2023–24 National League 2 North Explained

2023–24 National League 2 North
Date:	2 September 2023 – 27 April 2024
Champions:	Rotherham Titans
Count:	2
Matches:	182
Highest Attendance:	1,800 – Preston Grasshoppers v Fylde, 9 September 2023
Lowest Attendance:	112 – Otley v Lymm, 14 October 2023
Top Point Scorer:	327 – Richard Hayes (Rotherham Titans)
Top Try Scorer:	24 – Samuel Taylor (Otley)
Prevseason:	2022–23
Nextseason:	2024–25

The 2023–24 National League 2 North is the 36th season of the fourth-tier (north) of the English domestic rugby union competitions; one of three at this level. The others are National League 2 East and National League 2 West. The champions are promoted to National League 1 and the bottom two teams are relegated to either Regional 1 North East or Regional 1 North West, depending on their location.

Rotherham Titans finished the season as champions on 27 April 2024 following an away win against Billingham.^[1] The title battle went right to the last day of the season, with Titans finishing just two points clear of Yorkshire rivals Leeds Tykes who had looked certain champions up until very last few games, with Rotherham's home win over Tykes on 23 March 2024 ultimately being the catalyst for who would take the league. In winning the league Rotherham would be promoted back into the 2024–25 National League 1 after an absence of four seasons.

Huddersfield were the first side to be relegated, losing away to Billingham on 23 March 2024 to go down with three games left to play. The battle for the second relegation spot would go all the way until the end of the season, with Billingham's bonus point loss against champions Rotherham, being just enough to see them pip Hull Ionians by virtue of a better better points for against record, with both sides equal on 44 points apiece. Despite finishing 13th, Ionians resounding 94-26 victory against already relegated Huddersfield, was enough to see them stay up as the best ranked National League 2 side, as they had a better for and against record than the 2023–24 National League 2 East side Wimbledon who also finished on 44 points and had an equal number of wins (6). In the end the only relegated club from National League 2 North, Huddersfield would drop down to Regional 1 North East after spending six seasons at level 4.

Structure

The league consists of fourteen teams and each play the others on a home and away basis, to make a total of 26 matches each. The champions are promoted to National League 1 and typically the last two teams are relegated to Regional 1 North East or Regional 1 North West; depending on their location.

Due to the liquidation of RFU Championship side Jersey Reds in September 2023 and the knock on effect on the league system, the best placed 13th placed side in the three National 2 leagues (National League 2 North, National League 2 East, National 2 West) will be saved from relegation. See Relegation (13th placed teams).

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

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
	Greenwood Road ^[2]	1,500 (100 seats)		Promoted from Regional 1 North East (1st)
	Woodlands Memorial Ground^[3]	9,000		2nd
	Lockwood Park ^[4]	1,500 (500 seats)		12th
	Ferens Ground	1,500 (288 seats)		Relegated from 2022–23 National League 1 (14th)
	Brantingham Park ^[5]	1,500 (240 seats)		3rd
	The Sycamores	1,500		Relegated from 2022–23 National League 1 (13th)
	Crouchley Lane			Promoted from Regional 1 North West (1st)
	Cross Green^[6]	5,000		5th
	Lightfoot Green	5,000		11th
	Clifton Lane^[7]	2,500		4th
	Abbeydale Park^[8]	3,200 (100 seats)		10th
	Dore Moor ^[9]			9th
	Tynedale Park ^[10]	2,000 (400 seats)		6th
	The Avenue ^[11]	2,000		8th

League table

Relegation (13th placed teams)

Fixtures & results

Fixtures for the season were published by the RFU on 12 June 2023.^[12]

Round 1

^[13] ----

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 13 (rescheduled)

• Game brought forward from 16 December 2023.

^[20] ----

Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

• Postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled.^[24]

^[25] ----

Round 12

• Postponed due to poor weather. Game to be rescheduled for 6 January 2024.

• Postponed due to poor weather. Game to be rescheduled for 6 January 2024.

• Postponed due to poor weather. Game to be rescheduled for 3rd February 2024.

• Postponed due to poor weather. Game to be rescheduled for 3rd February 2024.

• Postponed due to poor weather. Game to be rescheduled for 6 January 2024.

• Postponed due to poor weather. Game to be rescheduled for 6 January 2024.

^[26] ----

Round 13

• Rescheduled. Game brought forward to 21 October 2023.

^[27] ----

Round 14

^[28] ----

Round 12 (rescheduled games)

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

^[29] ----

Round 15

• Postponed in respect of Tynedale 1st XV player Rory Cramb whose funeral was being held on same date. Game to be rescheduled for 2 March 2024.^{[30] [31]}

^[32] ----

Round 16

• Postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 2 March 2024.

• Postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 3 February 2024.

• Postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 3 February 2024.

• Postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 2 March 2024.

^[33] ----

Round 17

^[34] ----

Rounds 12 & 16 (rescheduled games)

• Game rescheduled from 20 January 2024.

• Game rescheduled from 20 January 2024.

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

• Game rescheduled from 2 December 2023.

^[35] ----

Round 18

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Rounds 15 & 16 (rescheduled games)

• Game rescheduled from 20 January 2024.

• Game rescheduled from 13 January 2024.

• Game rescheduled from 20 January 2024.

^[39] ----

Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 23

• Huddersfield are relegated.

^[42] ----

Round 24

• Postponed as due to waterlogged pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 20 April 2024.^[43]

^[44] ----

Round 25

^[45] ----

Round 24 (rescheduled game)

• Game rescheduled from 6 April 2024.

