2003–04 National Division One

The 2003–04 National Division One was the seventeenth full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Bristol Shoguns who had been relegated from the Zurich Premiership 2002–03 while Penzance & Newlyn and Henley Hawks were promoted from the 2002–03 National Division Two. In terms of ground changes Plymouth Albion had a new home - moving from Beacon Park to newly built Brickfields which at 6,500 had twice the capacity of the original ground.

After three consecutive seasons finishing second, Worcester became champions and were promoted to the Zurich Premiership for season 2004–05. Orrell were runners–up, and Wakefield and Manchester were relegated to the 2004–05 National Division Two. Wakefield's final match was on 26 April 2004 against Coventry, who won the match 15–11 and with that defeat, consigned Wakefield, after fourteen consecutive seasons in National Division One, to relegation; while Coventry finished above Wakefield only on points difference. Wakefield folded during the summer for financial reasons.

Participating teams

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBedford BluesGoldington Road5,000Bedford, BedfordshireBristol ShogunsMemorial Stadium8,500 (1,200 seats)BristolCoventryCoundon Road10,000 (1,100 seats) Coventry, West MidlandsExeter ChiefsCounty Ground5,750 (750 seats)Exeter, DevonHenley HawksDry Leas4,000Henley-on-Thames, OxfordshireLondon WelshOld Deer Park4,500 (1,500 seats)Richmond, LondonManchesterGrove Park4,000Cheadle Hulme, Greater ManchesterOrrellEdge Hall Road5,300 (300 seats) Orrell, Greater ManchesterOtleyCross Green7,000 (852 seats)Otley, West YorkshirePenzance & NewlynMennaye Field3,500Penzance, CornwallPertemps BeesSharmans Cross4,000Solihull, West MidlandsPlymouth AlbionThe Brickfields6,500Plymouth, DevonWakefieldCollege Grove4,000 (500 seats) Wakefield, West YorkshireWorcesterSixways8,477Worcester, Worcestershire

Final table

Results

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 December 2003.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 December 2003.

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 8 (Rescheduled games)

Round 13

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 3 January 2004.

Round 13 (Rescheduled games)

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 8 & 25 (Rescheduled games)

Game brought forward from 17 April 2004.

Round 20

Postponed. Game rescheduled for 7 March 2004.

Round 20 & 25 (Rescheduled games)

Game brought forward from 17 April 2004.

Round 21

Postponed. Game rescheduled for 27 March 2004.

Round 22

Round 21 (Rescheduled game)

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Coventry's last ever home game at Coundon Road.

Game brought forward to 6 March 2004.

Game brought forward to 21 February 2004.

Postponed. Game rescheduled for 21 April 2004.

Round 25 (Rescheduled game)

Round 26

Total Season Attendances

ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% CapacityBedford Blues 10 17,482 1,748 3,427 1,017 35%Bristol Shoguns 13 47,895 3,684 4,217 2,831 30%Coventry 9 15,447 1,716 3,100 1,000 17%Exeter Chiefs 6 10,084 1,681 2,500 1,069 29%Henley Hawks 8 8,240 1,030 2,020 450 26%London Welsh 9 10,770 1,197 1,750 650 27%Manchester 12 4,925 410 760 187 10%Orrell 12 7,953 663 3,207 286 12%Otley 7 4,585 655 790 575 9%Penzance & Newlyn 9 19,810 2,201 5,100 1,000 58%Pertemps Bees 8 5,385 673 2,000 300 17%Plymouth Albion 10 28,467 2,847 4,342 1,648 44%Wakefield 9 3,300 367 600 250 9%Worcester 13 45,330 3,487 6,025 2,027 41%

Individual statistics

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

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Tony Yapp Exeter Chiefs 26 320 2 Leigh Hinton Orrell 26 313 3 Simon Binns Otley 26 310 4 Tommy Hayes Worcester 25 303 5 Barry Reeves Henley Hawks 26 249 6 Tom Barlow Plymouth Albion 22 185 7 Gareth Cull Coventry 19 184 8 Danny Gray Bristol Shoguns 17 157 9 Seb Fitzgerald London Welsh 21 150 10 Ed Barnes Bedford Blues 19 144

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Lee Robinson Plymouth Albion 25 23 Leigh Hinton Orrell 26 23 2 Daren O'Leary Worcester 26 19 3 Gavin Pfister Worcester 22 18 4 Dan Ward-Smith Plymouth Albion 26 16 5 Dave Knight Pertemps Bees 26 15 6 Chris Garrard Worcester 20 14 7 Nick Easter Orrell 23 13 8 Nnamdi Obi Henley Hawks 17 12 Gary Truman Worcester 22 12

Season records

Team Largest home win — 79 pts 85 - 6 Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004 Largest away win — 54 pts 54 - 0 Exeter Chiefs away to Wakefield on 13 March 2004 Most points scored — 85 pts 85 - 6 Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004 Most tries in a match — 13 Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004 Most conversions in a match — 10 (x2) Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004 Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004 Most penalties in a match — 7 Exeter Chiefs away to Otley on 20 September 2003 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Coventry at home to Worcester on 10 April 2004

Player Most points in a match — 31 Leigh Hinton for Orrell at home to Bedford Blues on 6 December 2003 Most tries in a match — 4 (x3) Dan Ward-Smith for Plymouth Albion at home to Henley Hawks on 20 March 2004 Richard Welding for Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004 Lee Carruthers for Otley at home to Manchester 13 December 2003 Most conversions in a match — 10 (x2) Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004 Leigh Hinton for Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004 Most penalties in a match — 7 Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs away to Otley on 20 September 2003 Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple players

Attendances

Highest — 6,025 Worcester at home to Pertemps Bees on 24 April 2004 Lowest — 187 Manchester at home to Pertemps Bees on 3 April 2004 Highest Average Attendance — 2,460 Worcester Lowest Average Attendance — 367 Wakefield

2003–04 National Division One

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