2015 County Championship Plate

{{About||the first tier of the English Counties competition|2015 Bill Beaumont Cup|the third tier of the English Counties competition|2015 County Championship Shield}} {{Infobox rugby union season | name = 2015 County Championship Plate | image = | date = 15 May 2016 - 31 May 2015 | countries = {{flag|England}} | champions = Surrey | count = 1 | runnersup = Eastern Counties | relegated = | matches = | highest attendance = 640 Devon v North Midlands (16 May 2015) | attendance = 2,310 (average 247 per match) | lowest attendance = 112 North Midlands v Surrey (9 May 2015) | tries = | top point scorer = {{flagicon|ENG}}Matt Noble<br>Surrey 39 | top try scorer = {{flagicon|ENG}}Ryan Jeffrey<br>Surrey 6 | prevseason = 2014 | nextseason = 2016 }}

The '''2015 County Championship Plate''', also known as '''Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2''', was the 14th 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 four in the south, with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New counties to the division included North Midlands and Northumberland who were demoted from the 2014 Bill Beaumont Cup while Surrey came up from the 2014 County Championship Shield having beaten Leicestershire the previous year in the Shield final having won the competition three years in a row.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/north-midlands-relegated/ |title=North Midlands relegated |publisher=North Midlands RFU |date=24 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/northumberland-22-yorkshire-36-relegation-7169640 |title=Northumberland 22 Yorkshire 36: Relegation blow for beaten North |publisher=Chronicle Live |date=25 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Surrey-make-County-Championship-Shield-titles-row/story-21172811-detail/story.html |title=Surrey make it three County Championship Shield titles in a row at Twickenham |publisher=Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser |date=1 June 2014 |access-date=19 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220001/http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Surrey-make-County-Championship-Shield-titles-row/story-21172811-detail/story.html |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surreyrugby.com/displayarticle.asp?a=778&c=37 |title=Surrey Enters The Bill Beaumont Cup |publisher=Surrey Rugby |date=30 April 2014 |access-date=2015-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074834/http://www.surreyrugby.com/displayarticle.asp?a=778&c=37 |archive-date=2015-05-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

At the end of the group stage the northern division was won by Eastern Counties who edged out Northumberland while the southern division was won with ease by Surrey who steamrolled through their group. The counties went through to the final and as group winners will be promoted to the top tier with Surrey making it two promotions in a row. Surrey then defeated Eastern Counties in the early kickoff at Twickenham Stadium, winning 17 – 3, in what was their fourth consecutive Twickenham appearance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Super-Surrey-Twickenham-home/story-26606198-detail/story.html |title=Super Surrey call Twickenham their home once again |publisher=Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser |date=31 May 2015 |access-date=31 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601052032/http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Super-Surrey-Twickenham-home/story-26606198-detail/story.html |archive-date=1 June 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In terms of individual player performances the top try scorer was Surrey's Ryan Jeffrey who got six tries in the tournament – all coming in the one game against North Midlands.

==Competition format== The competition format was two regional group stages divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. In the north group each team played one home game (there were three teams in the group) while in the south group, two teams in the group had two home games, while the other two had just the one. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 31 May 2015,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.twrfc.com/news/england-v-barbarians-sunday-31-may-2015-ko-3pm-1365028.html |title=ENGLAND V BARBARIANS SUNDAY 31 MAY 2015 K.O. 3pm |publisher=Tunbridge Wells RFC |date=21 January 2015 |access-date=19 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518084205/http://www.twrfc.com/news/england-v-barbarians-sunday-31-may-2015-ko-3pm-1365028.html |archive-date=18 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with both teams also being promoted to the top tier for the following season. Typically there was no relegation although teams have dropped out of the division in the past.

==Participating counties and ground locations==

{{location map+ |England |float= |width=395 |caption= Locations of the 2015 County Championship Plate county teams|places= {{location map~ |England |lat=50.395140 |long=-3.51392 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Brixham (Devon)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=50.738308 |long=-4.00426 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Okehampton (Devon)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=52.205337 |long=0.121816 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Cambridge (Eastern Counties)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=52.1337 |long=-0.4577 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Bedford (East Midlands)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=52.456891 |long=-2.148730 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Stourbridge (North Midlands)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=55 |long=-1.6 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Northumberland)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=51.015344 |long=-3.106849 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Taunton (Somerset)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=51.403928 |long=-0.412931 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Sunbury-on-Thames (Surrey)</div>|position=right}} }}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !width=25%|County !width=25%|Stadium(s) !width=25%|Capacity !width=25%|City/Area |- |East Midlands |Putnoe Woods |500 |Bedford, Bedfordshire |- |Eastern Counties |University Football Ground |1,500 |Cambridge, Cambridgeshire |- |Devon |Astley Park<br>Showground |1,800<br>1,120 (120 seats) |Brixham, Devon<br>Okehampton, Devon |- |North Midlands |Stourton Park |3,500 (499 seats) |Stourbridge, West Midlands |- |Northumberland |Kingston Park |10,200 |Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear |- |Somerset |Hyde Park |2,000 (198 seats) |Taunton, Somerset |- |Surrey |Hazelwood |2,000 |Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey |- |}

