2009–10 National League 1 Explained

2009-10 National League 1
Champions:Esher
Runnersup:London Scottish
Relegated:Manchester, Nuneaton, Newbury Blues
Highest Attendance:2,485 London Scottish at home to Esher on 16 January 2010
Attendance:127,850 (average 539 per match)
Lowest Attendance:105 Blaydon at home to Nuneaton on 17 April 2010
Top Point Scorer:Sam Ulph
Esher 399 points
Top Try Scorer:Johannes Schmidt
Cambridge 30 tries
Prevseason:2008–09
Nextseason:2010–11

The 2009-10 National League 1, previously known as National Division 2, is the first season of the third division of the English rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced with widespread league changes made by the RFU.[1] As the new second division would reduce teams from 16 to 12, there were plenty of new additions to National League 1, itself increasing from 14 to 16 teams, with Esher, Newbury, Manchester, Manchester and Sedgley Park all dropping down from the old National 1 while Nuneaton and London Scottish came up from the 2008–09 National Division Three North and 2008–09 National Division Three South respectively (these divisions themselves now renamed National League 2 North/South).[2] [3] [4] [5]

At the end of the season Esher finished as champions, way ahead of runners up and newly promoted London Scottish, suffering only one defeat and going straight back up to the 2010–11 RFU Championship.[6] At the other end of the table, Manchester had an absolutely awful season, suffering their second successive relegation, with no wins, no bonus points, only 114 points scored and over 2,500 points conceded.[7] The other two sides to join them would be Nuneaton who went straight back down after one season and Newbury Blues who also suffered a second relegation in a row, losing out to 13th place Otley by just 2 points.[8] [9] Manchester and Nuneaton would drop to the 2010–11 National League 2 North while Newbury would go down into the 2010–11 National League 2 South.

Participating teams and locations

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/Area
BlackheathRectory Field6,000Blackheath, London
BlaydonCrow Trees2,000 (400 seats)Swalwell, Tyne and Wear
CambridgeGrantchester Road2,200 (200 seats)Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
CinderfordDockham Road2,500Cinderford, Gloucestershire
EsherMolesey Road3,000 (1,200 seats)Hersham, Surrey
LauncestonPolson Bridge3,000Launceston, Cornwall
London ScottishAthletic Ground4,500 (1,000 seats)Richmond, London
ManchesterGrove Park4,000Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
Newbury BluesMonk's Lane8,000Newbury, Berkshire
NuneatonLiberty Way4,314 (514 Seated)Nuneaton, Warwickshire
OtleyCross Green5,000Otley, West Yorkshire
RedruthThe Recreation Ground3,500 (580 seats)Redruth, Cornwall
Sedgley ParkPark Lane3,000Whitefield, Greater Manchester
StourbridgeStourton Park3,500 (499 seats)Stourbridge, West Midlands
TynedaleTynedale Park2,000 (400 seats)Corbridge, Northumberland
WharfedaleThe Avenue2,000Threshfield, Craven, North Yorkshire

Results

[10] [11]

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

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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 19

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Round 20

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Round 20 (Rescheduled game)

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Round 15 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 21 (Rescheduled game)

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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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Rounds 16 & 17 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 26

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Round 27

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Round 28

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Round 18 (Rescheduled game)

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Round 29

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Round 30

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Round 17 (Rescheduled games)

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Rounds 18 & 23 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 16 (Rescheduled game)

Total season attendances

ClubHome
Games		TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Blackheath 15 9,387 626 942 352 10%
Blaydon 15 5,127 342 1,021 105 17%
Cambridge 15 8,606 574 1,020 344 26%
Cinderford 14 3,505 250 400 195 17%
Esher 15 14,122 941 1,294 654 31%
Launceston 15 10,801 720 1,437 537 24%
London Scottish 15 15,216 1,014 2,485 455 23%
Manchester 14 2,840 203 320 110 5%
Newbury Blues 15 6,855 457 571 328 6%
Nuneaton 15 3,553 237 424 149 5%
Otley 15 6,217 414 894 271 8%
Redruth 15 13,974 932 2,010 708 27%
Sedgley Park 14 5,113 365 512 176 12%
Stourbridge 15 7,500 500 650 400 14%
Tynedale 15 7,158 477 910 310 24%
Wharfedale 15 7,876 525 868 402 26%

