2016 County Championship Shield
2016 County Championship Shield | |
---|---|
Countries | England |
Date | 30 April 2016 - 29 May 2016 |
Champions | Hampshire (2nd title) |
Runners-up | Staffordshire |
← 2015 2017 → |
The 2016 County Championship Shield was the 12th version of the annual English rugby union County Championship, organized 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. At the moment there is no definitive promotion or relegation out of or into the County Championship Shield although the 2015 winners Leicestershire went up to join tier 2 while Middlesex did not take part in the 2016 competition.[1]
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.[2]
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 May 29 April 2016. As the lowest tier in the county championship there was no relegation while promotion is not given every season, although outstanding county performances can lead to counties moving up to tier 2.
Participating counties and ground locations
County | Stadium(s) | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Berkshire | Holme Park | Sonning, Reading, Berkshire | |
Buckinghamshire | Ostler's Field | Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire | |
Cumbria | Bower Park | Aspatria, Cumbria | |
Dorset & Wilts | Ballard’s Ash Sports Ground | Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire | |
Essex | Memorial Park The New Wilderness |
Newham, Greater London Waltham Forest, Greater London | |
Hampshire | Gosport Park | Gosport, Hampshire | |
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | Eakring Road | Mansfield, Nottinghamshire | |
Oxfordshire | Bodicote Park | Banbury, Oxfordshire | |
Staffordshire | Esterchem Park | Leek, Staffordshire | |
Warwickshire | Webb Ellis Road | 1,000 | Rugby, Warwickshire |
Group stage
Pool 1
| |||||||||||||||||
County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Buckinghamshire (Q) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 99 | 72 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 12 | ||||||
2 | Warwickshire (Q) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 81 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 12 | ||||||
3 | Essex | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 71 | 75 | -4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
4 | Oxfordshire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 78 | 109 | -31 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 14 May 2016 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |
Round 1
Round 2
7 May 2016 15:00 |
Oxfordshire | 26 - 41 | Buckinghamshire (BP) |
---|---|---|
Bodicote Park, Banbury |
Round 3
14 May 2016 15:00 |
(BP) Essex | 41 - 31 | Oxfordshire (BP) |
---|---|---|
The New Wilderness, Waltham Forest, Greater London |
14 May 2016 15:00 |
(BP) Warwickshire | 38 - 38 | Buckinghamshire (BP) |
---|---|---|
Webb Ellis Road, Rugby |
Pool 2
| |||||||||||||||||
County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Staffordshire (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 51 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||
2 | Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||
3 | Cumbria | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 63 | 83 | -20 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 14 May 2016 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |
Round 1
Round 2
7 May 2016 15:00 |
(BP) Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | 37 - 27 | Cumbria (BP) |
---|---|---|
Eakring Road, Mansfield |
Round 3
14 May 2016 15:00 |
(BP) Cumbria | 36 - 45 | Staffordshire (BP) |
---|---|---|
Bower Park, Aspatria |
Pool 3
| |||||||||||||||||
County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hampshire (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 13 | 77 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
2 | Berkshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 60 | -25 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||
2 | Dorset & Wilts | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 79 | -52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 14 May 2016 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |
Round 1
Round 2
7 May 2016 13:00 |
Berkshire | 0 - 46 | Hampshire (BP) |
---|---|---|
Holme Park, Reading |
Round 3
14 May 2016 15:00 |
Dorset & Wilts | 14 - 35 | Berkshire (BP) |
---|---|---|
Ballard’s Ash Sports Ground, Wootton Bassett |
Knock-out Stage
Semi-finals
Final
29 May 2016 |
Hampshire | v | Staffordshire |
---|---|---|
Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, Greater London |
See also
References
- ↑ "Rugby: Leicestershire lift County Championship Shield after win over Cumbria at Twickenham". Leicester Mercury. 1 June 2015.
- ↑ "Staffordshire beaten by Hampshire in County Shield final at Twickenham". Staffordshire Newsletter. 29 May 2016.
- ↑ "Warwickshire RFU". Rugby Network. 26 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 "County Championships". England Rugby. 30 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 "County Championships". England Rugby. 7 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (400). Rugby Paper Ltd. 15 May 2016. pp. 31 & 36.
- ↑ "COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD SEMI FINAL.". Warwickshire RFU. 21 May 2016.
- ↑ "Staffordshire v Buckinghamshire on 21 May 2016". Staffordshire RFU. 20 May 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (401). Rugby Paper Ltd. 22 May 2016. pp. 30–31 & 32.