==Group stage==

===Division 2 North===

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- |colspan="15" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"|<!--

--> {|border="0" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" |- |width=20% style="border:0px"| |style="border:0px"|'''2015 County Championship Plate Division 2 North Table''' |width=20% style="border:0px" align=right| |} |- ! width="20"| ! width="195"|County ! width="20"|Played ! width="20"|Won ! width="20"|Drawn ! width="20"|Lost ! width="20"|Points For ! width="20"|Points Against ! width="20"|Points Difference ! width="20"|Try Bonus ! width="20"|Losing Bonus ! width="20"|Points |- bgcolor=#d8ffeb align=center | 1 || style="text-align:left;" | Eastern Counties '''(P)''' || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 64 || 37 || 27 || 1 || 0 || '''9''' |- | 2 || style="text-align:left;" | Northumberland || 2 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 55 || 36 || 19 || 1 || 1 || '''6''' |- | 3 || style="text-align:left;" | East Midlands || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 28 || 74 || −46 || 0 || 0 || '''0''' |- |colspan="15"| *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 |-| style="text-align:left;" | |colspan="15" style="border:0px;font-size:85%;"| <span style="background:#d8ffeb">Green background</span> 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: 13 May 2015'''<br>Source: {{cite web | url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2014-2015/ | title=County Championships | publisher=englandrugby.com}} |} ====Round 1==== {{rugbybox |date = 9 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = East Midlands |score = 10–36 |report = [http://northumberlandrugbyunion.com/article/2015/5/11/east-midlands-10-northumberland-36 Report] |away = Northumberland (BP) |stadium = Putnoe Woods, Bedford |attendance = 152 |referee = Robbie Bourke }} <ref name=ref1>{{cite news|title=Bill Beaumont Cup|work=The RUGBYPaper|issue=347|publisher=Rugby Paper Ltd|date=10 May 2015|pages=32–33 & 36}}</ref><ref name=ref2>{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/ |title=County Championships Results: 2015 |publisher=englandrugby.com |date=31 May 2015 }}</ref> ---- ====Round 2==== {{rugbybox |date = 16 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Eastern Counties |score = 38–18 |report =[http://www.ecrurugby.com/news/ecru-senior-xv-defeat-emru-38-to-18-10101/ Report] |away = East Midlands |stadium = University Football Ground, Cambridge |attendance = 250 |referee = Veryan Boscawen }} <ref name=ref3>{{cite news|title=Bill Beaumont Cup|work=The RUGBYPaper|issue=38|publisher=Rugby Paper Ltd|date=17 May 2015|pages=28–30}}</ref><ref name=ref2/> ----

====Round 3==== {{rugbybox |date = 23 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Northumberland |score = 19–26 |report = [http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/northumberland-19-26-eastern-counties-twickenham-9317658 Report] |away = Eastern Counties |stadium = Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne |attendance = 258 |referee = Mick Harris }} <ref name=ref4>{{cite news|title=Bill Beaumont Cup|work=The RUGBYPaper|issue=349|publisher=Rugby Paper Ltd|date=24 May 2015|pages=24–26}}</ref><ref name=ref2/>

===Division 2 South===

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- |colspan="15" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"|<!--

