rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
RFU Championship
The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men’s English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when ...
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
National League 1
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
. For the first time Premiership Two, along with the Premiership, was sponsored by the assurance company
Allied Dunbar
Allied Dunbar was a large British life assurance group. In its early years it was known as Hambro Life Assurance and was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. However it was acquired by BAT Indust ...
. For the previous ten seasons the league was known as the Courage Clubs Championship and sponsored by
Courage Brewery
Courage Brewery was an English brewery, founded by John Courage in 1787 in London, England.
History
Courage & Co Ltd was started by John Courage at the Anchor Brewhouse in Horsleydown, Bermondsey in 1787. He was a Scottish shipping agent of Fr ...
.
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
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 in ...
. 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, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
in a two legged play-off, while fourth placed
Rotherham
Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
lost to
London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
. 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
Michael Anthony Rayer (born 21 July 1965) Scrum.com is a former
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
Michael Anthony Rayer (born 21 July 1965) Scrum.com is a former
Mike Rayer
Michael Anthony Rayer (born 21 July 1965) Scrum.com is a former
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
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England cons ...