2004–05 National Division Two Explained

2004–05 National Division Two
Champions:	Doncaster
Runnersup:	Newbury Blues (also promoted)
Relegated:	Rosslyn Park, Bracknell, Nuneaton
Highest Attendance:	2,000 Doncaster at home to Manchester on 9 October 2004
Attendance:	77,313 (average 463 per match)
Lowest Attendance:	100 (3x) Nuneaton at home to Bracknell & Waterloo on 23 October 2004 & 13 November 2004, Bracknell at home to Esher on 20 November 2004
Top Point Scorer:	Oliver Thomas Moseley 328 points
Top Try Scorer:	Lucas Onyango Manchester 24 tries
Prevseason:	2003-04

The 2004–05 National Division Two was the fifth version (eighteenth overall) of the third division of the English rugby union league system using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included Manchester who were relegated from the 2003–04 National Division One while Waterloo came up as champions of the 2003–04 National Division Three North with Blackheath (champions) and Launceston (playoffs) coming up from the 2003–04 National Division Three South.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Wakefield had also been supposed to join the division having finished 13th in National Division One but sadly due to financial difficulties the club would go into liquidation and cease to exist.^[5] This season would see the league points system being overhauled in the division with four points being awarded for a win, two points for a draw as well as bonus points being introduced (the Premiership had been using them since 2000) with teams being awarded an extra point for scoring four or more tries during a game or if losing, being within seven points of the victor.

Doncaster would finish as league champions, 13 points clear of nearest rivals, Newbury Blues.^{[6] [7]} Both sides would go up to the 2005–06 National Division One. At the other end of the table, apart from Rosslyn Park who were comfortably bottom, it was a very tight relegation battle with Bracknell and Nuneaton eventually going down to join Rosslyn Park despite both sides winning their last games - in the end only 2 points separated 10th placed Esher from 12th placed Nuneaton.^[8] Nuneaton would drop down to the 2005–06 National Division Three North while Bracknell and Rosslyn Park went into the 2005–06 National Division Three South.^{[9] [10]}

Participating teams and locations

width=29%	Team	width=29%	Stadium	width=15%	Capacity	width=30%	City/Area
Blackheath	Rectory Field	6,000	Blackheath, London
Bracknell	Lily Hill Park	1,250 (250 seats)	Bracknell, Berkshire
Doncaster	Castle Park	3,075	Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Esher	Molesey Road	3,000	Hersham, Surrey
Harrogate	Claro Road		Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Launceston	Polson Bridge	3,000	Launceston, Cornwall
Manchester	Grove Park	4,000	Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
Moseley	Bournbrook		Birmingham, West Midlands
Newbury Blues	Monk's Lane	8,000	Newbury, Berkshire
Nuneaton	Liberty Way	4,314 (514 seats)	Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Rosslyn Park	The Rock	2,000	Roehampton, London
Stourbridge	Stourton Park	3,500 (499 seats)	Stourbridge, West Midlands
Waterloo	St Anthony's Road	9,000 (200 seats)	Blundellsands, Merseyside
Wharfedale	The Avenue	2,000	Threshfield, Craven, North Yorkshire

Results

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 February 2005.

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

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Round 15

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Round 16

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 10 (rescheduled game)

• Game rescheduled from 27 November 2004.

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 23

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Round 24

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Round 25

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Round 26

Total season attendances

Club	Home Games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Blackheath	13	8,731	672	1,500	273	11%
Bracknell	12	3,004	250	384	100	20%
Doncaster	10	8,786	879	2,000	470	29%
Esher	13	5,675	437	600	350	15%
Harrogate	13	5,367	413	778	200
Launceston	13	7,290	561	700	420	19%
Manchester	12	3,699	308	457	208	8%
Moseley	12	4,241	353	450	195
Newbury Blues	12	5,316	443	825	280	6%
Nuneaton	8	2,490	311	500	100	7%
Rosslyn Park	13	6,505	500	750	280	25%
Stourbridge	13	6,024	463	700	300	13%
Waterloo	10	4,075	408	652	200	5%
Wharfedale	13	6,110	470	800	375	24%

Individual statistics

• Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

Top points scorers

Rank	Player	Team	Appearances	Points
1			25	328
2			24	321
3			23	285
4			22	248
5			24	228
6			25	214
7			25	196
8			19	172
9			20	164
10			25	149

^[11]

Top try scorers

Rank	Player	Team	Appearances	Tries
1			22	24
2			20	20
3			26	16
4			23	13
5			16	12
			26	12
			25	12
6			17	11
7			15	10
			20	10

^[12]

Season records

Team

Largest home win — 74 pts79 - 5 Harrogate at home to Bracknell on 27 November 2004

Largest away win — 45 pts57 - 12 Doncaster away to Wharfedale on 20 4 September 2004

Most points scored — 74 pts79 - 5 Harrogate at home to Bracknell on 27 November 2004

Most tries in a match — 11Harrogate at home to Bracknell on 27 November 2004

Most conversions in a match — 9Harrogate at home to Bracknell on 27 November 2004

Most penalties in a match — 6Blackheath away to Stourbridge on 26 February 2005

Most drop goals in a match — 1N/A - multiple teams

^{[13] [14] [15] [16]}

Player

Most points in a match — 29 Jonathan Davies for Wharfedale at home to Nuneaton on 9 October 2004

Most tries in a match — 3 N/A - multiple players

Most conversions in a match — 9 Lee Cholewa for Harrogate at home to Bracknell on 27 November 2004

Most penalties in a match — 6 Stephen McCashin for Blackheath away to Stourbridge on 26 February 2005

Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple players

^{[17] [18] [19] [20] [21]}

Attendances

Highest — 2,000 Doncaster at home to Manchester on 9 October 2004

Lowest — 120 (x3)Nuneaton at home to Bracknell on 23 October 2004 and Waterloo on 13 November 2004
Bracknell at home to Esher on 20 November 2004

Highest Average Attendance — 879Doncaster

Lowest Average Attendance — 250 Bracknell

^[22]

See also

• English Rugby Union Leagues
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

External links

• NCA Rugby

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sedgley Park go up . Telegraph . 12 April 2004 .
2. Web site: Waterloo clinch promotion by a whisker . Liverpool Echo . 10 May 2004 .
3. Web site: National League Three South 2003-04 . englandrugby.com . 17 April 2004 .
4. Web site: Kevin's sinking feeling . Halifax Courier . 17 May 2004 .
5. Web site: Wakefield's demise was inevitable . Yorkshire Post . 3 June 2004 .
6. Web site: CASTLE PARK MEN CROWNED KINGS . Doncaster Free Press . 8 April 2005 .
7. Web site: rugby union Harrogate ready to clinch great escape . Yorkshire . 28 April 2004 .
8. Web site: National League Two 2005-06 . englandrugby.com . 30 April 2005 .
9. Web site: National League Three North 2005-06 . englandrugby.com . 3 September 2005 .
10. Web site: National League Three South 2005-06 . englandrugby.com . 3 September 2005 .
11. Web site: National Two 04/05 Leading top scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2005.
12. Web site: National Two 04/05 Leading try scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2005.
13. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most tries in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
14. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most conversions in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
15. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most penalties in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
16. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most drop goals in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
17. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most points in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
18. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most tries in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
19. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most conversions in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
20. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most penalties in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
21. Web site: National Two 04/05 Most drop goals in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .
22. Web site: National Two 04/05 Home attendance . Rugby Statbunker . 30 April 2005 .