{{About||the first tier of the English Counties competition|2016 Bill Beaumont Cup|the third tier of the English Counties competition|2016 County Championship Shield}} {{Infobox rugby union season | name = 2016 County Championship Plate | image = | date = 7 May 2016 - 29 May 2016 | countries = {{flag|England}} | champions = East Midlands | count = 1 | runnersup = Kent | relegated = | matches = | highest attendance = 820 Devon v Somerset (7 May 2016) | attendance = 3,596 (average 320 per match) | lowest attendance = 80 Durham County v Leicestershire (7 May 2016) | tries = | top point scorer = {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Daniel<br>East Midlands 38 | top try scorer = {{flagicon|TON}} Maama Molitika<br>East Midlands 6 | prevseason = 2015 | nextseason = 2017 }}
The '''2016 County Championship Plate''', also known as '''Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2''', was the 15th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organised 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 North or National League 2 South). The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with four teams in each and the winners of each pool meet in the final to be held at Twickenham Stadium. New counties to the division included Kent and Durham County who were relegated from the 2015 Bill Beaumont Cup while Leicestershire were promoted as the winners of the 2015 County Championship Shield.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/sport/12970802.RUGBY__Gloucestershire_survive_relegation_with_vital_win_over_Kent/?ref=rss |title=RUGBY: Gloucestershire survive relegation with vital win over Kent |publisher=Gazette |date=26 May 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/amateur-rugby/counties-beaten-durham-relegated-northumberland-9319089 |title=Counties beaten as Durham relegated and Northumberland miss out |publisher=Chronicle Live |date=24 May 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Rugby-Leicestershire-win-County-Championship/story-26612987-detail/story.html |title=Rugby: Leicestershire lift County Championship Shield after win over Cumbria at Twickenham |publisher=Leicester Mercury |date=1 June 2015 |access-date=2016-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603035332/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Rugby-Leicestershire-win-County-Championship/story-26612987-detail/story.html |archive-date=2015-06-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
At the end of the pool stage, pool winners East Midlands (north) and Kent (south) met in the final at Twickenham. Despite it being their first final against regulars Kent, East Midlands won 33-27, with former Tongan international, Maama Molitika, scoring three tries in the game. He would finish as the competition's top try scorer.<ref name=final1>{{cite web|title=Rugby: Bedfordshire players inspire East Midlands to Twickenham triumph|url=http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Rugby-Bedfordshire-players-inspire-East-Midlands/story-29334388-detail/story.html|website=Bedfordshire News|date=29 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=final2>{{cite web|title=East Midlands win County Champs Division 2 Plate|url=http://www.englandrugby.com/news/east-midlands-win-county-champs-plate/|website=England Rugby|date=29 May 2016}}</ref>
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==Competition format== The competition format is two regional group stages divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. This means that two teams in the pool have two home games, while the other two had just one. The top side in each group goes through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium, with both teams also being promoted to the top tier for the following season. Typically there was no relegation although teams have dropped out/been invited to join the division.
Due to changes to the County Championships to be implemented for the 2017 competition, four teams instead of two would be promoted to the top tier. This meant that the two group winners would be joined by two other teams from the plate competition based on how well they have done over the past couple of seasons.<ref name=2017competition>{{cite web |url=http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/News/Grassroots/01/31/96/75/SeniorCountyChampionshipFixtures2017PDF_Neutral.pdf |title=Full Men's County Championship fixture list 2016-17 |publisher=England Rugby |accessdate=11 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906181651/http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/News/Grassroots/01/31/96/75/SeniorCountyChampionshipFixtures2017PDF_Neutral.pdf |archive-date=6 September 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Participating Counties and ground locations==