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Points
1 24 399
2 25 279
3 28 274
4 27 264
5 28 251
6 29 216
7 30 201
8 27 187
9 29 180
10 21 170
[12]

Top try scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Tries
1 28 30
2 Seb Jewell 25 22
3 23 20
24 20
4 27 19
27 19
28 19
5 22 18
6 21 17
7 22 16
[13]

Season records

Team

Largest home win — 119 pts124 - 5 Wharfedale at home to Manchester on 26 September 2009
  • Largest away win — 148 pts148 - 0 Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009
  • Most points scored — 148 pts148 - 0 Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009
  • Most tries in a match — 23Blaydon away to Manchester on 19 September 2009
  • Most conversions in a match — 19Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009
  • Most penalties in a match — 5N/A - multiple teams
  • Most drop goals in a match — 2Newbury Blues away to Blackheath on 12 September 2009

    • [14] [15] [16] [17]

    Player

    Most points in a match — 51 Sam Ulph for Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009
  • Most tries in a match — 6 (x2) Johannes Schmidt for Cambridge at home to Manchester on 10 April 2010
    Seb Jewell for Esher at home to Manchester on 24 April 2010
  • Most conversions in a match — 18 Sam Ulph for Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009
  • Most penalties in a match — 5N/A - multiple players
  • Most drop goals in a match — 2 Mitch Burton for Newbury Blues away to Blackheath on 12 September 2009

    • [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

    Attendances

    Highest — 2,485London Scottish at home to Esher on 16 January 2010
  • Lowest — 105Blaydon at home to Nuneaton on 17 April 2010
  • Highest Average Attendance — 1,014London Scottish
  • Lowest Average Attendance — 203Manchester

    • [23]

    See also

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Championship plan gains support . BBC News . 14 November 2008 .
    2. Web site: Esher relegated from ND1 . rugbynetwork.net . 26 April 2009 .
    3. Web site: We are working as hard as ever to beat the drop, says Sprangle . West Briton . 15 April 2009 . 7 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021720/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/working-hard-beat-drop-says-Sprangle/story-11510252-detail/story.html . 17 November 2015 . dead .
    4. Web site: Nuns promoted after Lions win . Nuneaton News . 20 April 2009 . 7 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150616064440/http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/Nuns-promoted-Lions-win/story-20286839-detail/story.html . 16 June 2015 . dead .
    5. Web site: London Scottish Win Title and Promotion . London Scottish Win Title . 8 April 2009 .
    6. Web site: Rugby: Esher up as champions with room to spare . Get Surrey . 12 April 2010 .
    7. Web site: Spare a thought for Manchester Rugby Club... . onthetryline.com . 30 August 2010 . 7 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020007/http://www.onthetryline.com/2010/08/spare-thought-for-manchester-rugby-club.html . 17 November 2015 . dead .
    8. Web site: Nuns aiming to go out with heads held high . Coventry Telegraph . 16 April 2010 .
    9. Web site: Newbury relegation . rolling-maul.com . 2 May 2010 .
    10. Web site: Redruth fixtures 2009-10 . Redruth Rugby . 19 May 2009 .
    11. Web site: Otley Senior Squad Fixtures & Results 2009-10 . Pitchero . 15 May 2010 .
    12. Web site: National One 09/10 Leading top scorers . Statbunker. 8 May 2010.
    13. Web site: National One 09/10 Leading Try Scorers . Statbunker. 8 May 2010.
    14. Web site: National One 09/10 Most tries in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    15. Web site: National One 09/10 Most conversions in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    16. Web site: National One 09/10 Most penalties in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    17. Web site: National One 09/10 Most drop goals in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    18. Web site: National One 09/10 Most points in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    19. Web site: National One 09/10 Most tries in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    20. Web site: National One 09/10 Most conversions in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    21. Web site: National One 09/10 Most penalties in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    22. Web site: National One 09/10 Most drop goals in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .
    23. Web site: National One 09/10 Home attendance . Rugby Statbunker . 15 May 2010 .

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