| 2014 County Championship Plate | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Date | 10 May 2014 - 1 June 2014 |
| Champions | Kent (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Durham County |
| Attendance | 2,298 (average 383 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 1,200 Kent v Somerset (24 May 2014) |
| Lowest attendance | 150 East Midlands v Eastern Counties (10 May 2014) |
| Top point scorer | Ben Summers (Kent) 32 |
| Top try scorer | Cameron Mitchell Ian Wilson (both Durham County) 3 |
The 2014 County Championship Plate, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2, was the 13th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organized 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 South or National League 2 North). The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with three teams in the north division and three in the south, with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New teams to the division included Durham County and Kent who were relegated from the 2013 Bill Beaumont Cup.[1]
By the end of the group stage, both Durham County and Kent, relegated the previous season, made an instant return to the first division by winning their respective groups with relative ease. At the final at Twickenham, Kent were comfortable winners, defeating Durham County 31-23 to claim their first title at Twickenham for 28 years.[2][3]
Competition format
The competition format involved six teams divided into two regional group stages of three teams each, divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 1 June 2014.
Participating counties and ground locations
Brixham (Devon)
Darlington (Durham)
Bury St Edmunds (Eastern Counties)
Wellingborough (East Midlands)
Rochester (Kent)
Bridgwater (Somerset)
Locations of the 2014 County Championship Plate county teams
| County | Stadium(s) | Capacity | City/Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devon | Astley Park | 1,800 | Brixham, Devon |
| Durham County | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 | Darlington, County Durham |
| East Midlands | Cut Throat Lane | N/A | Wellingborough, Northamptonshire |
| Eastern Counties | The Haberden | 3,000 | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk |
| Kent | Priestfields | N/A | Rochester, Kent |
| Somerset | Bath Road | 5,000 | Bridgwater, Somerset |
Group stage
Division 2 North
| |||||||||||||||||
| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham County (P) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 21 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||
| 2 | East Midlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||
| 3 | Eastern Counties | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 64 | -25 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background means the county qualified for the final and is also promoted to the Division 1 North of the Bill Beaumont Cup for the following season. Updated: 24 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||
Round 1
| 10 May 2014 15:00 |
| (BP) East Midlands | 27 - 26 | Eastern Counties (2BP) |
| Cut Throat Lane, Wellingborough Attendance: 150 Referee: Michael Harris |
Round 2
| 17 May 2014 14:15 |
| Eastern Counties | 13 - 37 | Durham County (BP) |
| Report |
| The Haberden, Bury St Edmunds Attendance: 220 Referee: Simon Dodds |
Round 3
| 24 May 2014 15:00 |
| Durham County | 24 - 8 | East Midlands |
| Report |
| Blackwell Meadows, Darlington Attendance: 245 Referee: Steven Bennett |
Division 2 South
| |||||||||||||||||
| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent (P) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 26 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||
| 2 | Somerset | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 43 | -14 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
| 3 | Devon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 54 | -22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background means the county qualified for the final and is also promoted to the Division 1 South of the Bill Beaumont Cup for the following season. Updated: 24 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||
Round 1
| 10 May 2014 14:30 |
| Somerset | 20 - 15 | Devon (BP) |
| Report |
| Bath Road, Bridgwater Attendance: 194 Referee: Luis Caviglia |
Round 2
| 17 May 2014 14:30 |
| Devon | 17 - 34 | Kent (BP) |
| Report |
| Astley Park, Brixham Attendance: 289 Referee: Guy Steel-Bodger |
Round 3
Final
Total season attendances
- Does not include final at Twickenham which was a neutral venue and involved teams from all three county divisions on the same day
| County | Home Games |
Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon | 1 | 289 | 289 | 289 | 289 | 16% |
| Durham County | 1 | 245 | 245 | 245 | 245 | 8% |
| East Midlands | 1 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | |
| Eastern Counties | 1 | 220 | 220 | 220 | 220 | 7% |
| Kent | 1 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Somerset | 1 | 194 | 194 | 194 | 194 | 4% |
Individual statistics
- Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances comes 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). Statistics also include final.
Top points scorers
|
Top try scorers
|
See also
References
- ^ "County Championships Results: 2012-13". England Rugby. 18 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Kent 31-23 Durham". News Shopper. 3 June 2014.
- ^ "RUGBY REPORT: Durham 23 Kent 31, Durham lose County Championship final at Twickenham". News Shopper. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ a b "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 295. Rugby Paper Ltd. 11 May 2014. pp. 30–32.
- ^ a b c d e f "County Championships Results: 2013-14". englandrugby.com. 1 June 2014.
- ^ a b "ECRU vs East Midlands". Eastern Counties Rugby Union. 10 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 296. Rugby Paper Ltd. 18 May 2014. pp. 26–27 & 34.
- ^ a b "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 297. Rugby Paper Ltd. 25 May 2014. pp. 28–29.
- ^ "Durham County v East Midlands". Darlington RFC (Pitchero). 24 May 2014.
- ^ "Somerset Vs Devon". Devon RFU. 10 May 2014.
- ^ "Devon Vs Kent". Devon RFU. 17 May 2014.
External links
- NCA Rugby Archived 2015-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
This page was last edited on 30 June 2023, at 19:00