National League 2 South

Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2019–20 National League 2 South season. The 2019–20 champions Taunton Titans and Tonbridge Juddians, who won the (virtual) promotion play-off against Caldy, were promoted into the 2021–22 National League 1, while Canterbury were relegated into the division from the 2019–20 National League 1. Sides relegated from the 2019–20 National League 2 South included Sutton & Epsom (to London & SE Premier), Bournemouth and Old Redcliffians (both to South West Premier).

The promoted teams were Barnstaple who come up as champions of South West Premier while Rochford Hundred (champions) and Guernsey Raiders (virtual play-off) came up from London & South East Premier. Hinckley were level transferred into the division from National League 2 North in order to address an imbalance of teams in National 2, with Taunton and Tonbridge Juddians being promoted and only Canterbury dropping down from National League 1.

Fifteen of the sixteen teams from 2021–22 were placed into one of the other level four leagues for 2022–23. Barnes, Bury St. Edmunds, Canterbury, Guernsey Raiders, Henley Hawks, Old Albanian, Rochford Hundred, Westcliff and Worthing Raiders were transferred to the newly-created National League 2 East while Barnstaple, Clifton, Dings Crusaders, Hinckley, Leicester Lions and Redruth were transferred to another new level four league, National League 2 West. The 2021–22 champions, Esher, were promoted to National League 1. No teams were relegated to level five.

Team Stadium Capacity City/Area Previous season Barnes Barn Elms 500 Barnes, London 12th Barnstaple Pottingham Road 2,000 (575 seats) Barnstaple, Devon Promoted from South West Premier (champions) Bury St Edmunds The Haberden 3,000 (135 seats) Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 6th Canterbury Marine Travel Ground 1,500 (75 seats) Canterbury, Kent Relegated from 2019–20 National League 1 (15th) Clifton Station Road 2,500 (400 seats) Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, Bristol 5th Dings Crusaders Shaftsbury Park 2,250 (250 seats) Frenchay, Bristol 11th Esher Molesey Road 3,500 Hersham, Surrey 8th Guernsey Raiders Footes Lane 5,000 (720 seats) Saint Peter Port, Guernsey Promoted from London & South East Premier (virtual play-off) Henley Hawks Dry Leas 4,000 Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire 4th Hinckley De Montfort Park 2,000 Hinckley, Leicestershire Level-transfer from National 2 North (3rd) Leicester Lions Westleigh Park 2,000 Blaby, Leicestershire 7th Old Albanian Woollam's Playing Fields 1,000 St Albans, Hertfordshire 10th Redruth The Recreation Ground 3,500 (580 seats) Redruth, Cornwall 3rd Rochford Hundred The Rugby Park 1,000 Hawkwell, Rochford, Essex Promoted from London & South East Premier (champions) Westcliff The Gables 1,000 Eastwood, Essex 13th Worthing Raiders Roundstone Lane 1,500 (100 seats) Angmering, West Sussex 9th

Barnes Barnstaple Bury St Edmunds Canterbury Clifton Dings Esher Guernsey Henley Hinckley Leicester Lions Old Albanian Redruth Rochford Westcliff Worthing class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2021–22 National League 2 South teams

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020–21 season was cancelled.

Area League South edit

National 4 South edit

National Division 4 edit

Division 4 South edit

National 2 South edit

National Division 3 South edit

National League 2 South edit

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Until the 2021–22 season there was a promotion play-off between the league runners-up of National League 2 North and National League 2 South for the third and final promotion place to National League 1. The team with the superior league record has home advantage. As of the end of the 2019–20 season the southern teams have been more successful with fourteen wins to the northern teams four, while the home side has won thirteen teams to the away sides five.

^{[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] [52][53][54][55][25][56][57][58]}

Note that all records are from 1996–97 season onwards as this is widely held as the dawn of professionalism across the English club game. It also offers a better comparison between seasons as the division team numbers are roughly equal (for example when league rugby union first started in 1987–88 the southern league had only 11 teams playing 10 games each, compared to 14 teams in 1996–97 playing 26 games (home & away), going up to 16 teams in 2009–10 playing 30 games each). Attendance records are from 2000 onwards unless otherwise specified. All records are up to date up till the end of the 2018–19 season.

