The 2012–13 National League 2 North was the third season (twenty-sixth overall) of the fourth tier (north) of the English domestic

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

competitions since the professionalised format of the

second division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

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 South National League 2 South (known before September 2009 as National Division Three South) was a level four league in the English rugby union system until the end of season 2021–22. It was one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, N ...

(at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place. The league title battle was extremely tight this year with

Hull Ionians Hull Ionians RUFC is a rugby union club in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The first team play in English rugby's National League 2 North, the fourth tier of the English rugby union system, following their relegation from National Leagu ...

eventually taking the championship and promotion to the

2013–14 National League 1 The 2013–14 National League 1, known for sponsorship reasons as the SSE National League 1 is the fifth season of the National League 1, third tier of the English domestic rugby union competitions, since the professionalised format of the second ...

ahead of

Stourbridge Stourbridge () is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Situated on the River Stour, Worcestershire, River Stour, the town lies around west of Birmingham, at the southwester ...

with both sides dead level on points but Ionians having more wins despite Stourbridge having a much better for/against record and more bonus points. As runners up Stourbridge faced the

2012–13 National League 2 South 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 wa ...

runners up Worthing Raiders in what would be a very close game - losing 26 - 28 to the south coast side - meaning that the Stourton Park-based side would not have an instant return to National League 1. At the other end of the table

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...

were easily the weakest team in the division and were the first to be relegated, with the more competitive

Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...

and

Westoe Westoe was originally a village near South Shields, in the South Tyneside district, in Tyne and Wear, England, but has since become part of the town and is now used to refer to the area of the town where the village once was. It is also an Wards o ...

being the other two sides to follow them by the end of the season. All three sides would drop down to National League 3 North for the following season.

Participating teams and locations

Twelve of the teams listed below participated in the

2011–12 National League 2 North The 2011–12 National League 2 North was the third season (twenty-fifth overall) of the fourth tier (north) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. The league sy ...

season;

and Birmingham & Solihull were relegated from the

2011–12 National League 1 The 2011–12 National League 1 is the third season of the National League 1, third division of the England, English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, second division was introduced. Birmi ...

while

Dudley Kingswinford Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union football club based in Kingswinford in the West Midlands. The club currently participate in the fifth tier of English club rugby, Regional 1 Midlands, following their relegatio ...

came up from

National League 3 Midlands Regional 1 Midlands (until 2021–22 known as Midlands Premier and up until 2016–17 known as National League 3 Midlands) is a level five semi-professional league in the English rugby union system. It is one of six leagues at this level. When ...

as playoff winners along with Darlington Mowden Park who were champions of National League 3 North.

Rugby Lions The Rugby Lions RFC, nicknamed ''The Lions'', is an English rugby union club based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The club plays its home matches at Webb Ellis Road. Its developmental squad is known as the Crusaders. The club also has a ladies team ...

had won the National League 3 Midlands title and were expected to join the

instead of National League 2 North but went into liquidation over the summer and dropped out of the leagues leaving the southern division with just 15 teams. The season also saw newly demoted Birmingham & Solihull move from ground-sharing with a local football team at

Damson Park Damson Park (known as the ARMCO Arena for sponsorship reasons) is an association football stadium in Solihull, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It was the new home of Solihull Borough F.C., Solihull Borough following their depart ...

to their former training base Portway. Another team would switch grounds during the season, with Darlington Mowden Park playing their first game at the 25,000 capacity The Northern Echo Arena (former home of the ill-fated football team

Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is an association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, England. As of the 2024-25 season, the team competes in the National League North, at the sixth level of English football. The club was founded in 188 ...

) on 2 February 2013 against

Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about north-east of Worcester and south-west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 34,755 in at the 2021 census. It gives its name to the wider Bromsgrove District, of which it is ...

Final league table

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

*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 December 2012. ----

Round 13 (rescheduled game)

*Game rescheduled from 24 November 2012. ----

Round 14

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Round 15

*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 February 2013. ----

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. ----

Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 February 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013. ----

Round 20

*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 March 2013. ----

Round 21

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Rounds 15 & 16 (rescheduled games)

*Game rescheduled from 22 December 2012. *Game rescheduled from 22 December 2012. *Game rescheduled from 22 December 2012. *Game rescheduled from 15 December 2012. *Game rescheduled from 22 December 2012. ----

Round 22

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Round 19 (rescheduled games)

*Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. ----

Round 23

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Round 24

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Round 20 (rescheduled games)

*Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 26 January 2013. ----

Round 25

*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013. *Game was initially postponed but would ultimately be cancelled due to fixture congestion at the end of the season and the result would not affect the final outcome of the league. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013. *Game was initially postponed but would ultimately be cancelled due to fixture congestion at the end of the season and the result would not affect the final outcome of the league. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 May 2013. *Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2013. ----

Round 26

*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 4 May 2013. ----

Round 27

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Round 28

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Round 29

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Round 30

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Rounds 19, 25 & 26 (rescheduled games)

*Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013. *Game rescheduled from 30 March 2013. *Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013. *Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. *Game rescheduled from 19 January 2013. ----

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

*Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013. ----

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

*Game rescheduled from 23 March 2013. ----

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners–up in the

and National League 2 North participate in a play–off for promotion into

National League 1 National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Lea ...

as runners-up in the north had the better league record than southern counterparts Worthing Raiders and would host the game.

Total season attendances

*Figures not including north-south promotion playoff.

Individual statistics

* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

Top points scorers

Top try scorers

Season records

Team

;Largest home win — 64 pts (x2) 69 - 5 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Huddersfield on 23 February 2013
83 - 19 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 ;Largest away win — 59 pts 64 - 5 Luctonians away to Huddersfield on 20 April 2013 ;Most points scored — 83 pts 83 - 19 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 ;Most tries in a match — 13 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 ;Most conversions in a match — 9 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 ;Most penalties in a match — 6 (x3) Darlington Mowden Park away to Birmingham & Solihull on 15 September 2012
Hull at home to Otley on 13 October 2012
Birmingham & Solihull at home to Bromsgrove on 17 November 2012 ;Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple times

Player

;Most points in a match — 33

Sean Taylor Sean Michael Maurice Taylor (April 1, 1983 – November 27, 2007) was an American professional football safety for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected fifth overall in the 2004 NFL draft by the Red ...

for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 ;Most tries in a match — 4 (x3) Shaun McCartney for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Bromsgrove on 2 February 2013
James Twomey for Otley at home to Dudley Kingswinford on 27 April 2013
Adam Birchall for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Luctonians on 11 May 2013 ;Most conversions in a match — 9

for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 ;Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Gregory Lound for Hull at home to Otley on 13 October 2012
Jack Jolly for Birmingham & Solihull at home to Bromsgrove on 17 November 2012 ;Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple players

Attendances

;Highest — 1,250 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Bromsgrove on 2 February 2013 ;Lowest — 90 Westoe at home to Darlington Mowden Park on 22 December 2012 ;Highest Average Attendance — 577 Stourbridge ;Lowest Average Attendance — 130 Leicester Lions

References

External links

NCA Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:National2 2012-13 2012–13 in English rugby union leagues

Participating teams and locations

Final league table

Results

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 13 (rescheduled game)

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Rounds 15 & 16 (rescheduled games)

Round 22

Round 19 (rescheduled games)

Round 23

Round 24

Round 20 (rescheduled games)

Round 25

Round 26

Round 27

Round 28

Round 29

Round 30

Rounds 19, 25 & 26 (rescheduled games)

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

Promotion play-off

Total season attendances

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Top try scorers

Season records

Team

Player

Attendances

See also

References

External links