2012–13 National League 2 North

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 competitions since the professionalised format of the second division 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 (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 eventually taking the championship and promotion to the 2013–14 National League 1 ahead of Stourbridge 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 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 were easily the weakest team in the division and were the first to be relegated, with the more competitive Stockport and Westoe 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 season; Stourbridge and Birmingham & Solihull were relegated from the 2011–12 National League 1 while Dudley Kingswinford came up from National League 3 Midlands as playoff winners along with Darlington Mowden Park who were champions of National League 3 North. Rugby Lions had won the National League 3 Midlands title and were expected to join the 2012–13 National League 2 South 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 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.) on 2 February 2013 against Bromsgrove.

Round 13

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 December 2012.

Round 13 (rescheduled game)

 * Game rescheduled from 24 November 2012.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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 National League 2 South and National League 2 North participate in a play–off for promotion into National League 1. Stourbridge 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.

Team
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 64 - 5 Luctonians away to Huddersfield on 20 April 2013 83 - 19 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 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 N/A - multiple times
 * Largest home win — 64 pts (x2)
 * Largest away win — 59 pts
 * Most points scored — 83 pts
 * Most tries in a match — 13
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — 6 (x3)
 * Most drop goals in a match — 1

Player
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Sean Taylor for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 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 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Sean Taylor for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Leicester Lions on 20 April 2013 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 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 N/A - multiple players
 * Most points in a match — 33
 * Most tries in a match — 4 (x3)
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2)
 * Most drop goals in a match — 1

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