1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two
The 1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two rugby union within the second tier of the English league system , currently known as the RFU Championship . New teams to the division included West Hartlepoool and Orrell who had been relegated from the Courage Premiership 1996-97 while Exeter and Fylde were promoted from National League 1 . For the first time Premiership Two, along with the Premiership, was sponsored by the assurance company Allied Dunbar . For the previous ten seasons the league was known as the Courage Clubs Championship and sponsored by Courage Brewery .
Bedford , the champions, were promoted to the Allied Dunbar Premiership for season 1998–99 , along with runner-up West Hartlepool . From next season, the top two divisions would consist of fourteen teams, an increase of two per division. The bottom two teams in the top tier played the third and fourth teams in Premiership Two for the final two places in the top division. Third place London Scottish won promotion by beating Bristol in a two legged play-off, while fourth placed Rotherham lost to London Irish . There was no relegation to Jewson National League 1 because of the increase in teams in the top two divisions.[2]
Participating teams Locations of the 1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two teams
Team
Stadium
Capacity
City/Area
Bedford
Goldington Road
7,000
Bedford , Bedfordshire
Blackheath
Rectory Field
6,000
Greenwich , London
Coventry
Coundon Road
9,000+
Coventry , West Midlands
Exeter
County Ground
5,200
Exeter , Devon
Fylde
Woodlands Memorial Ground
9,000
Lytham St Annes , Lancashire
London Scottish
Athletic Ground
4,500
Richmond , London
Moseley
The Reddings
10,000 (est)
Birmingham , West Midlands
Orrell
Edge Hall Road
5,500
Orrell , Greater Manchester
Rotherham
Clifton Lane
2,500
Rotherham , South Yorkshire
Wakefield
College Grove
3,000
Wakefield , West Yorkshire
Waterloo
St Anthony's Road
9,000
Blundellsands , Merseyside
West Hartlepool
Victoria Park
7,856
Hartlepool , County Durham
Final table
1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two Table
Club
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points for
Points against
Points difference
Points
1
Bedford 22
20
0
2
791
365
436
38 [a]
2
West Hartlepool 22
15
1
6
617
431
186
31
3
London Scottish 22
14
1
7
517
404
113
29
4
Rotherham 22
14
0
8
566
386
180
28
5
Orrell 22
12
0
10
533
400
133
24
6
Moseley 22
11
1
10
478
421
57
23
7
Coventry 22
11
1
10
444
532
−88
23
8
Waterloo 22
11
0
11
510
525
−15
22
9
Blackheath 22
8
0
14
472
621
−149
16
10
Wakefield 22
6
0
16
382
556
−174
12
11
Exeter 22
6
0
16
334
553
−219
12
12
Fylde 22
2
0
20
258
710
−452
4
Points are awarded as follows: two points for a win; one point for a draw; no points for a loss.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: (1) difference between points for and against; (2) total number of points for.
Green background are promotion places. (There was no relegation this season).
Footnote a.
^ : two points deducted for fielding three overseas players.
Results Round 1 London Scottish 35 – 9 Fylde Report
West Hartlepool 19 – 21 Waterloo Report
Round 2 London Scottish 34 – 6 Blackheath
match postponed and rescheduled to 25 April 1998. West Hartlepool P – P Bedford
match postponed and rescheduled to 2 May 1998. match postponed and rescheduled to 18 April 1998. Round 3 Blackheath 29 – 27 Wakefield Report
Moseley 16 – 21 West Hartlepool Report
Waterloo 17 – 36 London Scottish Report
Round 4 Bedford 45 – 33 London Scottish Report
Rotherham 33 – 21 West Hartlepool Report
Round 5 London Scottish 20 – 19 Orrell Report
Waterloo 51 – 16 Blackheath Report
West Hartlepool 31 – 20 Wakefield Report
Round 6 Blackheath 28 – 27 Coventry Report
Exeter 19 – 20 West Hartlepool Report
Rotherham 24 – 3 London Scottish Report
Round 7 Coventry 18 – 12 Rotherham Report
London Scottish 30 – 13 Wakefield Report
West Hartlepool 32 – 21 Blackheath Report
Round 8 Bedford 22 – 9 West Hartlepool Report
Exeter 16 – 22 London Scottish Report
Rotherham 16 – 26 Waterloo Report
Round 9 Coventry 24 – 17 Wakefield Report
London Scottish 15 – 22 Bedford Report
West Hartlepool 22 – 21 Rotherham Report
Round 10 Blackheath 14 – 15 Waterloo Report
Orrell 13 – 27 London Scottish Report
Wakefield 12 – 28 West Hartlepool Report
Round 11 Coventry 24 – 22 Blackheath Report
London Scottish 35 – 29 Rotherham Report
West Hartlepool 34 – 14 Exeter Report
Round 12 Blackheath 25 – 22 West Hartlepool Report
Wakefield 15 – 10 London Scottish Report
Round 13 postponed, match rescheduled to 24 January 1998. London Scottish P – P Exeter
postponed, match rescheduled to 24 January 1998. postponed, match rescheduled to 18 April 1998. Waterloo P – P West Hartlepool
postponed, match rescheduled to 11 April 1998. Rescheduled match Waterloo 26 – 32 Rotherham Report
Round 14 Blackheath 34 – 25 London Scottish Report
Orrell 30 – 35 West Hartlepool Report
Wakefield 23 – 20 Waterloo Report
Round 13 (rescheduled matches) London Scottish 22 – 10 Exeter Report
Round 15 Coventry 21 – 16 West Hartlepool Report
Moseley 18 – 29 London Scottish Report
Rotherham 41 – 9 Wakefield Report
Round 16 Blackheath 18 – 31 Rotherham Report
London Scottish 18 – 18 Coventry Report
West Hartlepool 66 – 12 Fylde Report
Rescheduled match West Hartlepool 20 – 11 Orrell Report
Rescheduled matches Moseley 29 – 16 Blackheath Report
Round 17 Blackheath 13 – 37 Bedford Report
postponed, match rescheduled to 4 April 1998. London Scottish 31 – 17 West Hartlepool Report
Round 18 Coventry 37 – 10 London Scottish Report
Fylde 8 – 34 West Hartlepool Report
Rotherham 40 – 10 Blackheath Report
Round 19 London Scottish 24 – 18 Moseley Report
Wakefield 15 – 14 Rotherham Report
West Hartlepool 42 – 31 Coventry Report
Round 17 (rescheduled match) Round 20 (including postponed match from round 13) Fylde 7 – 22 London Scottish Report
postponed, match rescheduled to 22 April 1998. Waterloo 6 – 51 West Hartlepool Report
match rescheduled from round 13. Round 21 (including postponed matches from rounds 2 & 13) London Scottish 26 – 6 Waterloo Report
match rescheduled from round 2. Wakefield 21 – 24 Blackheath Report
match rescheduled from round 13. West Hartlepool 18 – 18 Moseley Report
Round 20 (rescheduled match) Round 22 Bedford 72 – 31 Blackheath Report
West Hartlepool 11 – 10 London Scottish Report
Round 2 (rescheduled match) West Hartlepool 48 – 29 Bedford Report
Individual statistics Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Season records
See also References
2023–24 teams Former clubs Seasons
Representative team
Governing body National teams
International competitions
Competition divisions
European competitions National competitions London and South East Midland competitions Northern competitions South West competitions County competitions Discontinued competitions Related articles Other
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England
Mike Rayer
Darragh O'Mahony
