2012–13 National League 2 South

2012–13 National League 2 South
Countries	England
Champions	Henley Hawks
Runners-up	Worthing Raiders (also promoted)
Relegated	Barking, Lydney
Matches played	210
Attendance	76,158 (average 363 per match)
Highest attendance	3,270 Henley Hawks at home against Worthing Raiders on 4 May 2013
Lowest attendance	67 Barking at home against Taunton Titans on 30 March 2013
Top point scorer	Mark Woodrow (Dings Crusaders) 289 points
Top try scorer	Ian Clark (Hartpury College) 20 tries
← 2011–12 2013–14 →

The 2012–13 National League 2 South was the fourth season (26th overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. The league system was 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 would go straight up into National League 1 while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from National League 2 North (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.

Henley Hawks, as champions, were promoted to the third tier (2013–14 National League 1) for next season, along with Worthing Raiders who finished second. Worthing beat the 2012–13 National League 2 North runners up Stourbridge 28–26 to win the annual promotion playoff. Barking and Lydney were both relegated to National League 3 South West and National League 3 London & SE respectively with Barking winning just one game in what was a very poor season. As well as winning the league Henley Hawks also saw a divisional record attendance at Dry Leas with 3,270 fans turning up to the last game of the season - the championship decider against Worthing Raiders which Henley won 55 - 27 to seal the title for the Oxfordshire club.^[1]

Participating teams

Twelve of the teams listed below participated in the 2011–12 National League 2 South season. Barking were relegated from National League 1 after just one season and both Bournemouth and Chinnor were promoted from National League 3 South West. Rugby Lions were on the original fixture list after winning promotion from National League 3 Midlands but during July 2012 they went into liquidation and were unable to participate in the division, leaving fifteen teams instead of the usual sixteen.^[2]

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area
Barking	Goresbrook	1,000	Barking, London
Bournemouth	Chapel Gate		Bournemouth, Dorset
Canterbury	Merton Lane		Canterbury, Kent
Chinnor	Kingsey Road	2,000	Thame, Oxfordshire
Clifton	Station Road	2,500 (400 seats)	Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, Bristol
Dings Crusaders	Landseer Avenue	1,500	Lockleaze, Bristol
Hartpury College	College Stadium	2,000	Hartpury, Gloucestershire
Henley Hawks	Dry Leas	4,000	Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Launceston	Polson Bridge	6,000	Launceston, Cornwall
Lydney	Regentsholme	1,500	Lydney, Gloucestershire
Redruth	The Recreation Ground	12,000	Redruth, Cornwall
Shelford	The Davey Field	2,000 (150 seats)	Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire
Southend Saxons	Warners Bridge Park		Southend, Essex
Taunton Titans	Hyde Park, Bathpool	2,000	Taunton, Somerset
Worthing Raiders	Roundstone Lane	1,000+ (100 seats)	Angmering, West Sussex

^[3]

League table

2012–13 National League 2 South Final Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Difference	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
1	Henley Hawks (C)	28	24	0	4	1261	446	815	21	3	120
2	Worthing Raiders (P)	28	24	0	4	1075	511	564	19	2	117
3	Hartpury College	28	21	1	6	1032	458	574	18	5	109
4	Redruth	28	19	0	9	822	609	213	14	4	94
5	Shelford	28	19	0	9	717	644	73	15	2	93
6	Chinnor	28	14	0	14	720	798	–78	16	4	76
7	Launceston	28	14	1	13	711	568	143	11	5	74
8	Canterbury	28	12	0	16	715	736	–21	13	2	63
9	Dings Crusaders	28	13	0	15	635	738	–103	7	5	59
10	Taunton Titans	28	10	0	18	725	823	−98	12	6	58
11	Southend Saxons	28	10	0	18	644	894	–250	10	5	55
12	Clifton	28	9	0	19	653	940	−287	11	6	53
13	Bournemouth	28	10	0	18	635	803	−168	9	3	52
14	Lydney (R)	28	9	0	19	484	756	−272	2	7	45
15	Barking (R)	28	1	0	27	337	1442	−1105	2	1	7
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: 11 May 2013

^{[4] [5]}

Results

Round 1

Bye: Worthing Raiders

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Round 2

Bye: Chinnor

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Round 3

Bye: Redruth

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Round 4

Bye: Hartpury College

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Round 5

Bye: Dings Crusaders

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Round 6

Bye: Shelford

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Round 7

Bye: Henley Hawks

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Round 8

Bye: Southend Saxons

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Round 9

Bye: Clifton

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Round 10

Bye: Taunton Titans

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Round 11

Bye: Launceston

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Round 12

Bye: Lydney

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Round 13

• Postponed. Game to be rescheduled to 1 December 2012.

Bye: Bournemouth

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Round 13 (Rescheduled Game)

• Game rescheduled from 24 November 2012.

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Round 14

Bye: Barking

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Round 15

Bye: Canterbury

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Round 16

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Bye: Chinnor

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Round 17

Bye: Redruth

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Round 18

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

Bye: Hartpury College

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Round 19

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013.

Bye: Dings Crusaders

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Round 20

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

Bye: Shelford

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Round 21

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013.

Bye: Henley Hawks

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Rounds 16, 19 & 21 (Rescheduled Games)

• Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

• Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 2 February 2013.

• Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

• Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

• Rescheduled from 22 December 2012.

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Round 22

Bye: Southend Saxons

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Rounds 18 & 19 (Rescheduled Games)

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 12 January 2013.

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Round 23

Bye: Clifton

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Round 24

Bye: Taunton Titans

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Rounds 19 & 20 (Rescheduled Games)

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 26 February 2013.

• Rescheduled from 19 January 2013.

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Round 25

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 May 2013.

Bye: Launceston

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Round 26

Bye: Lydney

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Round 27

Bye: Bournemouth

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Round 28

Bye: Barking

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Round 29

Bye: Canterbury

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Round 30

Bye: Worthing Raiders

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Rounds 20 & 25 (Rescheduled Games)

• Rescheduled from 26 January 2013.

• Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

• Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

• Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

• Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

• Rescheduled from 26 January 2013.

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Round 25 (Rescheduled Game)

• Rescheduled from 23 March 2013.

Promotion play–off

Each season, the runners–up in the National League 2 South and National League 2 North participate in a play–off for promotion into National League 1. The team with the best playing record, in this case northern runners up Stourbridge, would gain the home advantage with southern runners up Worthing Raiders having to travel up to the Midlands for the game.