^[46] ----

Round 26

• Rotherham Titans are champions.

^[47]

Attendances

Club	Home games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Billingham	13	5,727	441	1,002	283	29%
Fylde	13	8,938	688	1,220	452	8%
Huddersfield	13	2,927	225	296	186	15%
Hull	13	3,888	299	452	125	20%
Hull Ionians	13	3,983	306	675	121	20%
Leeds Tykes	13	6,353	489	991	220	33%
Lymm	13	3,694	284	459	130	N/A
Otley	13	3,475	267	529	112	5%
Preston Grasshoppers	13	5,852	450	1,800	207	9%
Rotherham Titans	13	5,487	422	1,141	253	17%
Sheffield	13	4,045	311	447	200	10%
Sheffield Tigers	13	3,555	273	817	145	N/A
Tynedale	13	5,861	451	550	339	23%
Wharfedale	13	6,063	466	595	339	23%

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Rank	Player	Team	Points
1	Richard Hayes	Rotherham Titans	327
2	Lewis Minikin	Hull Ionians	287
3	Reece Dean	Hull	277
4	Elliot Fisher	Sheffield	272
5	Gregory Smith	Fylde	218
6	Thomas Shard	Lymm	216
7	William Hunt	Preston Grasshoppers	180
8	Kieran Davies	Leeds Tykes	161
9	Robert Davidson	Wharfedale	155

^[47]

Top try scorers

Rank	Player	Team	Tries
1	Samuel Taylor	Otley	24
2	Eliot Fisher	Sheffield	21
	Benjamin Gregory	Fylde
3	Christian Hooper	Leeds Tykes	20
4	Henry MacNab	Leeds Tykes	19
5	Ryan Burrows	Sheffield	17
6	Lewis Minikin	Hull Ionians	16
	Tyler Spence	Preston Grasshoppers
7	Harry Jukes	Leeds Tykes	15

^[47]

See also

• 2023–24 National League 1
• 2023–24 National League 2 East
• 2023–24 National League 2 West

External links

• NCA Rugby

Notes and References

1. Web site: Title-winning Rotherham Titans embrace long-awaited upturn in fortunes . Rotherham Advertiser . 3 May 2024.
2. Web site: Billingham RUFC . Billingham Rugby Club . 13 June 2023.
3. Web site: Contact details . Fylde RFC . 13 June 2023.
4. Web site: Our Partners . Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club . 13 June 2023.
5. Web site: Brantingham Park . Hull Ionians RUFC . 13 June 2023.
6. Web site: Contact . Otley Rugby Club . 13 June 2023.
7. Web site: Clifton Lane: The Perfect Function Room Venue . Titans Rugby . 13 June 2023.
8. Web site: Abbeydale Park . Sheffield RUFC . 13 June 2023.
9. Web site: Directions . Sheffield Tigers RUFC . 13 June 2023.
10. Web site: Tynedale RFC . Tynedale Rugby Football Club . 13 June 2023.
11. Web site: The Avenue Clubhouse Bar . Wharfedale RUFC . 13 June 2023.
12. Web site: National League Rugby fixtures announced for 2023-24 campaign . National League Rugby . 13 June 2023.
13. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 781 . 3 September 2023 . 40.
14. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 782 . 10 September 2023 . 32-33, 39.
15. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 783 . 17 September 2023 . 32-33, 39.
16. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 784 . 24 September 2023 . 32-33, 39.
17. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 785 . 1 October 2023 . 32-33, 39.
18. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 786 . 8 October 2023 . 38-39, 41.
19. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 787 . 15 October 2023 . 32-33, 39.
20. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 788 . 22 October 2023 . 37, 39.
21. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 790 . 5 November 2023 . 32-33, 39.
22. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 791 . 12 November 2023 . 28-29, 35.
23. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 792 . 19 November 2023 . 32-33, 39.
24. Web site: TODAY’S GAME IS OFF . Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club . 25 November 2023.
25. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 793 . 26 November 2023 . 28-29, 37.
26. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 794 . 3 December 2023 . 30, 37.
27. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 795 . 10 December 2023 . 32-33, 41.
28. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 796 . 17 December 2023 . 32-33, 41.
29. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 799 . 7 January 2024 . 26-27, 33.
30. Web site: TYNEDALE FIXTURES POSTPONED . 4 January 2024 .
31. Web site: REVISED DATE FOR TYNEDALE MATCHES . 12 January 2024 .
32. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 800 . 14 January 2024 . 32-33, 41.
33. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 801 . 21 January 2024 . 32-33, 37.
34. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 802 . 28 January 2024 . 32-33, 41.
35. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 803 . 4 February 2024 . 36-37, 41.
36. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 804 . 11 February 2024 . 32-33, 41.
37. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 805 . 18 February 2024 . 28-29, 37.
38. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 806 . 25 February 2024 . 32-33, 41.
39. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 807 . 3 March 2024 . 28-29, 33.
40. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 808 . 10 March 2024 . 32-33, 41.
41. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 809 . 17 March 2024 . 30-31, 41.
42. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 810 . 24 March 2024 . 30-31, 41.
43. Web site: TITANS V TIGERS: MATCH POSTPONED . Titans Rugby . 6 April 2024.
44. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 812 . 7 April 2024 . 30-31, 41.
45. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 813 . 14 April 2024 . 30-31, 41.
46. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 814 . 21 April 2024 . 28-29, 35.
47. News: Results . The RugbyPaper . 815 . 28 April 2024 . 28-29, 37.