{{location map+ |England |float= |width=450 |caption= Locations of the 2016 County Championship Plate county teams|places= {{location map~ |England |lat=50.547 |long=-3.4967 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Teignmouth (Devon)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=54.954853 |long=-1.691454 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Swalwell (Durham)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=54.6770027 |long=-1.235051 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">West Hartlepool (Durham)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=52.2350998 |long=-0.8618500 |label= <div style="font-size:80%;">Northampton (East Midlands)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=52.5685806 |long=-0.2175400 |label= <div style="font-size:80%;">Peterborough (East Midlands)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=51.280233|long=1.0789088 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Canterbury (Kent)</div>|position=bottom}} {{location map~ |England |lat=51.3746569|long=0.4939288 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Rochester (Kent)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=52.6193886 |long=-1.2327900 |label= <div style="font-size:80%;">Leicester (Leicestershire)</div>|position=left}} {{location map~ |England |lat=55.170065 |long=-1.70131 |label= <div style="font-size:80%;">Morpeth (Northumberland)</div>|position=right}} {{location map~ |England |lat=51.015344 |long=-3.106849 |label=<div style="font-size:80%;">Taunton (Somerset)</div>|position=right}} }}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !width=25%|County !width=25%|Stadium(s) !width=25%|Capacity !width=25%|City/Area |- |Devon |Bitton Park Sports Ground |1,210 (210 seats) |Teignmouth, Devon |- |Durham County |Crow Trees{{#tag:ref|Durham were originally meant to play their first county game at Eastwood Gardens, home of Gateshead, but a late switch in venue meant that they would play at Blaydon's home ground of Crow Trees instead.<ref name=groundswitch>{{cite web |url=http://durhamrugby.com/durham-senior-xv-start-to-the-2016-campaign-is-disappointing |title=Durham Senior XV start to the 2016 campaign is disappointing |publisher=Durham RFU |date=7 May 2016 |access-date=9 May 2016 |archive-date=3 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603114633/http://durhamrugby.com/durham-senior-xv-start-to-the-2016-campaign-is-disappointing |url-status=dead }}</ref>|group=a}}<br>Brinkburn |2,000 (400 seats)<br>1,000 (76 seats) |Swalwell, Tyne and Wear<br>Hartlepool, County Durham |- |East Midlands |Rushmere Road<br>Fortress Fengate |N/A<br>N/A |Northampton, Northamptonshire<br>Peterborough, Cambridgeshire |- |Kent |Merton Lane<br>Priestfields |1,500 (75 seats)<br>N/A |Canterbury, Kent<br>Rochester, Kent |- |Leicestershire |Hinckley Road |N/A |Leicester Forest East, Leicestershire |- |North Midlands |Heathbrook |2,260 (260 seats) |Kingswinford, West Midlands |- |Northumberland |Grange House Field |1,000 |Morpeth, Northumberland |- |Somerset |Hyde Park |2,000 (198 seats) |Taunton, Somerset |- |} {{reflist|group=a}}
==Group stage==
===Division 2 North===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- |colspan="15" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"|<!--
--> {|border="0" width="80%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" |- |width=20% style="border:0px"| |style="border:0px"|'''2016 Beaumont Cup 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;" | East Midlands '''(P)''' || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 90 || 36 || 54 || 2 || 0 || '''14''' |- | 2 || style="text-align:left;" | Leicestershire || 3 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 60 || 73 || -13 || 1 || 0 || '''9''' |- bgcolor=#d8ffeb align=center | 3 || style="text-align:left;" | Northumberland '''(P)'''{{#tag:ref|*Northumberland would be promoted to tier 1 for the 2017 season due to competition restructuring, based on performances over the past couple of seasons.<ref name=2017competition/>|group=b |name=Northumberland}} || 3 || 1 || 0 || 2 || 45 || 58 || -13 || 1 || 0 || '''5''' |- | 4 || style="text-align:left;" | Durham County || 3 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 76 || 104 || -28 || 1 || 0 || '''1''' |- |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"| <small><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: 12 May 2016'''<br>Source: {{cite web | url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2015-2016/ | title=County Championships | publisher=englandrugby.com}}</small> |} ;Notes {{reflist|group=b}}
