1998–99 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two

1998–99 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two
Countries	England
Champions	Bristol
Runners-up	Rotherham
Relegated	Blackheath and Fylde
Attendance	150,221 (average 1,517 per match)[a 1]
Highest attendance	7,326 Bristol at home to Worcester on 9 May 1999
Lowest attendance	287 Leeds Tykes at home to Moseley on 16 April 1999
Top point scorer	Steve Gough (Coventry) 305 points
Top try scorer	Dean Lax (Rotherham) 18 tries [1]
← 1997–98 1999–00 →

The 1998-99 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two was the twelfth full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. The league was expanded from twelve teams to fourteen and new teams to the division included Bristol who had been relegated from the Allied Dunbar Premiership 1997-98 while London Welsh, Rugby Lions, Leeds Tykes and Worcester were promoted from National League 1. Allied Dunbar sponsored the top two divisions of the English rugby union leagues for the second season in a row. The leagues were previously known as the Courage Clubs Championship and sponsored by Courage Brewery.

Bristol, the champions, were promoted to the Allied Dunbar Premiership for season 1999–00. The runners–up Rotherham lost to the thirteenth placed team in the Premiership (Bedford) in a two legged play–off and did not gain promotion. Blackheath and Fylde were relegated to Jewson National League 1 for the following season.^[2]

Participating teams

Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area
Blackheath	Rectory Field	6,000	Greenwich, London
Bristol	Memorial Stadium	12,100	Bristol
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
Leeds Tykes	Headingley Stadium	22,250	Leeds, West Yorkshire
London Welsh	Old Deer Park	5,850	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
Rugby Lions	Webb Ellis Road	1,000	Rugby, Warwickshire
Wakefield	College Grove	3,000	Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Waterloo	St Anthony's Road	9,000	Blundellsands, Merseyside
Worcester	Sixways	8,477	Worcester, Worcestershire

Table

1998–99 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Difference	Points
1	Bristol	26	22	0	4	848	418	430	44
2	Rotherham	26	22	0	4	756	336	420	44
3	Worcester	26	18	0	8	716	409	307	34*
4	London Welsh	26	17	0	9	662	552	110	34
5	Exeter	26	14	1	11	591	598	–7	29
6	Leeds Tykes	26	16	0	10	713	367	346	28**
7	Coventry	26	14	0	12	652	560	92	28
8	Orrell	26	12	0	14	566	483	83	24
9	Waterloo	26	12	0	14	419	634	–215	24
10	Moseley	26	10	0	16	498	633	–135	20
11	Rugby	26	9	0	17	425	660	–235	18
12	Wakefield	26	6	0	20	469	812	–343	12
13	Blackheath	26	5	0	21	419	842	–423	10
14	Fylde	26	4	1	21	375	805	–430	9
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.
* two points deducted. ** four points deducted. Green background are promotion places. Pink background are relegation places.

Allied Dunbar Premiership Two 1998-99

Results

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

• Postponed. Game rescheduled for 20 February 1999.

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

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Round 15

• Postponed. Game rescheduled for 20 March 1999.

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Round 16

• Postponed. Game rescheduled for 21 February 1999.

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 3 & 16 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Round 15 (Rescheduled game)

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 26 (Rescheduled game)

• Game brought forward from 8 May 1999.

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Round 23

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Round 24

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Round 25

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Round 26

• Game brought forward to 10 April 1999.

Total Season Attendances

Club	Home Games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Blackheath	4[a 2]	3,000	750	1,300	500	13%
Bristol	13	43,369	3,336	7,326	2,012	28%
Coventry	5[a 3]	6,460	1,292	1,500	1,000	14%
Exeter	5[a 4]	6,040	1,208	2,000	670	23%
Fylde	5[a 5]	3,000	600	700	400	7%
Leeds Tykes	13	11,230	864	2,682	287	4%
London Welsh	13	16,800	1,292	2,400	600	22%
Moseley	4[a 6]	2,893	723	1,199	503	7%
Orrell	6[a 7]	5,750	958	1,200	700	32%
Rotherham	2[a 8]	4,520	2,260	3,000	1,520	90%
Rugby Lions	4[a 9]	3,513	878	1,200	600	79%
Wakefield	6[a 10]	3,500	583	800	450	19%
Waterloo	6[a 11]	3,777	630	900	400	7%
Worcester	13	36,369	2,798	4,000	1,763	33%

^[5]

Individual statistics

• Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

Season records

See also

• English rugby union system

References

External links

• Wakefield Rugby Table History