1996–97 Courage League Division 4 North
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| 1996–97 Courage League Division 4 North | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Worcester (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Birmingham & Solihull (not promoted) |
| Relegated | Stoke-on-Trent, Hereford |
| Matches played | 182 |
The 1996–97 Courage League Division 4 North was the tenth full season of rugby union within the fourth tier of the English league system, currently known as National League 2 North, and the last using the name Division 4 North. Changes to the league structure by the RFU at the start of the season saw Courage League 4 revert to two regional divisions (Courage League Division 4 North and Courage League Division 4 South), while the regional leagues below (Courage League Division 5) was split back into regional leagues - North 1, Midlands 1, London 1 and South West 1[a 1]. This meant that National Division 4 North increased from 10 to 14 teams (28 overall) with multiple teams coming up from the discontinued Division 5.[1]
Worcester were deserving champions, going undefeated in the league to take the title and only promotion spot to the 1997–98 National Division 1 (formerly Courage Division 3), 11 points clear of runners up Birmingham & Solihull. While Worcester were deserving champions, Stoke-on-Trent and Hereford were easily the worst teams in the division and as a consequence were the two sides to go down, well short of safety. Both sides would drop to Midlands 1.[2] The reason Division 4 North had less relegation places compared to Division 4 North (2 to 4) was that 3 out of 4 of the teams relegated from the division above were based in the south of the country, requiring more places to accommodate for their arrival the following season.
Structure[edit]
Each team played home and away matches against each of the other teams, playing a total of twenty-six matches each. The league champions were promoted to the new-look National League 1 while the bottom four sides dropped to either North 1 or Midlands 1 depending on locality.
Participating teams and locations[edit]
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worcester (C) | 26 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 833 | 378 | +455 | 49 | Promoted |
| 2 | Birmingham & Solihull | 26 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 746 | 391 | +355 | 38 | |
| 3 | Preston Grasshoppers | 26 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 568 | 394 | +174 | 36 | |
| 4 | Manchester | 26 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 763 | 514 | +249 | 33 | |
| 5 | Sandal | 26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 618 | 572 | +46 | 31 | |
| 6 | Stourbridge | 26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 704 | 579 | +125 | 29 | |
| 7 | Winnington Park | 26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 641 | 565 | +76 | 29 | |
| 8 | Sheffield | 26 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 496 | 451 | +45 | 26 | |
| 9 | Kendal | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 541 | 451 | +90 | 23 | |
| 10 | Aspatria | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 616 | 713 | −97 | 21 | |
| 11 | Lichfield | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 544 | 713 | −169 | 20 | |
| 12 | Nuneaton | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 457 | 670 | −213 | 17 | |
| 13 | Hereford (R) | 26 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 287 | 970 | −683 | 8 | Relegated |
| 14 | Stoke-on-Trent (R) | 26 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 391 | 854 | −463 | 4 |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows: 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a draw, 0 pts for a loss. If teams are level at any stage, difference between points for and against applies.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Sponsorship[edit]
Courage League Division 4 North is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and is sponsored by Courage Brewery. This was their tenth and final season of sponsorship.
Notes[edit]
- ^ These regional divisions had previously been tier 6 leagues during the days of Courage Division 5 but would revert to being level 5 leagues for the 1996-97 season.
References[edit]
- ^ "Courage League - Division 5 1995/96". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Courage League - Division 4 1996/97". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.