The
2002–03 National Division One (for sponsorship reasons known as the Jewson National Division One) was the 16th full season of
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 ...
within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the
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 ...
. New teams to the division included
Orrell Orrell may refer to:
*Orrell, Greater Manchester, a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
**Orrell (ward), an electoral ward of the Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
*Orrell, Merseyside, an urban area east of Bootle, in the Metropolitan Bo ...
and
Plymouth Albion
Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club who play in Plymouth, England. The present club was founded in 1920 from a merger between Plymouth RFC (founded 1876) and Devonport Albion RFC (founded 1876). Since 2003 they have pl ...
who were promoted from
2001–02 National Division Two
The 2001–02 National Division Two was the second version (fifteenth overall) of the third division of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included Orrell and Waterloo wh ...
while no team was relegated from the
2001-02 Zurich Premiership as
Rotherham's ground was not deemed suitable for top flight games.
For the second year in a row
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 ...
, were champions, and this year they were promoted to the
Zurich Premiership
Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition. The Premiership has consisted of thirteen clubs since 2021, and is the ...
for season
2003–04 with
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
finishing as runners–up for the third consecutive season.
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
and
Rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
were relegated to the
2003–04 National Division Two
The 2003–04 National Division Two was the fourth version (seventeenth overall) of the third division of the English rugby union league system using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included Moseley and Rugby Lions who ...
.
Participating teams
Table
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 11
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Round 12
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Round 13
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Round 14
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 April 2003.
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Round 15
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 February 2003.
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Round 16
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Round 17
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
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Round 18
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 April 2003.
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Round 19
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Round 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003..
*Game rescheduled from 4 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 4 January 2003.
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Round 21 (rescheduled game)
*Game brought forward from 1 March 2003.
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Round 20
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Round 21
*Game brought forward to 19 February 2003.
*Game postponed. Rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 April 2003.
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Round 15, 17 & 21 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 25 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 March 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
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Round 22
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Rounds 15 & 21 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 March 2003.
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Round 23
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Rounds 18, 21 & 26 (rescheduled games)
*Game brought forward from 26 April 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 March 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
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Round 24
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Round 25
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Round 14 (rescheduled game)
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Round 26
*Game brought forward to 5 April 2003.
Total Season Attendances
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 — 99 pts
102 - 3 Rotherham at home to Moseley on 6 October 2002
;Largest away win — 68 pts
75 - 7 Rotherham away to Moseley on 8 February 2003
;Most points scored — 102 pts
102 - 3 Rotherham at home to Moseley on 6 October 2002
;Most tries in a match — 14 (x2)
Exeter Chiefs at home to Rugby Lions on 14 September 2002
Rotherham at home to Moseley on 6 October 2002
;Most conversions in a match — 10 (x3)
Rotherham at home to Moseley on 6 October 2002
Rotherham away to Moseley on 8 February 2003
Worcester away to Moseley on 22 March 2003
;Most penalties in a match — 8 (x2)
Bedford Blues at home to Otley on 2 November 2002
Coventry at home to Exeter Chiefs on 9 April 2003
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3)
Plymouth Albion at home to Wakefield on 8 February 2003
Bedford Blues at home to Plymouth Albion on 23 March 2003
Exeter Chiefs at home to Plymouth Albion on 19 April 2003
Player
;Most points in a match — 37
Ramiro Pez
Ramiro Pez (born 6 December 1978 in Córdoba, Argentina) is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer who normally plays at fly-half. In 2008-09, he joined the newly promoted French Top 14 club Toulon, having been signed from Venezia Mestre i ...
for Rotherham at home to Moseley on 6 October 2002
;Most tries in a match — 4 (x4)
Drew Hickey for Orrell at home to Rugby Lions on 1 September 2002
Dan Ward-Smith
Daniel Ward-Smith (born 2 January 1978) is a former New Zealand-born English rugby union player who played at number eight for Bristol & London Wasps. He also covered flanker and second row, which made him a useful forward to have in the Wasps ...
for Plymouth Albion away to Rugby Lions on 26 October 2002
Dan Ward-Smith
Daniel Ward-Smith (born 2 January 1978) is a former New Zealand-born English rugby union player who played at number eight for Bristol & London Wasps. He also covered flanker and second row, which made him a useful forward to have in the Wasps ...
for Plymouth Albion at home to Manchester on 4 January 2003
Duncan Roke for Worcester away to Rugby Lions on 26 April 2003
;Most conversions in a match — 10 (x2)
Ramiro Pez
Ramiro Pez (born 6 December 1978 in Córdoba, Argentina) is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer who normally plays at fly-half. In 2008-09, he joined the newly promoted French Top 14 club Toulon, having been signed from Venezia Mestre i ...
for Rotherham at home to Moseley on 6 October 2002
Jon Benson for Rotherham away to Moseley on 8 February 2003
;Most penalties in a match — 8 (x2)
James Pritchard for Bedford Blues at home to Otley on 2 November 2002
Luke Smith for Coventry at home to Exeter Chiefs on 9 April 2003
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3)
Tom Barlow for Plymouth Albion at home to Wakefield on 8 February 2003
Ed Barnes for Bedford Blues at home to Plymouth Albion on 23 March 2003
Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs at home to Plymouth Albion on 19 April 2003
Attendances
;Highest — 5,700
Worcester at home to Rotherham on 12 April 2003
;Lowest — 250
Wakefield at home to Rugby Lions on 2 November 2002
;Highest Average Attendance — 2,460
Worcester
;Lowest Average Attendance — 360
Wakefield
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 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Division 1
2002–03 in English rugby union leagues
2002-03