The 2010–11 National League 2 South was the second season (24th overall) of the
fourth tier 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
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 ...
while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from
National League 2 North
National League 2 North is one of three level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in Northern England. The remainder of England is covered by the two counterpart leagues National L ...
(at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.
Ealing Trailfinders
Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the reigning RFU Championship champions of 2024–25 but were considered ineligible for promotion to Premiership Rugby a ...
finished the season as champions pipping newly promoted
Jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
to the title by just four points in a season where both sides dominated the league. Jersey did join Ealing in the
2011–12 National League 1
The 2011–12 National League 1 is the third season of the National League 1, third division of the England, English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, second division was introduced. Birmi ...
by beating the
2010–11 National League 2 North runners up
Loughborough Students in a playoff game watched by 3,000 fans in
Saint Peter, Jersey
St Peter (; Jèrriais: ) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is around north-west of St Helier. The parish has a population of 5,003. It has a surface area of .
It is the only parish with two separate coastlines, s ...
.
At the opposite end of the table,
Newbury Blues had a terrible season, suffering a third consecutive relegation dropping to
National League 3 South West, having won just one game and conceded over 2,000 points (a divisional all-time worst which also included a record 132–0 defeat by
Old Albanian
Albanian (endonym: , , or ) is an Indo-European language and the only surviving representative of the Albanoid branch, which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan group. It is the native language of the Albanian people. Standard Albanian is the offi ...
). Joining Newbury in relegation would be
Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughborough, and is about halfway between L ...
who dropped 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 ...
, while the third and final place went to the wire with relegation rivals
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
and
Westcombe Park
Westcombe Park is a largely residential area in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South East London, England. It is bounded by the main London-Dartford railway line to the north, the Blackwall Tunnel southern approach to the east, ...
meeting in a rescheduled game on the 7 May 2011 – a week after the season had finished. Westcombe Park won 25–18 at Canterbury to condemn the Kent side to
National League 3 London & SE
Regional 1 South East (formerly known as London & South East Premier and National League 3 London & South East) is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 ...
. The season was also notable for the incredible try scoring feats of
Ealing Trailfinders
Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the reigning RFU Championship champions of 2024–25 but were considered ineligible for promotion to Premiership Rugby a ...
winger
Phil Chesters
Phil Chesters (born 29 October 1987) is an English rugby union player who is currently playing for Chinnor in National League 1 having signed for the club for the 2017-18 season.
Prior to that he had made his name at Ealing Trailfinders where ...
who scored an amazing 70 tries in 27 games – an English league record, as well as the dedicated support for
Jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
who had regular attendances of over a thousand – outstanding for tier 4. Chesters also became the first top try scorer in the league to also become the top points scorer as well.
Participating teams
Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the
2009–10 National League 2 South season;
Newbury Blues were relegated from
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 ...
,
Jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
(champions) and
Old Albanian
Albanian (endonym: , , or ) is an Indo-European language and the only surviving representative of the Albanoid branch, which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan group. It is the native language of the Albanian people. Standard Albanian is the offi ...
(playoffs) were promoted from
National League 3 London & SE
Regional 1 South East (formerly known as London & South East Premier and National League 3 London & South East) is a level five league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When this division began in 1987 ...
while
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
were promoted from
National League 3 South West. In order to address an imbalance between divisions –
Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughborough, and is about halfway between L ...
were transferred from
National League 2 North
National League 2 North is one of three level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in Northern England. The remainder of England is covered by the two counterpart leagues National L ...
having achieved a late promotion 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 ...
as a consequence of
Ampthill
Ampthill () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It lies between Bedford, Bedfordshire, Bedford and Luton. At the 2021 census it had a population of 8,825.
Histor ...
being stripped of that divisions title due to a breach of RFU rules.
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
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2010.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2010.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2010.
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Round 14
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 February 2011.
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Round 15
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2011.
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Round 16
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 7 May 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 26 April 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2011.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 2011.
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Round 17
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Round 18
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Round 19
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Round 20
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Rounds 13, 15 & 16 (Rescheduled games)
*Rescheduled from 27 November 2010.
*Rescheduled from 27 November 2010.
*Rescheduled from 27 November 2010.
*Rescheduled from 11 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 27 November 2010.
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Round 21
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Round 22
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Round 14 (Rescheduled games)
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 4 December 2010.
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Round 23
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Round 24
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Rounds 15 & 16 (Rescheduled games)
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 11 December 2010.
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
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Round 25
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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 16 (Rescheduled game)
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
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Round 30
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Round 16 (Rescheduled game)
*Rescheduled from 18 December 2010.
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Promotion play-off
Each season, the runners-up in the National League 2 South and
National League 2 North
National League 2 North is one of three level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in Northern England. The remainder of England is covered by the two counterpart leagues National L ...
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 ...
.
Jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
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
Loughborough Students.
[
]
Total season attendances
*Note that a large number of attendances are missing due to poor record keeping (see below for more detail). Also be aware that Jersey's playoff game does not count in the regular season attendances.
Individual statistics
* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Does not include North–South playoff game.
Top points scorers
Top try scorers
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 132 pts
132–0 Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011
;Largest away win — 80 pts
90–10 Ealing Trailfinders away to Newbury on 22 January 2011
;Most points scored — 132 pts
132–0 Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011
;Most tries in a match — 20 (x3)
Jersey at home to Newbury Blues on 6 November 2011
Ealing Trailfinders at home to Hinckley on 12 March 2011
Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011
;Most conversions in a match — 16 (x2)
Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011
Ealing Trailfinders at home to Lydney on 30 April 2011
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Dings Crusaders at home to Southend on 6 November 2011
;Most drop goals in a match — 1
N/A – multiple teams
Player
;Most points in a match — 37
Richard Gregg for Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011
;Most tries in a match — 7 (x2)
Phil Chesters
Phil Chesters (born 29 October 1987) is an English rugby union player who is currently playing for Chinnor in National League 1 having signed for the club for the 2017-18 season.
Prior to that he had made his name at Ealing Trailfinders where ...
for Ealing Trailfinders at home to Newbury Blues on 2 October 2010
Phil Chesters
Phil Chesters (born 29 October 1987) is an English rugby union player who is currently playing for Chinnor in National League 1 having signed for the club for the 2017-18 season.
Prior to that he had made his name at Ealing Trailfinders where ...
for Ealing Trailfinders at home to Lydney on 30 April 2011
;Most conversions in a match — 16
Richard Gregg for Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Mitch Burton for Dings Crusaders at home to Southend on 6 November 2011
;Most drop goals in a match — 1
N/A – multiple players
Attendances
;Highest — 2,000
Jersey at home to Richmond on 12 February 2011
;Lowest — 50
Hinckley at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 6 November 2010
;Highest Average Attendance — 1,103
Jersey
;Lowest Average Attendance — 99
Hinckley
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 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
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
2010–11 in English rugby union leagues