 February 2020.

• Postponed. Game to be rescheduled for 14 March 2020.

• Postponed. Game to be rescheduled for 14 March 2020.

• Postponed. Game to be rescheduled for 22 February 2020.

---

Rounds 8, 9 & 23 (rescheduled games)

• Game originally rescheduled from 15 February 2020 but postponed again due to bad weather. Game to be rescheduled for 14 March 2020.

• Game originally rescheduled from 15 February 2020 but postponed again due to bad weather. Game to be rescheduled for 14 March 2020.

• Game rescheduled from 26 October 2019.

• Game rescheduled from 2 November 2019. Scunthorpe are relegated.

• Game originally rescheduled from 15 February 2020 but postponed again due to bad weather. Game to be rescheduled for 14 March 2020.

---

Round 24

• Postponed due to bad weather. Game to be rescheduled for 11 April 2020.

---

Round 25

• Caldy are champions.

---

Round 23 (rescheduled games)

• Game originally rescheduled from 15 February 2020 and then again from 22 February 2020.

• Game rescheduled from 15 February 2020.

• Game rescheduled from 15 February 2020.

• Game originally rescheduled from 15 February 2020 and then again from 22 February 2020.

• Game originally rescheduled from 15 February 2020 and then again from 22 February 2020.

---

Round 26

---

Round 27

---

Round 28

---

Round 24 (rescheduled game)

• Game rescheduled from 29 February 2020.

---

Round 29

---

Round 30

Attendances

• Does not include promotion play-off.

Club	Home games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Caldy	12	4,353	363	463	212	9%
Chester	12	4,784	399	670	320	20%
Fylde	12	8,144	679	1,059	450	8%
Hinckley	13	7,049	542	766	276	27%
Huddersfield	13	3,685	283	450	197	19%
Hull	12	2,293	191	250	112	13%
Loughborough Students	12	2,987	249	568	117	8%
Luctonians	12	4,465	372	565	297	15%
Otley	12	2,650	221	300	150	4%
Preston Grasshoppers	13	4,399	338	786	211	7%
Scunthorpe	13	2,424	186	470	110
Sedgley Park	12	3,072	256	320	175	9%
Sheffield Tigers	12	2,579	215	423	125
Stourbridge	13	4,675	360	525	240	10%
Tynedale	13	5,495	423	650	280	21%
Wharfedale	13	6,228	479	693	372	24%

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).

Season records

See also

• 2019–20 National League 2 South
• 2019–20 National League 1
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

External links

• NCA Rugby