2008–09 National Division One


The 2008–09 National Division One was the 22nd full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. Leeds Carnegie joined National Division One, having been relegated from the Guinness Premiership after the 2007–08 season. Otley and Manchester were promoted from the 2007–08 National Division Two.
Leeds Carnegie won a quick promotion back to the Guinness Premiership, while five teams were relegated to the newly named 2009–10 National League 1: Esher, Sedgley Park, Newbury, Otley and Manchester. The reason for the large number of teams being relegated was due to the league being restructured the next season from 16 to 12 teams as the new RFU Championship was introduced.

Participating teams

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/Area
Bedford BluesGoldington Road5,000Bedford, Bedfordshire
Cornish PiratesRecreation Ground9,000Camborne, Cornwall
CoventryButts Park Arena4,000Coventry, West Midlands
Doncaster KnightsCastle Park3,075Doncaster, South Yorkshire
EsherMolesey Road3,000Hersham, Surrey
Exeter ChiefsSandy Park8,000Exeter, Devon
Leeds CarnegieHeadingley Stadium22,250Leeds, West Yorkshire
London WelshOld Deer Park4,500 Richmond, London
ManchesterGrove Park4,000Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
MoseleyBillesley Common3,000+Birmingham, West Midlands
NewburyMonk's Lane8,000Newbury, Berkshire
NottinghamMeadow Lane19,588Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
OtleyCross Green7,000 Otley, West Yorkshire
Plymouth AlbionThe Brickfields6,500Plymouth, Devon
Rotherham TitansClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Sedgley ParkPark Lane3,000Whitefield, Greater Manchester

;Notes

Results

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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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

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Round 16

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 March 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 March 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 April 2009.
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Round 20

  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 March 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 February 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 April 2009.
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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 23

  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 18 April 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 18 April 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 29 April 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2009.
  • Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 April 2009.
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Round 24

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Round 16 & Round 20 Rescheduled Games

  • Game rescheduled from 28 February 2009.
  • Game rescheduled from 13 December 2008.
  • Game rescheduled from 28 February 2009.
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Round 25

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Round 26

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Round 19, 20 & 23 Rescheduled Games

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Round 27

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Round 19 Rescheduled Game

  • Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.
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Round 28

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Round 20 Rescheduled Game

  • Game rescheduled from 11 January 2009. Game also switched from Grove Park to Headingley in Leeds as Manchester did not have floodlights.
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Round 29

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Round 15 & 23 Rescheduled Games

  • Game rescheduled from 15 February 2009.
  • Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.
  • Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.
  • Game rescheduled from 15 February 2009.
  • Game rescheduled from 7 December 2008.
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Round 30

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Rounds 16, 20 & 23 Rescheduled Games

  • Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.
  • Game rescheduled from 13 December 2008.
  • Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009 but would be cancelled by Otley due to the club having 8 players on county duty for Yorkshire. The FDR gave Moseley a 20–0, 5 point win by default.

Total Season Attendances

ClubHome
Games		TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Bedford Blues1539,4062,6273,3071,93353%
Cornish Pirates1544,7392,9834,9131,89433%
Coventry1520,9591,3973,63883835%
Doncaster Knights1520,5201,3682,20384644%
Esher1515,6821,0451,98438035%
Exeter Chiefs1568,9844,5997,3452,89957%
Leeds Carnegie1548,6253,2425,4632,02915%
London Welsh1516,0351,0691,93139024%
Manchester157,0964731,7812839%
Moseley1412,5028931,12468230%
Newbury158,1645448783107%
Nottingham1522,3911,4932,6631,0888%
Otley1412,1948712,61045012%
Plymouth Albion1551,0503,4036,8711,74252%
Rotherham Titans1518,7271,2482,54864250%
Sedgley Park158,13054288629618%

;Notes

Individual statistics

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

Season records

Team

;Largest home win — 90 pts
95 - 5 Nottingham at home to Otley on 8 March 2009
;Largest away win — 104 pts
104 - 0 Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009
;Most points scored — 104 pts
104 - 0 Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009
;Most tries in a match — 16
Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009
;Most conversions in a match — 12
Nottingham at home to Otley on 8 March 2009
Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Rotherham Titans at home to Exeter Chiefs on 11 April 2009
;Most drop goals in a match — 3
Cornish Pirates at home to Plymouth Albion on 12 April 2009

Player

;Most points in a match — 29
Tim Taylor for Nottingham at home to Otley on 8 March 2009
;Most tries in a match — 5
Tom Brown for London Welsh at home to Manchester on 28 March 2009
;Most conversions in a match — 12
Jason Strange for Leeds Carnegie away to Manchester on 8 April 2009
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Michael Whitehead for Rotherham Titans at home to Exeter Chiefs on 11 April 2009
;Most drop goals in a match — 3
Rhys Jones for Cornish Pirates at home to Plymouth Albion on 12 April 2009

Attendances

;Highest — 7,345
Exeter Chiefs at home to Cornish Pirates on 27 December 2008
;Lowest — 283
Manchester at home to Esher on 31 January 2009
;Highest Average Attendance — 4,599
Exeter Chiefs
;Lowest Average Attendance — 473
Manchester