The
1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two was the eleventh full season of
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
within the second tier of the
English league system, currently known as the
RFU Championship. New teams to the division included
West Hartlepoool and
Orrell who had been relegated from the
Courage Premiership 1996–97 while
Exeter
Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
and
Fylde were promoted from
National League 1. For the first time Premiership Two, along with the Premiership, was sponsored by the assurance company
Allied Dunbar. For the previous ten seasons the league was known as the Courage Clubs Championship and sponsored by
Courage Brewery.
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
, the champions, were promoted to the
Allied Dunbar Premiership for season
1998–99, along with runner-up
West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland.
The former town was originally formed ...
. From next season, the top two divisions would consist of fourteen teams, an increase of two per division. The bottom two teams in the top tier played the third and fourth teams in Premiership Two for the final two places in the top division. Third place
London Scottish won promotion by beating
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
in a two legged play-off, while fourth placed
Rotherham lost to
London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club that most recently competed in the Premiership Rugby, Premiership, the top division of rugby union in England. The club also participated in the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Champion ...
. There was no relegation to Jewson National League 1 because of the increase in teams in the top two divisions.
Participating teams
Final table
Results
Round 1
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Round 2
* match postponed and rescheduled to 25 April 1998.
* match postponed and rescheduled to 2 May 1998.
* match postponed and rescheduled to 18 April 1998.
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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
* postponed, match rescheduled to 24 January 1998.
* postponed, match rescheduled to 24 January 1998.
* postponed, match rescheduled to 18 April 1998.
* postponed, match rescheduled to 11 April 1998.
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Rescheduled match
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Round 14
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Round 13 (rescheduled matches)
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Round 15
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Round 16
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Rescheduled match
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Rescheduled matches
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Round 17
* postponed, match rescheduled to 4 April 1998.
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Round 18
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Round 19
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Round 17 (rescheduled match)
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Round 20 (including postponed match from round 13)
* postponed, match rescheduled to 22 April 1998.
* match rescheduled from round 13.
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Round 21 (including postponed matches from rounds 2 & 13)
* match rescheduled from round 2.
* match rescheduled from round 13.
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Round 20 (rescheduled match)
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Round 22
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Round 2 (rescheduled match)
Individual statistics
* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers
Top try scorers
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 74 pts
77 – 3 Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
;Largest away win — 60 pts
67 – 7 Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997
;Most points scored — 151 pts
77 – 3 Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
;Most tries in a match — 11
Bedford Blues at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
;Most conversions in a match — 8 (x3)
Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997
West Hartlepool at home to Fylde on 14 February 1998
;Most penalties in a match — 6 (x9)
N/A - multiple teams
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x4)
Exeter at home to Bedford on 13 September 1997
Moseley at home to Orrell on 25 October 1997
Coventry at home to West Hartlepool on 31 January 1998
Wakefield at home to Rotherham on 28 March 1998
Player
;Most points in a match — 32
Mike Rayer for Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
;Most tries in a match — 4 (x3)
John Clarke for Blackheath at home to Fylde on 20 September 1997
Jason Forster for Bedford at home to Fylde on 17 January 1998
Ben Wade for Rotherham at home to Exeter on 25 April 1998
;Most conversions in a match — 8 (x3)
Mike Rayer for Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
Mike Rayer for Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997
Steven Vile for West Hartlepool at home to Fylde on 14 February 1998
;Most penalties in a match — 6 (x9)
N/A - multiple players
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3)
Meeku Patidar for Exeter at home to Bedford on 13 September 1997
Matt Jones for Moseley at home to Orrell on 25 October 1997
Greg Miller for Wakefield at home to Rotherham on 28 March 1998
Attendances
*''Note that attendances were very poorly documented this season and there is no information available''
;Highest — N/A
N/A
;Lowest — N/A
N/A
;Highest Average Attendance — N/A
N/A
;Lowest Average Attendance — N/A
N/A
See also
*
English rugby union system
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allied Dunbar Premiership Two
1997–98 in English rugby union leagues
1997-98