With our league season now complete it’s interesting to look at the full promotion/relegation/play-off picture affecting our league (National 2 North).

The re-introduction of play-offs this season has certainly added interest to Tynedale’s league campaign and we went into the final match of the season with the runners-up spot (and play-off place) still to be decided.

The last time the final match of the season held such interest was at the end of the 2015-2016 when on the final day of the season Tynedale were one of a group of 5 teams who could be relegated. Tynedale had to travel to Leicester Lions needing a win to be sure of avoiding relegation – Tynedale won that match.

MOVEMENT BETWEEN NATIONAL 1 AND NATIONAL 2 NORTH.

FINAL LEAGUE PLACINGS/RECORDS

FINAL LEAGUE RESULTS - played 25th April
NATIONAL ONE
Birmingham 35 Bishops Stortford 33
Blackheath 52 Clifton28
Dings 40 Rosslyn Park 52
NATIONAL 2 NORTH
Wharfedale 20 Tynedale 45
Sheffield Tigers 34 Macclesfield 38
NATIONAL 2 EAST
Bury St Edmunds 95 Old Albanian 28
Havant 29 Oundle 39
NATIONAL 2 WEST
Lymm 32 Luctonians 29

FOLLOWING THE FINAL ROUND OF RESULTS the following movements wIll take place:-
Sheffield RUFC are promoted into National 1.
Leicester Lions, Sedgley Park and Clifton are relegated. (Likely that Sedgley Park will be relegated into National 2 North.)

PLAY-OFFS
Tie 1 - Birmingham Moseley 60 Luctonians 15 (9th May)
Tie 2 - Tynedale 20 Oundle 29 (Peterborough area) (9th May)

Birmingham Moseley hosted Oundle in the Final on 16th May
Birmingham Moseley 19 Oundle 15
Birmingham Moseley will remain in National 1, Oundle will remain in National 2)

MOVEMENTS BETWEEN NATIONAL 2 NORTH AND REGIONAL LEAGUES

FINAL LEAGUE PLACINGS/RECORDS

FOLLOWING THE FINAL GAMES the following movements will take place:-
Hull and Scunthorpe are relegated into Regional Leagues.

Heath (from Halifax) and Huddersfield have finished as champions of their Regional Leagues and will be promoted into National 2.

REGIONAL PLAY-OFFS
Tie 1 - Alnwick 35 Harrogate 45 (25th April)
Tie 2 - Anselmians 31 Stockport 25 (25th April)
Regional Play-Off Final (2nd May)
Anselmians 40 Harrogate 41

Play-Off Final
Rossendale 14 Harrogate 21 (May 9th)
- Harrogate will play in National 2 North next season, Rossendale will play Regional League.

FINAL RESULTS IN BATTLE TO AVOID RELEGATION

APRIL 25th
Otley 42 Sheffield 36
Rossendale 82 Hull 24
Darlington MP 50 Scunthorpe 43
MAY 2nd
Sheffield 80 Scunthorpe 0

RFU REGULATIONS
CLICK HERE if you want to read the RFU Regulations on the RFU website.

THE DREADED LEVEL TRANSFERS
When the play-offs are finished and we think the dust has settled there is still the cloud of "Level Transfers" hovering over several clubs who are deemed to reside close to regional boundaries. These transfers are necessary to ensure the number of teams in each league remains constant.

Example: Prior to the start of this season Lymm and Chester were transferred from National 2 North to National 2 West while Macclesfield were switched from National 2 West to National 2 North.
Its possible, for example, that if Macclesfield are not promoted they will be switched back to National 2 West while after serving their one season in National 2 West, Chester and Lymm may be moved back to National 2 North!

Why Dreaded? - This season Macclesfield’s longest away journey was to Tynedale (174 miles). Last season, in National 2 West, Macclesfield had journeys to Camborne (322 miles), Redruth (319 miles), Plymouth (267 miles), Exeter (224 miles) and Taunton (195 miles)!!! BUT, who knows, perhaps several long journeys into the balmy climes of the south-west is preferable to a shorter trek up to the wind-swept, frozen, saturated north-east!

Thankfully Tynedale, in the far north of England , are very unlikely to be a candidate for a level transfer, unless, of course the English and Scottish National Leagues merge!!

LEAGUE POSITIONING RULES
For the benefit of anybody who wasn’t sure (everybody?!?) :-

If two or more clubs are equal on league points, their position is decided by the following criteria, applied in order:
1. Highest number of wins: A club with a higher number of wins in the league is placed higher.
2. Highest number of draws: A club with a higher number of draws is placed higher.
3. Match points difference: The greater difference between match points "for" and match points "against".
4. Points "for": The club with the higher total number of match points "for".
5. Aggregate score: Aggregate points scored in matches between the tied teams.
6. Subsequent wins: Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second, and so on until the tie is settled.