| 1987–88 Courage League National Division Two | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Rosslyn Park (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Liverpool St Helens |
| Relegated | No relegation |
| Matches played | 65 |
| Top point scorer | 75 Andy Finnie Bedford |
| Top try scorer | 10 Dave McLagan Saracens[1] |
The 1987–88 Courage League National Division Two was the first full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. Each team played one match against the other teams, playing a total of eleven matches each. There was no set date for matches, clubs having to arrange the fixtures amongst themselves.[2] Rosslyn Park, the first champions, were promoted to the Courage League National Division One for season 1988–89 along with the runner-up, Liverpool St Helens. Although Northampton finished in last place they were not relegated to Courage League National Division Three for the following season. Almost all clubs in the national divisions reported an increase in attendances.[3][4]
Participating teams
London
Locations of the 1987–88 Courage League National Division Two teams
Greater London Courage League Division Two clubs
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | Goldington Road | 7,000 | Bedford, Bedfordshire |
| Blackheath | Rectory Field | 6,000 | Greenwich, London |
| Gosforth | North Road | Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | |
| Headingley | Bridge Road | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |
| Liverpool St Helens | Moss Lane | St Helens, Merseyside | |
| London Irish | The Avenue | 6,600 | Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey |
| London Scottish | Athletic Ground | 4,500 | Richmond, London |
| London Welsh | Old Deer Park | 5,850 | Richmond, London |
| Northampton Saints | Franklin's Gardens | 10,000 | Northampton, Northamptonshire |
| Richmond | Athletic Ground | 4,500 | Richmond, London |
| Rosslyn Park | The Rock | 2,000 | Roehampton, London |
| Saracens | Bramley Road | 2,000[5] | Enfield, London |
League table
| 1987–88 Courage League National Division Two Table | ||||||||||||||
| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Diff | Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosslyn Park | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 155 | 83 | 72 | 37 | |||||
| 2 | Liverpool St Helens | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 154 | 97 | 57 | 36 | |||||
| 3 | Saracens | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 228 | 86 | 142 | 34 | |||||
| 4 | Headingley | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 202 | 164 | 38 | 31 | |||||
| 5 | Bedford | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 152 | 139 | 13 | 31 | |||||
| 6 | Richmond | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 140 | 156 | –16 | 29 | |||||
| 7 | London Scottish | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 141 | 158 | –17 | 24 | |||||
| 8 | London Irish | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 120 | 177 | –57 | 24 | |||||
| 9 | London Welsh | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 153 | 185 | –32 | 22 | |||||
| 10 | Gosforth | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 99 | 129 | –30 | 17 | |||||
| 11 | Blackheath | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 102 | 187 | –85 | 17 | |||||
| 12 | Northampton | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 81 | 226 | –145 | 13 | |||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Green background are the promotion places, there was no relegation this season. | ||||||||||||||
Statistics
Team
- Record wins
- 50 – 3 London Scottish v Northampton
- 48 – 12 Saracens at Blackheath
- 38 – 3 Headingley v Northampton
- 34 – 0 Saracens v London Scottish
- Record away win
- 48 – 12 Saracens at Blackheath
- Most points scored in a match
- 60 12 – 48 Blackheath v Saracens
- 58 25 – 33 Bedford v Liverpool St Helens
- Most points scored but still lost
- 25 28 – 25 Richmond v Bedford
- 25 33 – 25 Bedford v Liverpool St Helens
- Highest scoring draw
- 24 24 – 24 London Welsh v London Scottish
- Fewest points scored in a match
- 6 6 – 0 Bedford v Blackheath
Player
- Most points in a match
- 26 Andy Mitchell for London Scottish v Northampton
- Most points in a season
- 75 Andy Finnie for Bedford
- Most tries in a match
- 3 Jerry Macklin for London Scottish v Northampton
Orsen Blewitt for Northampton v Bedford
John Roberts for Headingley v Northampton
Peter Shillingford for London Scottish v Northampton
- Most tries in a season
- 10 Dave McLagan for Saracens
Sponsorship
National Division Two is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and is sponsored by Courage Brewery
See also
References
- 1 2 Stephen McCormack, ed. (2002). The Official RFU Club Directory 2002–2003 (15th ed.). Harpenden: Queen Anne Press.
- ↑ "Courage Club Championship 1987/88". Moseley Rugby Club. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ↑ Stephen Jones, ed. (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89. London: Rothmans Publications Ltd.
- 1 2 Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd.
- ↑ "Saracens aim for bigger Wembley crowds following Premiership defeat of Worcester". The Telegraph. 15 February 2010.
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