====Round 1==== {{rugbybox |date = 7 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = Northumberland |score = 7 - 17 |report = [https://www.facebook.com/tynedalerfc/photos/ms.c.eJxFj8sNAzAIQzeq~_Bqy~;2IlpFDlEj3ZxmY64qJ0wtRM8eEHmCkQgVyQxlR~;G2DeCl0QaMU~;IzsDZzKM5F6pN0CsLHRyFeIPxABQZ~;BZgFYYFuQNlVjL4QZuC56Fx~_LV6yrUB1S1uuK~_QLtYxhRz01bsOPe4GbzVPa0B~_AfAD~_iCWl~_hkXMFTg0gA9Dzw2YLQu7ZavcFwf9VOw~-~-.bps.a.1092522787434467.1073741847.788237897862959/1092523184101094/?type=3 Report] |away = East Midlands |stadium = Grange House Field, Morpeth |attendance = 252 |referee = Callum Sharp }} {{rugbybox |date = 7 May 2016 |time = 15:15 |home = (BP) Durham County |score = 28 - 38 |report = [http://www.mowdenpark.com/news/mackenzie-bags-hat-trick-for-durham-county-1612788.html Report] |away = Leicestershire (BP) |stadium = Crow Trees, Swalwell<ref name=groundswitch/> |attendance = 80 |referee = Ben Rayner }} <ref name=ref1>{{cite news|title=Bill Beaumont Cup|work=The RUGBYPaper|issue=399|publisher=Rugby Paper Ltd|date=8 May 2016|pages=28–29 & 34}}</ref> ----
====Round 2==== {{rugbybox |date = 14 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = Durham County |score = 29 - 38 |report = [http://www.mowdenpark.com/news/durham-county-senior-xv-29-v-northumberland-county-1615867.html Report] |away = Northumberland (BP) |stadium = Brinkburn, Hartlepool |attendance = 297 |referee = Chris Dennis }} {{rugbybox |date = 14 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) East Midlands |score = 45 - 10 |report = |away = Leicestershire |stadium = Rushmere Road, Northampton |attendance = 320 |referee = Neil Chivers }} <ref name=ref2>{{cite news|title=Bill Beaumont Cup|work=The RUGBYPaper|issue=400|publisher=Rugby Paper Ltd|date=15 May 2016|pages=30–31 & 36}}</ref> ----
====Round 3==== {{rugbybox |date = 21 May 2016 |time = 14:30 |home = Leicestershire |score = 12 - 0 |report = [http://northumberlandrugbyunion.com/article/2016/5/23/lost-in-the-forest Report] |away = Northumberland |stadium = Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest East |attendance = 250 |referee = Robert Teare }} {{rugbybox |date = 21 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) East Midlands |score = 28 - 19 |report = [http://www.mowdenpark.com/news/east-midlands-28-v-durham-19-1618896.html Report] |away = Durham County |stadium = Fortress Fengate, Peterborough |attendance = 450 |referee = Simon Harding }} <ref name=ref3>{{cite news|title=Bill Beaumont Cup|work=The RUGBYPaper|issue=401|publisher=Rugby Paper Ltd|date=22 May 2016|pages=30–31 & 32}}</ref>
===Division 2 South===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- |colspan="15" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"|<!--
--> {|border="0" width="80%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" |- |width=20% style="border:0px"| |style="border:0px"|'''2016 Beaumont Cup 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;" | Kent '''(P)''' || 3 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 94 || 62 || 32 || 2 || 1 || '''11''' |- bgcolor=#d8ffeb align=center | 2 || style="text-align:left;" | Devon '''(P)'''{{#tag:ref|*Devon would be promoted to tier 1 for the 2017 season due to competition restructuring, based on performances over the past couple of seasons.<ref name=2017competition/>|group=c |name=Devon}} || 3 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 97 || 57 || 40 || 2 || 0 || '''10''' |- | 3 || style="text-align:left;" | Somerset || 3 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 50 || 68 || -18 || 0 || 0 || '''8''' |- | 4 || style="text-align:left;" | North Midlands || 3 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 53 || 107 || -54 || 1 || 1 || '''2''' |- |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"| <small><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: 21 May 2016'''<br>Source: {{cite web | url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2015-2016/ | title=County Championships | publisher=englandrugby.com}}</small> |} ;Notes {{reflist|group=c}}
