County Championship Plate

For the top tier of the English Counties competition, see County Championship (rugby union). For the third tier of the English Counties competition, see County Championship Shield.
County Championship Plate
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2016 County Championship Plate
Sport Rugby union
Founded 2005
Inaugural season 2005
No. of teams 8
Country England
Most recent champion(s) Surrey (2015)
Most titles Northumberland (3)
Related competitions Bill Beaumont Cup

The County Championship Plate, also known as Bill Beaumont Division 2, is an annual rugby union competition in England between teams representing English counties. It was formed in 2005 as the County Championship Shield (a competition which is now played by tier 3 sides) - changing to its current name by 2010. The Plate is contested for by second tier teams in the RFU County Championship. The top eight counties are split into two regions of four teams, north and south, and play for the Bill Beaumont Cup. The same format is used for the Plate with each team playing one or two home games and the top teams in each group meeting in the final to be held at Twickenham Stadium along with other county divisional finals. There is also a system of promotion/relegation between this tier and top tier, with the two finalists moving to their respective regional groups in division one, where they replace the two bottom teams. Currently there is no relegation to tier 3 although in recent years Surrey have moved up after winning three Shield competitions in a row[1][2] and Leicestershire moved up after winning the 2015 Shield final.[3] From 2010 the County Championship Plate involves counties that are only able to select players from clubs at level five and below.

Past winners

Year Date Winners Score Runner-up Attendance Venue Notes
2005 29 May Hertfordshire 20 - 13 North Midlands Twickenham Stadium, London [4][5]
2006 29 May Cheshire 32 - 17 Middlesex Twickenham Stadium, London [6][7]
2007 27 May Warwickshire 22 - 8 Somerset Butts Park Arena, Coventry [8][9]
2008 31 May Northumberland 25 – 11 Cornwall 1,500 Twickenham Stadium, London [10][11]
2009 30 May Cheshire 22 - 11 Hertfordshire Twickenham Stadium, London [12]
2010[n 1] 29 May Kent 33 - 27 Warwickshire [13]
2011 28 May Northumberland 31 - 17 North Midlands Greensfield, Alnwick [14][15]
2012 No Final[n 2]
2013 26 May Northumberland 45 - 10 North Midlands Twickenham Stadium, London [16][17]
2014 1 June Kent 31 - 23 Durham Twickenham Stadium, London [18][19]
2015 31 May Surrey 17 - 3 Eastern Counties Twickenham Stadium, London [20]
2016 Twickenham Stadium, London
  1. ↑ Changed named from County Championship Shield to County Championship Plate.
  2. ↑ This season there was no Plate final for the division two teams only promotion for the top sides in each group.

Number of wins

References

  1. ↑ "Surrey make it three County Championship Shield titles in a row at Twickenham". Dorking Advertiser. 1 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Surrey Enters The Bill Beaumont Cup". Surrey Rugby. 30 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "Rugby: Leicestershire lift County Championship Shield after win over Cumbria at Twickenham". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "County Championship Shield Final 2005". englandrugby.com. 29 May 2005.
  5. ↑ "Herts rule Twickenham". Herts and Essex Observer. 2 June 2005.
  6. ↑ "County Championship Shield Final 2006". englandrugby.com. 29 May 2006.
  7. ↑ "Cheshire singing the Blues after final success". Macclesfield Express. 31 May 2006.
  8. ↑ "County Championship Shield Final 2007". englandrugby.com. 27 May 2007.
  9. ↑ "County stand tall to regain shield". Coventry Telegraph. 28 May 2007.
  10. ↑ Caddy, Mike (5 June 2008). "Twickers nemesis continues for below-par Duchy". The Cornishman.
  11. ↑ "County Championship Shield Final 2008". www.englandrugby.com. 31 May 2008.
  12. ↑ http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-sport/rugby-union/2009/06/04/rugby-union-cheshire-lift-county-championship-shield-in-thrilling-final-at-twickenham-59067-23796229/
  13. ↑ "Division 2 Plate Final 2010". englandrugby.com. 29 May 2010.
  14. ↑ "Division 2 Plate Final 2011". englandrugby.com. 28 May 2011.
  15. ↑ "Northumberland Win Plate". englandrugby.com. 28 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "Division 2 Plate Final 2013". englandrugby.com. 26 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "North Midlands 10 Northumberland 45". yoursportpages.com. 27 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Division 2 Plate Final 2014". englandrugby.com. 1 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Kent 31-23 Durham". newsshopper.co.uk. 3 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "Super Surrey make it four from four". England Rugby. Retrieved 31 May 2015.

See also

2011_results.pdf


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