The 2011–12 National League 2 North was the third season (twenty-fifth overall) of the
fourth tier (north) of the English domestic
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 ...
competitions since the professionalised format of the
second division was introduced. The league system was 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into National League 1 while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from
National League 2 South
National League 2 South (known before September 2009 as National Division Three South) was a level four league in the English rugby union system until the end of season 2021–22. It was one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, N ...
(at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.
After two years of missing out on promotion via the playoffs,
Loughborough Students went one better and won the league title outright, being easily the best side in the division and finishing 22 points clear of the rest of the pack to gain promotion to the
2012–13 National League 1.
While Loughborough Students were clear winners the battle for second place was much tighter with
Caldy
Caldy (historically spelt Calday) is a small, affluent village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, south-east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward (country subdivision), Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wi ...
eventually taking the runners up place just 1 point ahead of
Preston Grasshoppers
Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club is an England, English rugby union team from Preston, Lancashire. The men's senior team play in the RFU National League 2 North, a level 4 league in the RFU league pyramid.
History
The club was founde ...
and
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
. Caldy's luck would run out in the promotion playoff, however, losing 20 - 13 away to
2011–12 National League 2 South runners up
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
.
Apart from Kendal who were the first team to go down, it was very tightly contested at the bottom of the table as with bonus points paying a huge role in determining
Nuneaton's relegation, with the Nun's 10 victories being supplanted with just 6 bonus points. The final side to go down was
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...
who finished 1 point adrift of 13th placed
Leicester Lions, with more wins than the Leicestershire side but not enough bonus points. Kendal and Harrogate would drop to
National League 3 North while Nuneaton would fall to
National League 3 Midlands
Regional 1 Midlands (until 2021–22 known as Midlands Premier and up until 2016–17 known as National League 3 Midlands) is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When ...
.
Participating teams and locations
Twelve of the teams listed below participated in the
2010–11 National League 2 North season;
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...
were relegated from the
2010–11 National League 1,
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about north-east of Worcester and south-west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 34,755 in at the 2021 census. It gives its name to the wider Bromsgrove District, of which it is ...
(champions) and
Sheffield Tigers (playoffs) would come up from
National League 3 Midlands
Regional 1 Midlands (until 2021–22 known as Midlands Premier and up until 2016–17 known as National League 3 Midlands) is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When ...
while
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...
were promoted as champions of
National League 3 North.
Final league 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
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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
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 February 2012.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 February 2012.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 February 2012.
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Round 20
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Round 21
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Round 19 (rescheduled games)
*Initially rescheduled from 14 January 2012 but postponed again. Game rescheduled to 25 February 2012.
*Initially rescheduled from 14 January 2012 but postponed again. Game rescheduled to 25 February 2012.
*Initially rescheduled from 4 February 2012 but postponed again. Game rescheduled to 25 February 2012.
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Round 22
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 February 2012.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to ?.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to ?.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to ?.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to ?.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to ?.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 February 2012.
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Round 23
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Rounds 19 & 22 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 4 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 4 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 4 February 2012.
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Round 24
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Round 25
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Round 22 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
*Game rescheduled from 11 February 2012.
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Round 26
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Round 27
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Round 28
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Round 29
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Round 30
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Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in the National League 2 North and
National League 2 South
National League 2 South (known before September 2009 as National Division Three South) was a level four league in the English rugby union system until the end of season 2021–22. It was one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, N ...
participate in a play-off for promotion into
National League 1
National One, up until 2023 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 Lea ...
.
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
were runners-up in the South and would host the game as they had a better record in the league in comparison to the North runners up
Caldy
Caldy (historically spelt Calday) is a small, affluent village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, south-east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward (country subdivision), Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wi ...
.
[
]
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 — 85 pts
90 - 5 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
;Largest away win — 40 pts
50 - 10 Loughborough Students away to Nuneaton on 3 December 2011
;Most points scored — 90 pts (x2)
90 - 5 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
90 - 20 Luctonians at home to Kendal on 28 April 2012
;Most tries in a match — 14 (x2)
Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
Luctonians at home to Kendal on 28 April 2012
;Most conversions in a match — 10 (x3)
Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
Bromsgrove at home to Westoe on 21 April 2012
Luctonians at home to Kendal on 28 April 2012
;Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2)
Preston Grasshoppers away to Sheffield Tigers on 8 October 2011
Harrogate at home to Leicester Lions on 28 April 2012
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Nuneaton at home to Caldy on 27 August 2011
Player
;Most points in a match — 35
Dominic Moon for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
;Most tries in a match — 7
Dominic Moon for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
;Most conversions in a match — 10 (x2)
Nathan Fowles for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Otley on 14 April 2012
Ben Copson for Bromsgrove at home to Westoe on 21 April 2012
;Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2)
Graham Holroyd for Preston Grasshoppers away to Sheffield Tigers on 8 October 2011
Jack Latus for Harrogate at home to Leicester Lions on 28 April 2012
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Lee Chapman for Nuneaton at home to Caldy on 27 August 2011
Attendances
;Highest — 1,214
Loughborough Students at home to Nuneaton on 20 April 2012
;Lowest — 100 (x7)
Loughborough Students at home to Huddersfield on 24 September 2011
Leicester Lions at home to Otley on 8 October 2011
Leicester Lions at home to Kendal on 5 November 2011
Leicester Lions at home to Westoe on 26 November 2011
Leicester Lions at home to Hull Ionians on 21 January 2012
Leicester Lions at home to Caldy on 3 March 2012
Leicester Lions at home to Huddersfield on 17 March 2012
;Highest Average Attendance — 430
Luctonians
;Lowest Average Attendance — 129
Leicester Lions
See also
* English Rugby Union Leagues
* 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 consi ...
* Rugby union in England
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which invol ...
References
External links
NCA Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:National2
2011-12
2011–12 in English rugby union leagues