====Round 1==== {{rugbybox |date = 7 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Devon |score = 39 - 10 |report = [http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Barnstaple-players-help-Devon-County-Championship/story-29245386-detail/story.html Report] |away = Somerset |stadium = Bitton Park Sports Ground, Teignmouth |attendance = 820 |referee = Adam Leal }} {{rugbybox |date = 7 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Kent |score = 43 - 28 |report = [http://www.kent-rugby.org/news/2016-05-09/bill-beaumont-cup/ Kent Report]<br>[http://www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/county-beaten-opener/ North Midlands Report] |away = North Midlands (BP) |stadium = Merton Lane, Canterbury |attendance = 230 |referee = Daniel Collins }} <ref name=ref1/> ----
====Round 2==== {{rugbybox |date = 14 May 2016 |time = 14:30 |home = Somerset |score = 26 - 22 |report = [http://www.kent-rugby.org/news/2016-05-18/somerset-26-kent-22/ Report] |away = Kent (BP) |stadium = Hyde Park, Taunton |attendance = 260 |referee = Don Conway }} {{rugbybox |date = 14 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = North Midlands |score = 18 - 50 |report = [http://www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/north-midlands-crushed-devon/ Report] |away = Devon (BP) |stadium = Heathbrook, Kingswinford |attendance = 203 |referee = Matt Turvey }} <ref name=ref2/> ----
==== Round 3 ==== {{rugbybox |date = 21 May 2016 |time = 14:30 |home = Somerset |score = 14 - 7 |report = [http://www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/county-edged-somerset/ Report] |away = North Midlands (BP) |stadium = Hyde Park, Taunton |attendance = 150 |referee = Luis Caviglia }} {{rugbybox |date = 21 May 2016 |time = 15:00 |home = (BP) Kent |score = 29 - 8 |report = [https://www.devonrfu.com/news?nid=120 Report] |away = Devon |stadium = Priestfields, Rochester |attendance = 284 |referee = David Clarkson }} <ref name=ref3/>
==Final==
{{rugbybox |date = 29 May 2016 |time = |home = East Midlands |score = 33 - 27 |report = [http://www.englandrugby.com/news/east-midlands-win-county-champs-plate/ Report] |away = Kent |stadium = Twickenham Stadium, London |attendance = |referee = }} <ref name=final1/><ref name=final2/>
==Total season attendances== *Does not include final at Twickenham which is a neutral venue and involves 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 || 1 || 820 || 820 || 820 || 820 || 68% |- | style="text-align:left"| Durham County || 2 || 377 || 189 || 297 || 80 || 17% |- | style="text-align:left"| East Midlands || 2 || 770 || 385 || 450 || 320 || |- | style="text-align:left"| Kent || 2 || 514 || 257 || 284 || 230 || 15% |- | style="text-align:left"| Leicestershire || 1 || 250 || 250 || 250 || 250 || |- | style="text-align:left"| North Midlands || 1 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 203 || 9% |- | style="text-align:left"| Northumberland || 1 || 252 || 252 || 252 || 252 || 25% |- | style="text-align:left"| Somerset || 2 || 410 || 205 || 260 || 150 || 10% |- |} <ref name=ref1/><ref name=ref2/><ref name=ref3/>
==Individual statistics== * 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 will also include final. {{Col-start}} {{Col-2}}
=== Top points scorers=== {|class="wikitable" ! Rank !! Player !! County !! Club Side !! Appearances !! Points |- | 1 || {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Daniel || East Midlands || Kettering || 4 || 38 |- | 2 || {{flagicon|TON}} Maama Molitika || East Midlands || Ampthill || 4 || 30 |- | 3 || {{flagicon|ENG}} Josh Bragman || Durham County || Hull || 3 || 26 |- | 4 || {{flagicon|ENG}} Brad Barnes || Somerset || Clifton || 2 || 25 |- | 5 || {{flagicon|ENG}} Jordan Petherbridge || Devon || Barnstaple || 2 || 22 |- |} <ref name=ref1/><ref name=ref2/><ref name=ref3/><ref name=final1/><ref name=final2/> {{Col-2}}
===Top try scorers=== {|class="wikitable" ! Rank !! Player !! County!! Club Side !! Appearances !! Tries |- | 1 || {{flagicon|TON}} Maama Molitika || East Midlands || Ampthill || 4 || 6 |- | 2 || {{flagicon|ENG}} Callum Mackenzie || Durham County || Darlington Mowden Park || 3 || 4 |- | rowspan=3 | 3 || {{flagicon|ENG}} Dan Williams || Devon || Torquay Athletic || 2 || 3 |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} Ben Haigh || Northumberland || Tynedale || 3 || 3 |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} Terry Read || Kent || Canterbury || 3 || 3 |- |} <ref name=ref1/><ref name=ref2/><ref name=ref3/><ref name=final1/><ref name=final2/> {{Col-end}}
==See also== * English rugby union system * Rugby union in England
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==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 }}
{{Rugby union in England}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plate}} 2016 Category:2015–16 County Championship