2008–09 National Division Two

2008–09 National Division Two
Countries	England
Champions	Birmingham & Solihull
Runners-up	Cambridge
Relegated	Waterloo, Mounts Bay, Southend, Westcombe Park
Matches played	181
Attendance	98,968 (average 547 per match)
Highest attendance	2,218 Redruth at home to Mounts Bay on 20 December 2008
Lowest attendance	131 Westcombe Park at home to Wharfedale on 29 November 2008
Top point scorer	Mark Woodrow Birmingham & Solihull 373 points
Top try scorer	Simon Hunt Birmingham & Solihull 31 tries

The 2008-09 National Division Two was the ninth and final version (twenty second overall) of the third division of the English rugby union league system using the name National Division Two. The RFU was planning to introduced a new professionalized format of the second division for the 2009-10 season which would lead to widespread league changes throughout the English league system including National Two being renamed National One and being increased from the 14 teams to 16 teams – a decision they made halfway through the season (more information on these changes is provided in the Divisional Changes section below).^[1] New teams to the division included Birmingham & Solihull (known the following season as Pertemps Bees) and Launceston who were relegated from the 2007–08 National Division One while promoted teams included Tynedale coming up from the 2007–08 National Division Three North while Mounts Bay (champions) and Cinderford (playoffs) both from the 2007–08 National Division Three South.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

At the end of the season Birmingham & Solihull made an instant return to the (newly named) 2009-10 RFU Championship.^[7] They edged out runners up Cambridge by just 3 points due to the virtue of a superior bonus points record after both sides finished with 22 wins and 4 defeats each. At the bottom of the table Waterloo, Mounts Bay, Southend and Westcombe Park were relegated with Westcombe Park and Southend dropping to the 2009–10 National League 2 South and Waterloo falling to the 2009–10 National League 2 North.^{[8][9][10][11]} The relegation of Mounts Bay was particularly potent as it led to the club going out of business in June 2009 due to spiraling debts and an inability to cope with the increase of professionalism in the game.^[12][13]

Halfway through the season the RFU proposed to have a total restructuring of the league system. Resulting in many changes to the division:

• The league will be increased to 16 teams
• The league will be renamed National Division One
• Only one team would be promoted instead of the usual two, to the new Guinness Championship
• Five teams would be relegated into the division instead of the usual two
• Fours teams would be promoted from National Division Three North and National Division Three South (two teams each) instead of the usual three

Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area
Birmingham & Solihull	Sharmans Cross Road	2,500	Solihull, West Midlands
Blackheath	Rectory Field	6,000	Blackheath, London
Blaydon	Crow Trees	2,000 (400 seats)	Swalwell, Tyne and Wear
Cambridge	Grantchester Road	2,200 (200 seats)	Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Cinderford	Dockham Road	2,500	Cinderford, Gloucestershire
Launceston	Polson Bridge	3,000	Launceston, Cornwall
Mounts Bay	Mennaye Field	3,500	Penzance, Cornwall
Redruth	Recreation Ground	3,500 (580 seats)	Redruth, Cornwall
Southend	Warners Bridge Park		Southend, Essex
Stourbridge	Stourton Park	3,500 (499 seats)	Stourbridge, West Midlands
Tynedale	Tynedale Park	2,000 (400 seats)	Corbridge, Northumberland
Waterloo	St Anthony's Road	9,000 (200 seats)	Blundellsands, Merseyside
Westcombe Park	Goddington Dene	3,200 (200 seats)	Orpington, London
Wharfedale	The Avenue	2,000	Threshfield, Craven, North Yorkshire

2008–09 National Division Two table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	B	Pts
1	Birmingham & Solihull (P)	26	22	0	4	1098	462	+636	23	111
2	Cambridge	26	22	0	4	908	434	+474	20	108
3	Redruth	26	19	1	6	752	411	+341	16	94
4	Tynedale	26	18	1	7	667	513	+154	15	89
5	Cinderford	26	16	0	10	728	598	+130	13	77
6	Blackheath	26	14	1	11	691	612	+79	13	71
7	Launceston	26	13	1	12	695	578	+117	16	70
8	Stourbridge	26	11	0	15	642	583	+59	18	62
9	Wharfedale	26	11	0	15	546	641	−95	15	59
10	Blaydon	26	9	1	16	599	609	−10	17	55
11	Westcombe Park (R)	26	9	1	16	468	746	−278	10	48
12	Southend (R)	26	5	0	21	574	797	−223	12	32
13	Mounts Bay (R)	26	6	0	20	399	844	−445	7	29[a]
14	Waterloo (R)	26	4	0	22	432	1371	−939	7	23

^[14]

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 April 2009.

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 7 February 2009.

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 10 April 2009.

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.

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• Game rescheduled from 20 December 2008.

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• Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

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• Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.

• Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

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• Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 20 December 2008.

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• Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

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• Game rescheduled from 29 November 2008.

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• Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

• Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

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• Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Club	Home Games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Birmingham & Solihull	13	7,522	579	1,177	314	23%
Blackheath	13	9,164	705	1,498	363	12%
Blaydon	13	5,205	400	752	205	20%
Cambridge	13	7,980	614	1,380	350	28%
Cinderford	13	6,760	520	815	240	21%
Launceston	13	11,746	904	1,911	582	30%
Mounts Bay	13	6,178	475	1,500	136	14%
Redruth	13	15,212	1,170	2,218	820	33%
Southend	12[b 1]	4,415	368	495	200
Stourbridge	13	6,150	473	650	300	14%
Tynedale	13	6,046	465	810	210	23%
Waterloo	13	3,574	275	450	174	3%
Westcombe Park	13	3,035	233	531	131	7%
Wharfedale	13	5,981	460	598	368	23%

• Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances will come first. Also note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

• English Rugby Union Leagues
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

• NCA Rugby Archived 2015-07-01 at the Wayback Machine