The 1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two was the eleventh 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 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
|
6,500
|
Richmond, London
|
| Moseley
|
The Reddings
|
10,000
|
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
| Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
| 1
|
Bedford (C)
|
22
|
20
|
0
|
2
|
791
|
365
|
+426
|
38[a]
|
Promoted
|
| 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
|
474
|
621
|
−147
|
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
|
Source:
moseleyrugby.co.uk at the
Wayback Machine (archived 2016-03-08)
Rules for classification: 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.
There was no relegation this season.
(C) Champions
Notes:
- ^ 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.
Top points scorers
[3]
|
Top try scorers
[4]
|
Season records
Team
- Largest home win — 74 pts
77 – 3 Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
- Largest away win — 60 pts
67 – 7 Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997
- Most points scored — 151 pts
77 – 3 Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
- Most tries in a match — 11
Bedford Blues at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
- Most conversions in a match — 8 (x3)
Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997
West Hartlepool at home to Fylde on 14 February 1998
- Most penalties in a match — 6 (x9)
N/A - multiple teams
- Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x4)
Exeter at home to Bedford on 13 September 1997
Moseley at home to Orrell on 25 October 1997
Coventry at home to West Hartlepool on 31 January 1998
Wakefield at home to Rotherham on 28 March 1998
[5][6][7][8]
|
Player
- Most points in a match — 32
Mike Rayer for Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
- Most tries in a match — 4 (x3)
John Clarke for Blackheath at home to Fylde on 20 September 1997
Jason Forster for Bedford at home to Fylde on 17 January 1998
Ben Wade for Rotherham at home to Exeter on 25 April 1998
- Most conversions in a match — 8 (x3)
Mike Rayer for Bedford at home to Coventry on 8 November 1997
Mike Rayer for Bedford away to Fylde on 27 December 1997
Steven Vile for West Hartlepool at home to Fylde on 14 February 1998
- Most penalties in a match — 6 (x9)
N/A - multiple players
- Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3)
Meeku Patidar for Exeter at home to Bedford on 13 September 1997
Matt Jones for Moseley at home to Orrell on 25 October 1997
Greg Miller for Wakefield at home to Rotherham on 28 March 1998
[9][10][11][12][13]
Attendances
- Note that attendances were very poorly documented this season and there is no information available
- Highest — N/A
N/A
- Lowest — N/A
N/A
- Highest Average Attendance — N/A
N/A
- Lowest Average Attendance — N/A
N/A
[14]
|
See also
References
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| 2025–26 teams | |
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| Former clubs | |
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| Seasons | |
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| Representative team | |
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| Governing body | |
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| National teams | |
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| International competitions | |
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| Competition divisions | |
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| European competitions | |
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| National competitions | |
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London and South East
competitions | |
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| Midland competitions | |
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| Northern competitions | |
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| South West competitions | |
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| County competitions | |
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| Discontinued competitions | |
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| Related articles | |
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| Other | |
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