| 2014 County Championship Plate | |
| Date: | 10 May 2014 - 1 June 2014 |
| Champions: | Kent |
| Count: | 2 |
| Runnersup: | Durham County |
| Highest Attendance: | 1,200 Kent v Somerset (24 May 2014) |
| Attendance: | 2,298 (average 383 per match) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 150 East Midlands v Eastern Counties (10 May 2014) |
| Top Point Scorer: | Ben Summers (Kent) 32 |
| Top Try Scorer: | Cameron Mitchell Ian Wilson (both Durham County) 3 |
| Prevseason: | 2013 |
| Nextseason: | 2015 |
The 2014 County Championship Plate, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2, was the 13th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organized 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 South or National League 2 North). The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with three teams in the north division and three in the south, with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New teams to the division included Durham County and Kent who were relegated from the 2013 Bill Beaumont Cup.[1]
By the end of the group stage, both Durham County and Kent, relegated the previous season, made an instant return to the first division by winning their respective groups with relative ease. At the final at Twickenham, Kent were comfortable winners, defeating Durham County 31-23 to claim their first title at Twickenham for 28 years.[2] [3]
The competition format involved six teams divided into two regional group stages of three teams each, divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 1 June 2014.
| width=25% | County | width=25% | Stadium(s) | width=25% | Capacity | width=25% | City/Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon | Astley Park | 1,800 | Brixham, Devon | ||||
| Durham County | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 | Darlington, County Durham | ||||
| East Midlands | Cut Throat Lane | N/A | Wellingborough, Northamptonshire | ||||
| Eastern Counties | The Haberden | 3,000 | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | ||||
| Kent | Priestfields | N/A | Rochester, Kent | ||||
| Somerset | Bath Road | 5,000 | Bridgwater, Somerset | ||||
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| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||||||
| 1 | Durham County (P) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 21 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 64 | -25 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
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| 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: 24 May 2014 Source: Web site: County Championships . englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||||||
| 1 | Kent (P) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 26 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 43 | -14 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 54 | -22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
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| 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: 24 May 2014 Source: Web site: County Championships . englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| County | Home Games | Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon | 1 | 289 | 289 | 289 | 289 | 16% |
| Durham County | 1 | 245 | 245 | 245 | 245 | 8% |
| East Midlands | 1 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | |
| Eastern Counties | 1 | 220 | 220 | 220 | 220 | 7% |
| Kent | 1 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Somerset | 1 | 194 | 194 | 194 | 194 | 4% |
| Rank | Player | County | Club Side | Appearances | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 32 | |||
| 2 | 3 | 17 | |||
| 3 | 3 | 15 | |||
| 4 | 3 | 13 | |||
| 5 | 2 | 13 | |||
| Rank | Player | County | Club Side | Appearances | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 3 | 3 | ||||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 2 | 2 | ||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||