For the first tier of the English Counties competition, see 2016 Bill Beaumont Cup. For the second tier of the English Counties competition, see 2016 County Championship Plate.
2016 County Championship Shield
Date30 April 2016 - 29 May 2016
CountriesEngland
ChampionsHampshire
Count2
RunnersupStaffordshire
Prevseason2015
Nextseason2017

The 2016 County Championship Shield was the 12th version of the annual English rugby union County Championship, organised by the RFU for the tier 3 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the fifth tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into three pools - one pool with four teams, the others with three teams each, with the winner of each group plus the best runner-up going through to the semi-finals, and the winners of those games meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. Due to competition changes for the 2017 season (more on this below) a number of teams in the division would be promoted to tier 2 for the following season, joining the 2015 Shield champions Leicestershire who had already been promoted at the start of this season.[1][2]

After winning their respective pools and semi-final games, Staffordshire and Hampshire met in the final. In the end it was Hampshire who finished as the champions, defeating Staffordshire, 33–11.[3]

Competition format

The competition format consisted of three groups (one with four teams, two with three teams), based roughly on regional lines where possible. The four team group consisted of six games, with two teams playing two home games and the others one home game each, while the three team groups saw each team play one home game. The top side of each group automatically qualified for the semi-finals, as did the best group runner-up. The winners of the semi-finals met in the final at Twickenham Stadium held on 29 May 2016. Due to changes to the County Championship format for the 2017 competition, four teams from the division would end up being promoted to the tier 2 for the following season, based on performances in the Shield over the past couple of seasons.[1]

Participating counties and ground locations

CountyStadium(s)CapacityCity/Area
BerkshireHolme ParkN/ASonning, Reading, Berkshire
BuckinghamshireOstler's FieldN/AAylesbury, Buckinghamshire
CumbriaBower ParkN/AAspatria, Cumbria
Dorset & WiltsBallard's Ash Sports GroundN/AWootton Bassett, Wiltshire
EssexMemorial Park
The New Wilderness		N/A
N/A		Newham, Greater London
Redbridge, Greater London
HampshireGosport ParkN/AGosport, Hampshire
Notts, Lincs & DerbyshireEakring Road1,000Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
OxfordshireBodicote Park2,500 (250 seats)Banbury, Oxfordshire
StaffordshireEsterchem ParkN/ALeek, Staffordshire
WarwickshireWebb Ellis Road4,000 (200 seats)Rugby, Warwickshire

Group stage

Pool 1

2016 County Championship Shield Pool 1 Table
CountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints
1Buckinghamshire (Q)32109972272012
2Warwickshire (Q)3210898182012
3Essex31027175-4116
4Oxfordshire300378109-31112
  • If teams were level at any stage, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 14 May 2016
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1

[4]

Round 2

[5]

Round 3

[6]

Pool 2

2016 County Championship Shield Pool 2 Table
CountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints
1Staffordshire (Q)2200685117109
2Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire210152502105
3Cumbria20026383-20202
  • If teams were level at any stage, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 14 May 2016
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1

[4]

Round 2

[5]

Round 3

[6]

Pool 3

2016 County Championship Shield Pool 3 Table
CountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints
1Hampshire (Q)22009013772010
2Berkshire21013560-25105
2Dorset & Wilts20022779-52000
  • If teams were level at any stage, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 14 May 2016
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1

[4]

Round 2

[5]

Round 3

[6]

Knock-out Stage

Semi-finals

[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Full Men's County Championship fixture list 2016-17". England Rugby. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Rugby: Leicestershire lift County Championship Shield after win over Cumbria at Twickenham". Leicester Mercury. 1 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  3. ^ "Staffordshire beaten by Hampshire in County Shield final at Twickenham". Staffordshire Newsletter. 29 May 2016.[dead link]
  4. ^ "County Championships". England Rugby. 30 April 2016.
  5. ^ "County Championships". England Rugby. 7 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 400. Rugby Paper Ltd. 15 May 2016. pp. 31 & 36.
  7. ^ "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 401. Rugby Paper Ltd. 22 May 2016. pp. 30–31 & 32.