2016–17 National League 2 South

2016–17 National League 2 South
Countries	England
Date	September 2016 – May 2017
Attendance	39,082 (average 349 per match)
Highest attendance	870 (x2) Redruth v Canterbury (5 November 2016) Redruth v Taunton Titans (3 December 2016)
Lowest attendance	53 Barnes v Canterbury (3 December 2016)
Top point scorer	Gary Kingdom (Taunton Titans) 166
Top try scorer	Dominic Lespierre (Old Elthamians) 14
← 2015–16 2017–18 →

The 2016–17 National League 2 South is the eight season (30th overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. New teams to the division include Henley Hawks and Cinderford (both relegated from National League 1 while Exmouth (champions) and Barnstaple were promoted from National League 3 South West along with London Irish Wild Geese who won National League 3 London & SE.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The league system is 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 are promoted to National League 1 while the second-placed team play-off against the second-placed team from National League 2 North (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.

Structure

The league consists of sixteen teams with all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches each. There is one automatic promotion place, one play-off place and three relegation places. The champions are promoted to the 2017–18 National League 1 and the runners-up play the second-placed team in the 2016–17 National League 2 North with the winner being promoted. The last three teams are relegated to either National League 3 London & SE or National League 3 South West depending on the geographical location of the team (in some cases teams may join the Midlands regional leagues).

Participating teams and locations

Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2015–16 National League 2 South season; Henley Hawks and Cinderford were relegated from the 2015–16 National League 1 while London Irish Wild Geese were promoted as champions of National League 3 London & SE and Exmouth (champions) and Barnstaple (playoffs) from National League 3 South West. This season would also see Old Elthamians move from the 500 capacity Queen Mary Sports Ground in Chiselhurst to College Meadow in Eltham.^[6][7]

Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Barnes	Barn Elms		Barnes, London	13th
Barnstaple	Pottington Road	1,200+ (600 seats)	Barnstaple, Devon	Promoted from National League 3 South West (playoffs)
Bishop's Stortford	Silver Leys		Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire	3rd
Bury St Edmunds	The Haberden		Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk	7th
Canterbury	Merton Lane		Canterbury, Kent	10th
Chinnor	Kingsey Road		Thame, Oxfordshire	6th
Cinderford	Dockham Road	2,500	Cinderford, Gloucestershire	Relegated from National League 1 (15th)
Clifton	Station Road	400 (seated)	Clifton, Bristol	12th
Exmouth	Imperial Recreation Ground		Exmouth, Devon	Promoted from National League 3 South West (champions)
Henley Hawks	Dry Leas	3,000	Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire	Relegated from National League 1 (16th)
London Irish Wild Geese	Hazelwood		Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey	Promoted from National League 3 London & SE (champions)
Old Elthamians	College Meadow		Eltham, Greenwich, London	9th
Redingensians Rams	Old Bath Road		Sonning, Reading, Berkshire	8th
Redruth	The Recreation Ground	12,000	Redruth, Cornwall	4th
Taunton Titans	Hyde Park (Bathpool)	2,000	Taunton, Somerset	5th
Worthing Raiders	Roundstone Lane		Angmering, West Sussex	11th

League table

2016–17 National League 2 South Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Try bonus	Losing bonus	Points
1	Chinnor	14	12	0	2	602	203	399	11	1	60
2	Old Elthamians	14	12	0	2	444	248	196	9	0	57
3	Bishop's Stortford	14	11	0	3	450	272	178	11	2	57
4	Taunton Titans	14	10	0	4	474	355	119	10	2	52
5	Redruth	14	10	0	4	411	288	123	8	1	49
6	Canterbury	14	8	0	6	404	333	71	7	5	44
7	Cinderford	14	7	1	6	318	347	-29	7	3	35[b 1]
8	Clifton	14	7	0	7	312	412	-100	4	2	34
9	Redingensians Rams	14	6	1	7	338	284	54	3	5	34
10	Bury St Edmunds	14	6	0	8	332	382	-50	5	3	32
11	Henley Hawks	14	5	0	9	327	422	-95	3	2	25
12	Worthing Raiders	14	5	0	9	283	386	-103	2	3	25
13	London Irish Wild Geese	14	3	0	11	310	443	-133	7	3	22
14	Barnstaple	14	4	1	9	242	458	-216	2	1	21
15	Barnes	14	2	2	10	270	413	-143	5	4	21
16	Exmouth	14	1	1	12	280	534	-254	5	3	14
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 3 December 2016 Source: "National League 2 South". NCA Rugby.

Notes

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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Attendances

• Does not include promotion play-off.

Club	Home Games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Barnes	8	1,057	132	265	53	N/A
Barnstaple	7	3,815	545	790	350
Bishop's Stortford	6	2,575	429	610	275	N/A
Bury St Edmunds	8	2,599	325	470	201	N/A
Canterbury	6	1,567	261	337	187	N/A
Chinnor	8	3,165	396	837	241	N/A
Cinderford	8	1,879	235	320	170
Clifton	6	912	152	210	78	N/A
Exmouth	8	1,935	242	327	191	N/A
Henley Hawks	7	2,325	332	365	285
London Irish Wild Geese	6	1,481	247	630	95	N/A
Old Elthamians	6	2,178	363	578	163	N/A
Redingensians Rams	8	1,979	247	429	96	N/A
Redruth	8	5,820	728	870	620
Taunton Titans	6	2,800	467	600	350
Worthing Raiders	6	2,995	499	625	361	N/A

^[22][24]

Individual statistics

• Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances is placed first (if they have the same number of games, then the less minutes played will rank first). Also 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). Does not include promotion playoff.

Season records

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

External links

• NCA Rugby