League records edit

• Most titles: 2

Barking (2004–05, 2009–10)

Henley Hawks (2012–13, 2014–15)

Cambridge (2005–06, 2015–16)

• Most times promoted from division: 3

Henley Hawks (1997–98, 2012–13, 2014–15)

• Most times relegated from division: 3

Havant (1998–99, 2002–03, 2008–09)

Barnes (2009–10, 2011–12, 2016–17)

• Most league points in a season: 143

Cinderford (2017–18)

• Fewest league points in a season: 0

Metropolitan Police (1999–00)^[59]

Camberley (2002–03)

• Most points scored in a season: 1,490

Ealing Trailfinders (2010–11)

• Fewest points scored in a season: 270

Camberley (2002–03)

• Most points conceded in a season: 2,055

Newbury Blues (2010–11)

• Fewest points conceded in a season: 240

Plymouth Albion (2000–01)

• Best points difference (For/Against): 1,066

Ealing Trailfinders (2010–11)

• Worst points difference (For/Against):-1,676

Newbury Blues (2010–11)

• Most games won in a season: 29

Cinderford (2017–18)

• Most games lost in a season: 29

Newbury Blues (2010–11)

Launceston (2015–16)

• Most games drawn in a season: 4

Rugby Lions (2008–09)

Barnes (2015–16)

• Most bonus points in a season: 30

Bishop's Stortford (2014–15)

Match records edit

• Largest home win: 132 – 0

Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011 (2010–11)

• Largest away win: 85 – 3

Henley Hawks away to Barking on 27 October 2012 (2012–13)

• Most points scored in a match: 132

Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011 (2010–11)

• Most tries scored in a match: 20

Jersey at home to Newbury Blues on 6 November 2011 (2010–11)

Ealing Trailfinders at home to Hinckley on 12 March 2011 (2010–11)

Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011 (2010–11)

• Most conversions scored in a match: 16

Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011 (2010–11)

Ealing Trailfinders at home to Lydney on 30 April 2011 (2010–11)

• Most penalties scored in a match: 7

Blackheath at home to Redruth on 14 December 2002 (2002–03)

Hertford at home to Rosslyn Park on 30 September 2006 (2006–07)

Clifton at home to Lydney on 21 October 2006 (2006–07)

Dings Crusaders at home to Southend on 6 November 2011 (2010–11)

Launceston at home to Hartpury College on 28 September 2013 (2013–14)

Launceston away to Dings Crusaders on 27 September 2014 (2014–15)

• Most drop kicks scored in a match: 3

Westcombe Park at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 5 December 2009 (2009–10)

Player records edit

• Most times top points scorer: 3

Matthew McLean for Worthing Raiders (2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19)

Gary Kingdom for Taunton Titans (2014–15, 2015–16, 2019–20)

• Most times top try scorer: 2

Phil Chesters for Ealing Trailfinders (2009–10, 2010–11)

Ian Clark for Hartpury College (2011–12, 2012–13)

• Most points in a season: 374

Nat Saumi for Penzance & Newlyn (2000–01)

• Most tries in a season: 70

Phil Chesters for Ealing Trailfinders (2010–11))

• Most points in a match: 45

Adam Westall for Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 (2004–05)

• Most tries in a match: 7

James O'Brien for Old Patesians at home to Old Colfeians on 27 March 2004 (2003–04)

Phil Chesters for Ealing Trailfinders at home to Newbury Blues on 2 October 2010 and at home to Lydney on 30 April 2011 (2010–11)

• Most conversions in a match: 16

Richard Gregg for Old Albanian at home to Newbury Blues on 26 March 2011 (2010–11)

• Most penalties in a match: 7

Jonathan Griffin for Blackheath at home to Redruth on 14 December 2002 (2002–03)

Kieron Davies for Hertford at home to Rosslyn Park on 30 September 2006 (2006–07)

