2021–22 National League 2 South | |
Countries: | |
Date: | 4 September 2021 – 7 May 2022 |
Champions: | Esher |
Count: | 2 |
Runnersup: | Redruth |
Relegated: | No relegation |
Matches: | 238 |
Highest Attendance: | 1,350 – Esher v Worthing Raiders, 23 April 2022 |
Lowest Attendance: | 107 – Westcliff v Esher, 13 November 2021 Westcliff v Barnstaple, 5 February 2022 |
Top Point Scorer: | 310 – Sam Morley (Esher) |
Top Try Scorer: | 22 – Finlay Sharp (Clifton) |
Prevseason: | 2019–20 |
Nextseason: | 2022–23 (2 East) 2022–23 (2 West) |
The 2021–22 National League 2 South was the twelfth and final season (34th overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced.
The league consisted of sixteen teams with all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches each. As originally planned there was one promotion place and one relegation place. The champions would be promoted to the 2022–23 National League 1 and the last team relegated to the most appropriate tier five league depending on the geographical location of the team.
The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2019–20 National League 2 North season. The 2019–20 champions, Taunton Titans, and runner-up, Tonbridge Juddians were promoted to the 2021–22 National League 1, replacing Canterbury who were relegated from the 2019–20 National League 1. The three teams relegated from National League 2 South the previous season were Sutton & Epsom (London & South East Premier), and Bournemouth and Old Redcliffians (both South-West Premier). The promoted teams were Barnstaple (champions of South West Premier), while Rochford Hundred and Guernsey Raiders come up as champions and runner-up of London & South East Premier. In order to address an imbalance of teams, Hinckley were level transferred to the 2021–22 National League 2 South as the most appropriate located team in terms of access to the southern sides.
The Rugby Football Union restructured the leagues after the 2021–22 season and National 2 South was discontinued. Fifteen of the sixteen teams were placed into one of the other level four leagues for 2022–23. Barnes, Bury St. Edmunds, Canterbury, Guernsey Raiders, Henley Hawks, Old Albanian, Rochford Hundred, Westcliff and Worthing Raiders were transferred to the newly created National League 2 East while Barnstaple, Clifton, Dings Crusaders, Hinckley, Leicester Lions and Redruth were transferred to another new level four league, National League 2 West. The champions Esher were promoted to National League 1. No teams were relegated to level five.
Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
---|---|---|---|---|
1,000 | 12th | |||
Pottingham Road | 2,000 (575 seats) | Promoted from South West Premier (champions) | ||
The Haberden | 3,000 (135 seats) | 6th | ||
Marine Travel Ground | 1,500 (75 seats) | Relegated from National 1 (15th) | ||
Station Road | 2,500 (400 seats) | 5th | ||
Shaftesbury Park | 2,250 (250 seats) | 11th | ||
3,500 | 8th | |||
5,000 (720 seats) | Promoted from London & South East Premier (runners-up) | |||
Dry Leas | 4,000 | 4th | ||
De Montfort Park | 2,000 | Transferred from National 2 North (3rd) | ||
Westleigh Park | 2,000 | 7th | ||
Woollam's Playing Fields | 1,000 | 10th | ||
Recreation Ground | 3,500 (580 seats) | 3rd | ||
The Rugby Park | 1,000 | Promoted from London & South East Premier (champions) | ||
The Gables | 1,000 | 13th | ||
Roundstone Lane | 1,500 (100 seats) | 9th | ||
Fixtures for the season were announced by the RFU on 4 May 2021.[1]
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Club | Home games | Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barnes | 15 | 3,472 | 231 | 506 | 115 | 23% |
Barnstaple | 15 | 6,660 | 444 | 734 | 150 | 22% |
Bury St Edmunds | 15 | 6,396 | 426 | 637 | 257 | 14% |
Canterbury | 15 | 5,245 | 350 | 543 | 263 | 23% |
Clifton | 15 | 3,600 | 240 | 700 | 118 | 10% |
Dings Crusaders | 15 | 5,215 | 348 | 740 | 148 | 15% |
Esher | 15 | 7,131 | 475 | 1,350 | 310 | 14% |
Guernsey Raiders | 14 | 6,299 | 450 | 900 | 197 | 9% |
Henley Hawks | 15 | 5,145 | 343 | 525 | 226 | 9% |
Hinckley | 14 | 5,428 | 388 | 600 | 200 | 19% |
Leicester Lions | 15 | 2,573 | 172 | 300 | 110 | 9% |
Old Albanian | 14 | 4,110 | 294 | 501 | 143 | 29% |
Redruth | 15 | 11,621 | 775 | 1,075 | 525 | 22% |
Rochford Hundred | 15 | 4,382 | 292 | 600 | 200 | 29% |
Westcliff | 15 | 3,085 | 206 | 634 | 107 | 21% |
Worthing Raiders | 14 | 6,763 | 483 | 950 | 249 | 32% |
Rank | Player | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sam Morley | Esher | 310 |
2 | Worthing Raiders | 277 | |
3 | Benjamin Young | Leicester Lions | 255 |
4 | Luke Cozens | Clifton | 242 |
Charlie Reed | Bury St Edmunds | ||
5 | Daniel Watt | Old Albanian | 225 |
6 | Frasey Honey | Redruth | 214 |
7 | Joe Wilson | Hinckley | 208 |
8 | Robert Kirby | Barnes | 169 |
Rank | Player | Team | Tries |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Finlay Sharp | Clifton | 22 |
2 | Reuben Norville | Henley Hawks | 19 |
3 | Thomas Anderson | Dings Crusaders | 17 |
Richard Brown | Redruth | ||
Alex Noot | Old Albanian | ||
Alex Wilcockson | Leicester Lions | ||
5 | Bradley Talbot | Clifton | 16 |
6 | Jack Forrest | Worthing Raiders | 15 |
Worthing Raiders | |||