2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2

The 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2 was the 18th version of the competition that is part of the annual English rugby union County Championship organised by the RFU for the tier 2 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system (typically National League 1, National League 2 North or National League 2 South). The counties were divided into two regional sections with the winners of each meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium.

For the first tier of the English Counties competition, see 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 1. For the third tier of the English Counties competition, see 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3.
2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2
Countries England
Date4 May 2019 - 8 June 2019
Top point scorer Joe Wilson
(Leicestershire)
44 points
Top try scorer Callum Dacey
(Leicestershire)
4 tries

At the end of the group stage, Leicestershire were dominant in Pool 1, winning all three games (albeit one which was a walkover), including an impressive win against a strong East Midlands side, while Surrey were equally impressive in topping Pool 2, also winning three out of three. In the final, Leicestershire finished as convincing winners with an emphatic 38 – 13 victory over Surrey, in what was their second division title in three years.

Competition format

The competition format is two regional group stages divided into north and south with four teams in each group. This means that two teams in the pool had two home games, while the other two had just one. The RFU have taken fixtures from the previous year into account so that county sides that only played one home game in that competition now get two games and vice versa. At the end of the group stage the top teams with the best record from each group (north and south) advance to the final held on 2 June 2019 at Twickenham Stadium.

Promotion and relegation occurs every two seasons, with accumulated points taken into consideration. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Durham (north) and Hampshire (south) were promoted to Division 1, replacing East Midlands (north) and Surrey (south) who dropped down into Division 2.[1] Cumbria and North Midlands were relegated into Division 3, being replaced by promoted sides, Essex and Sussex.[2][3][4] There will now be no promotion or relegation until the end of the 2020 competition.

Participating Counties and ground locations

Group stage

Division 2 North
2019 Bill Beaumont Division 2 North Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Leicestershire (Q)330010720872015[a 1]
2East Midlands320110756512010
3Warwickshire310290172-82105
4Staffordshire300352108-5610-4[a 2]
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the final. Updated: 18 May 2019
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1
4 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) East Midlands 42 – 27 Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Waverley Road, Kettering
Referee: Matthew Astle
4 May 2019
15:00
Leicestershire C – C Staffordshire
Memorial Ground, Coaville
  • Game cancelled after Staffordshire could not raise a side. Leicestershire awarded a 5 point win by default, while Staffordshire were given a 5 point deduction.

[6][7]

Round 2
11 May 2019
15:00
Staffordshire 0 – 45 East Midlands (1 BP)
East Midlands
Cooke Fields, Lichfield
11 May 2019
15:00
Warwickshire 0 – 78 Leicestershire (1 BP)
Warwickshire
Liberty Way, Nuneaton
Referee: Peter Caunt

[6][8]

Round 3
18 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) Leicestershire 29 – 20 East Midlands
Vipers Ground, Whetstone
18 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) Staffordshire 52 – 63 Warwickshire (1 BP)
Hartwell Lane, Barlaston

[6][9]

Division 2 South
2019 Bill Beaumont Division 2 South Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Surrey (Q)330014457873015
2Somerset31021041022318
3Sussex310290900105
4Essex310249138-89105
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the final. Updated: 18 May 2019
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1
4 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) Surrey 31 – 14 Sussex
Molesey Road, Hersham
4 May 2019
15:15
(1 BP) Essex 27 – 24 Somerset (2 BP)
Latton Park, Harlow

[10][7]

Round 2
11 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) Surrey 46 – 24 Somerset (1 BP)
Molesey Road, Hersham
11 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) Sussex 47 – 3 Essex
Sussex
Roundstone Lane, Angmering

[10][8]

Round 3
18 May 2019
15:00
Essex 19 – 67 Surrey (1 BP)
Ilford Wanderers Sports Ground, Ilford, London
18 May 2019
15:00
(1 BP) Somerset 56 – 29 Sussex (1 BP)
Commsplus Stadium, Taunton

[10][9]

Final
8 June 2019
15:00
Leicestershire 38 – 13 Surrey
Twickenham Stadium, London

Individual statistics
  • Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included). Statistics also include final. Unfortunately due to poor press reporting the majority of scorers outside of the East Midlands, Leicestershire and Surrey teams are unknown.

Competition records

Notes
  1. Leicestershire awarded a 5 point win against Staffordshire who could not raise a side.
  2. Staffordshire deducted 5 points for failing to raise a side for their game against Leicestershire.
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See also

References
  1. "Durham Men triumphant at Twickenham to take Bill Beaumont Division Two Championship title". Durham County RFU. 27 May 2018.
  2. "County Championship draws made". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  3. "County events schedule". Essex RFU (Pitchero). Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  4. "County Championships". Sussex Rugby (Pitchero). Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  5. "County Senior Championship - East Midlands v Warwickshire - Saturday 4th May". Kettering RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  6. "Bill Beaumont Division 2 - Pool 1". England Rugby. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  7. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (555). Rugby Paper Ltd. 5 May 2019. pp. 28–30.
  8. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (556). Rugby Paper Ltd. 12 May 2019. pp. 22–23 & 26.
  9. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (557). Rugby Paper Ltd. 19 May 2019. pp. 22–23 & 26.
  10. "Bill Beaumont Division 2 - Pool 2". England Rugby. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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