John Barnes for Clifton at home to Lydney on 21 October 2006 (2006–07)

Mitch Burton for Dings Crusaders at home to Southend on 6 November 2011 (2010–-11)

Luke Cozens for Hartpury College away to Dings Crusaders on 17 November 2012 (2012–13)

Danial Trigg for Dings Crusaders away to Lydney on 1 December 2012 (2012–13)

Kieron Lewitt for Launceston away to Dings Crusaders on 27 September 2014 (2014–15)

• Most drop kicks in a match: 3

Lee Audis for Westcombe Park at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 5 December 2009 (2009–10)

Attendance records edit

^[k]

• Highest attendance (league game): 3,270

Henley Hawks at home to Worthing Raiders on 4 May 2013 (2012–13)

• Lowest attendance (league game): 0

Tonbridge Juddians at home to Sutton & Epsom on 21 December 2019 (2019–20)

• Highest attendance (promotion playoff): 4,000

Redruth at home to Macclesfield on 1 May 2005 (2004–05)

• Lowest attendance (promotion playoff): 473

Old Albanian at home to Sedgley Park on 14 May 2016 (2015–16)

• Highest average attendance (club): 1,281

Plymouth Albion (2000–01)

• Lowest average attendance (club): 96

Old Patesians (2006–07)

• Highest average attendance (season): 573 (2000–01)
• Lowest average attendance (season): 292 (2009–10)

All time National League 2 South top 10 point scorers edit

As of the end of the games of 27 April 2019. Stats taken from 1998–99 season onwards and include regular league games only in National League 2 South (no promotion play-off games). Points scored includes tries, drop kicks, penalties and conversions.^[60]

Rank	Nat	Name	Years	Club(s)	Points	Apps	Ratio
1		Matthew McLean	2008–13, 2014–	Worthing Raiders	2,314	237	9.8
2		Gary Kingdom	2010–	Taunton Titans	1,979	245	8.1
3		Adam Westall	2002–03, 2004–08 2008–10	Lydney Dings Crusaders	1,368	130	11
4		Andy Frost	2005–07, 2009–13 2014–15	Southend Saxons Dorking	1,302	117	11
5		Derek Coates	2000–03 2003-04	Westcombe Park Blackheath	1,183	99	12
6		Kieron Lewitt	2007–09 2011–15	Canterbury Launceston	1,134	131	9
7		James Comben	2009–13, 2014–15	Henley Hawks	924	103	9
8		Tom Best	2009–11 2012–	Canterbury	858	202	4.2
9		Bradley Barnes	2012–14, 2015- 2014–15	Clifton Lydney	830	168	4.9
10		Tom White	2014–17	Old Elthamians	778	85	9.2

(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 2 South)

All time National League 2 South top 10 try scorers edit

As of the end of the games of 27 April 2019. Stats taken from 1998–99 season onwards and include regular league games only in National League 2 South (no promotion play-off games).^[61]

Rank	Nat	Name	Years	Club(s)	Tries	Apps	Ratio
1		Phil Chesters	2009–11 2017 2017–	Ealing Trailfinders Old Elthamians Chinnor	117	75	1.6
2		Matthew McLean	2008–13, 2014–	Worthing Raiders	115	237	0.5
3		Andy Thorpe	2001–08	North Walsham	114	143	0.8
4		Michael Melford	2006–11, 2012–13	Canterbury	92	148	0.6
5		Mark Billings	2005–07, 2009–16	Southend	89	213	0.4
6		Alexander Nielsen	2008–13, 2014–17	Worthing Raiders	83	139	0.6
7		Owen Bruynseels	2007–11	Ealing Trailfinders	81	95	0.9
8		Nick Hankin	2013–17	Bishop's Stortford	80	119	0.7
		Gert De Kock	2003–05 2006–11	Westcombe Park Canterbury	80	166	0.5
		William Pomphrey	2009–	Clifton	80	175	0.5

(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 2 South)

• English rugby union system
• History of the English rugby union system
• National League 2 North
• National League 2 East
• National League 2 West

• NCA Rugby