2001–02 National Division One Explained

2001–02 National Division One
Champions:Rotherham
Runnersup:Worcester
Relegated:Henley Hawks and Bracknell
Highest Attendance:4,800 Worcester at home to Rotherham on 22 September 2001
Attendance:168,490 (average 931 per match)
Lowest Attendance:150 (x2) Bracknell at home to Exeter Chiefs on 2 March 2002 & Moseley at home to Rugby Lions on 23 March 2002
Top Point Scorer:Simon Binns
(Otley) 283 Points
Top Try Scorer:Chris Garrard
(Worcester) 25 tries
Prevseason:2000–01
Nextseason:2002–03

The 2001–02 National Division One (known as the Jewson National Division One for sponsorship reasons) was the 15th full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Rotherham who had been relegated from the Zurich Premiership 2000–01 while Bracknell and Rugby Lions had been promoted from the 2000–01 National Division Two.[1] [2]

For the first time the team finishing first, Rotherham, were denied promotion to the Zurich Premiership for season 2002–03 because their ground was not of the required standard - this was the first time a team had been denied entry to the top flight of English rugby since the leagues started in 1987 due to the introduction of the controversial 'minimum standards' rule for clubs seeking to join the Premiership.[3] [4] Worcester were runners-up for the second consecutive season, and Henley Hawks and Bracknell were relegated to the 2002–03 National Division Two with Bracknell spending just one season in the division.[5]

Participating teams

width=25%Team[6] width=25%Stadiumwidth=25%Capacitywidth=25%City/Area
Bedford BluesGoldington Road7,000Bedford, Bedfordshire
Birmingham & SolihullSharmans Cross2,500Solihull, West Midlands
BracknellLily Hill Park1,250 (250 seats)Bracknell, Berkshire
CoventryCoundon Road9,000+Coventry, West Midlands
Exeter ChiefsCounty Ground5,200Exeter, Devon
Henley HawksDry Leas4,000Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
London WelshOld Deer Park5,850Richmond, London
ManchesterGrove Park4,000Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
MoseleyBournbrookBirmingham, West Midlands
OtleyCross Green5,000Otley, West Yorkshire
RotherhamClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Rugby LionsWebb Ellis Road1,000Rugby, Warwickshire
WakefieldCollege Grove3,000Wakefield, West Yorkshire
WorcesterSixways8,477Worcester, Worcestershire

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

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Round 8 (rescheduled game)

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 8 (rescheduled game)

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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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Rounds 8 & 14 (rescheduled games)

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Round 20

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Round 14 (rescheduled games)

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 17 & 19 (rescheduled games)

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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

ClubHome
Games		TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Bedford Blues 13 18,445 1,419 1,908 956 20%
Birmingham & Solihull 13 6,350 488 1,000 200 20%
Bracknell 13 4,805 370 750 150 30%
Coventry 13 24,718 1,901 4,132 924 21%
Exeter Chiefs 13 11,932 918 1,530 487 18%
Henley Hawks 13 9,575 737 1,325 300 18%
London Welsh 13 11,750 904 1,400 400 15%
Manchester 13 6,685 514 828 225 13%
Moseley 13 6,673 513 1,529 150
Otley 13 9,300 715 1,500 430 14%
Rotherham 13 18,451 1,419 2,500 1,000 57%
Rugby Lions 13 6,491 499 836 300 50%
Wakefield 13 4,800 369 1,100 250 12%
Worcester 12 28,515 2,376 4,800 1,448 28%
[7]

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Points
1 24 283
2 22 247
3 24 244
4 24 237
5 21 223
6 21 199
7 20 197
8 16 141
9 17 133
10 26 127
[8]

Top try scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Tries
1 23 25
2 26 21
3 20 16
26 16
4 26 15
5 13 14
23 14
6 19 13
22 13
7 21 12
25 12
[9]

Season records

Team

Largest home win — 73 pts73 - 0 Rotherham at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 13 April 2002
  • Largest away win — 65 pts72 - 7 Rotherham away to Manchester on 6 April 2002
  • Most points scored — 73 pts73 - 0 Rotherham at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 13 April 2002
  • Most tries in a match — 12Rotherham away to Manchester on 6 April 2002
  • Most conversions in a match — 9Worcester at home to Henley Hawks on 19 January 2002
  • Most penalties in a match — 9Manchester at home to Wakefield on 15 December 2001
  • Most drop goals in a match — 3Exeter Chiefs away to Rotherham on 10 November 2001

    • [10] [11] [12] [13]

    Player

    Most points in a match — 32 Sateki Tuipulotu for Worcester at home to Henley Hawks on 19 January 2002
  • Most tries in a match — 5 (x2) Chris Garrard for Worcester at home to Otley on 9 March 2002
    Michael Wood for Rotherham at home to Birmingham & Solihull on 13 April 2002
  • Most conversions in a match — 8 (x2) Tony Yapp for Worcester at home to Henley Hawks on 19 January 2002
    Link Wilfley for Rotherham at home to Moseley on 30 March 2002
  • Most penalties in a match — 9 Marcus Barrow for Manchester at home to Wakefield on 15 December 2001
  • Most drop goals in a match — 3 Chris Malone for Exeter Chiefs away to Rotherham on 10 November 2001

    • [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

    Attendances

    Highest — 4,800Worcester at home to Rotherham on 22 September 2001
  • Lowest — 150 (x2)Bracknell at home to Exeter Chiefs on 2 March 2002
    Moseley at home to Rugby Lions on 23 March 2002
  • Highest Average Attendance — 2,376Worcester
  • Lowest Average Attendance — 369Wakefield

    • [19]

    See also

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: ZURICH PREMIER LEAGUE RUGBY UNION: HOT BATH TURN THE HEAT HIGH; ROTHERHAM 12 BATH 68 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160504220631/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-73218416.html . dead . 4 May 2016 . Sunday Mirror . 15 April 2001 .
    2. Web site: National League Two . englandrugby.com/ . 28 April 2001 .
    3. Web site: Rotherham denied promotion . BBC News . 9 May 2002 .
    4. Web site: FAQs . Premiership Rugby . 16 January 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160205141530/http://www.premiershiprugby.com/premiership/faqs.php . 5 February 2016 .
    5. Web site: Leagues 2001/02. Moseley Rugby club. 12 August 2012.
    6. Book: The Official RFU Club Directory 2002–2003. 2002. Queen Anne Press.. Harpenden. Stephen McCormack.
    7. Web site: National One 01/02 Home attendances . Rugby Statbunker. 27 April 2002.
    8. Web site: National One 01/02 Leading point scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 27 April 2002.
    9. Web site: National One 01/02 Leading try scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 27 April 2002.
    10. Web site: National One 01/02 Most tries in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    11. Web site: National One 01/02 Most conversions in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    12. Web site: National One 01/02 Most penalties in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    13. Web site: National One 01/02 Most drop goals in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    14. Web site: National One 01/02 Most points in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    15. Web site: National One 01/02 Most tries in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    16. Web site: National One 01/02 Most conversions in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    17. Web site: National One 01/02 Most penalties in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    18. Web site: National One 01/02 Most drop goals in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .
    19. Web site: National One 01/02 Home attendance . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2002 .

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