--> {|border="0" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" |- |width=20% style="border:0px"| |style="border:0px"|'''2015 County Championship Plate Division 2 South Table''' |width=20% style="border:0px" align=right| |} |- ! width="20"| ! width="195"|County ! width="20"|Played ! width="20"|Won ! width="20"|Drawn ! width="20"|Lost ! width="20"|Points For ! width="20"|Points Against ! width="20"|Points Difference ! width="20"|Try Bonus ! width="20"|Losing Bonus ! width="20"|Points |- bgcolor=#d8ffeb align=center | 1 || style="text-align:left;" | Surrey '''(P)''' || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 152 || 81 || 71 || 3 || 0 || '''15''' |- | 2 || style="text-align:left;" | North Midlands || 3 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 99 || 103 || −4 || 2 || 0 || '''10''' |- | 3 || style="text-align:left;" | Somerset || 3 || 1 || 0 || 2 || 86 || 138 || −52 || 2 || 0 || '''6''' |- | 4 || style="text-align:left;" | Devon || 3 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 86 || 101 || −13 || 2 || 2 || '''4''' |- |colspan="15"| *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 |-| style="text-align:left;" | |colspan="15" style="border:0px;font-size:85%;"| <span style="background:#d8ffeb">Green background</span> 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: 13 May 2015'''<br>Source: {{cite web | url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2014-2015/ | title=County Championships | publisher=englandrugby.com}} |} ====Round 1==== {{rugbybox |date = 9 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = North Midlands |score = 17–60 |report = [http://www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/north-midlands-beaten-county-championship-opener/ Report] |away = Surrey (BP) |stadium = Stourton Park, Stourbridge |attendance = 112 |referee = Chris Bennett }} {{rugbybox |date = 9 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Somerset |score = 34–31 |report = [http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/MATCH-REPORT-Somerset-34-Devon-31/story-26470610-detail/story.html Report] |away = Devon (2BP) |stadium = Hyde Park, Taunton |attendance = 203 |referee = Phil Davies }} <ref name=ref1/><ref name=ref2/> ---- ====Round 2==== {{rugbybox |date = 16 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Devon |score = 24–34 |report = [http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/MATCH-REPORT-Devon-24-North-Midlands-34/story-26514911-detail/story.html Report] |away = North Midlands (BP) |stadium = Astley Park, Brixham |attendance = 640 |referee = Benedict Wiles }} {{rugbybox |date = 16 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Surrey |score = 59–33 |report = [http://surreyrugby.co.uk/230-match-report-county-championship-surrey-v-somerset Report] |away = Somerset (BP) |stadium = Hazelwood, Sunbury-on-Thames |attendance = 278 |referee = John Scully }} <ref name=ref3/><ref name=ref2/> ----

====Round 3==== {{rugbybox |date = 23 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Devon |score = 31–33 |report = [http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/MATCH-REPORT-Devon-31-Surrey-33/story-26559697-detail/story.html Report] |away = Surrey (BP) |stadium = Showground, Okehampton |attendance = 242 |referee = Adam Leal }} {{rugbybox |date = 23 May 2015 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) North Midlands |score = 48–19 |report = |away = Somerset |stadium = Stourton Park, Stourbridge |attendance = 175 |referee = Alex Thomas }} <ref name=ref4/><ref name=ref2/>

==Final==

{{rugbybox |date = 31 May 2015 |time = 10:00 |home = Surrey |score = 17–3 |report = [http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Super-Surrey-Twickenham-home/story-26606198-detail/story.html Report] |away = Eastern Counties |stadium = Twickenham Stadium, London |attendance = |referee = }} <ref name=ref2/>

==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 {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right" |- !County !Home<br>Games !Total !Average !Highest !Lowest !% Capacity |- | style="text-align:left"| Devon || 2 || 882 || 441 || 640 || 242 || 29% |- | style="text-align:left"| Eastern Counties || 1 || 250 || 250 || 250 || 250 || 17% |- | style="text-align:left"| East Midlands || 1 || 152 || 152 || 152 || 152 || 30% |- | style="text-align:left"| North Midlands || 2 || 287 || 144 || 175 || 112 || 4% |- | style="text-align:left"| Northumberland || 1 || 258 || 258 || 258 || 258 || 3% |- | style="text-align:left"| Somerset || 1 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 10% |- | style="text-align:left"| Surrey || 1 || 278 || 278 || 278 || 278 || 14% |- |}

==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. {{Col-start}} {{Col-2}}

=== Top points scorers=== {|class="wikitable" ! Rank !! Player !! County !! Club Side !! Appearances !! Points |- | 1 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Matt Noble || Surrey || Dorking || 4 || 39 |- | 2 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Simmons || Devon || Teignmouth || 3 || 36 |- | 3 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Ryan Jeffrey || Surrey || Dorking || 1 || 30 |- | 4 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Hall || Somerset || Cleve || 3 || 26 |- | 5 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} James Stokes || Eastern Counties || Cambridge || 3 || 22 |- |} {{Col-2}}

===Top try scorers=== {|class="wikitable" ! Rank !! Player !! County!! Club Side !! Appearances !! Tries |- | 1 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Ryan Jeffrey || Surrey || Dorking || 1 || 6 |- | rowspan=3| 2 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Will Crow || Surrey || Dorking || 3 || 3 |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} Tom Goodman || Devon || Brixham || 3 || 3 |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} Sam Montieri || North Midlands || Bromsgrove || 3 || 3 |- | 5 ||{{flagicon|ENG}} Mike Terelak || Surrey || Dorking || 4 || 3 |- |} {{Col-end}}

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * [http://www.ncarugby.org/index.php NCA Rugby] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701021407/http://www.ncarugby.org/index.php |date=2015-07-01 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plate}} 2015 Category:2014–15 County Championship