The 1996–97 Courage League National Division Two was the tenth full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship and was season that saw professional rugby openly introduced into the English game. Joining the eight teams who participated in the division in 1995–96 were Richmond, Coventry, Rugby and Rotherham all of whom were promoted from National Division Three with no teams coming down from National Division One due to league restructuring. The league was sponsored by Courage Brewery for the tenth consecutive year.
| 1996–97 Courage League National Division Two | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Richmond (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Newcastle Falcons |
| Relegated | Rugby Lions and Nottingham |
| Matches played | 132 |
| Highest attendance | 8,000 Coventry at home to Newcastle Falcons on 2 November 1996 |
| Top point scorer |  Simon Mason,(Richmond) 334 points |
| Top try scorer | John Bentley, (Newcastle Falcons) 23 tries[1] |
The top two teams, Richmond and Newcastle Falcons were automatically promoted, and for the first time there were play–offs between the third and fourth placed teams, and the ninth and tenth placed teams in Division One, for a place in the top tier for season 1997–98.[2] The Division Two sides played at home first with the winners of the two matches, on aggregate score, playing in the top division the following season. Coventry and Bedford both failed to win promotion. Rugby Lions and Nottingham were relegated to Division 3 for the 1997–98 season. Last season Nottingham finished in the bottom two and escaped relegation due to the division being increased from ten clubs to twelve clubs. This season they were not so lucky and next season will be their first in Division Three.[3]
Participating 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 |
| London Scottish | Athletic Ground | 4,500 | Richmond, London |
| Moseley | The Reddings | 10,000 (est) | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| Newcastle Falcons | Kingston Park | 10,000 | Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear |
| Nottingham | Ireland Avenue | 4,950 | Beeston, Nottinghamshire |
| Richmond | Athletic Ground | 4,500 | Richmond, London |
| Rotherham | Clifton Lane | 2,500 | Rotherham, South Yorkshire |
| Rugby | Webb Ellis Road | 1,000 | Rugby, Warwickshire |
| Wakefield | College Grove | 3,000 | Wakefield, West Yorkshire |
| Waterloo | St Anthony's Road | 9,000 | Blundellsands, Merseyside |
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond (C) | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 986 | 410 | +576 | 40 | Promoted |
| 2 | Newcastle Falcons | 22 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 1255 | 346 | +909 | 39 | |
| 3 | Coventry | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 738 | 394 | +344 | 33 | Promotion play–offs |
| 4 | Bedford | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 720 | 482 | +238 | 30 | |
| 5 | London Scottish | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 549 | 568 | −19 | 22 | |
| 6 | Wakefield | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 504 | 557 | −53 | 22 | |
| 7 | Rotherham | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 525 | 661 | −136 | 20 | |
| 8 | Moseley | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 492 | 741 | −249 | 18 | |
| 9 | Waterloo | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 506 | 661 | −155 | 16 | |
| 10 | Blackheath | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 412 | 641 | −229 | 14 | |
| 11 | Rugby Lions | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 317 | 1060 | −743 | 6 | Relegated |
| 12 | Nottingham | 22 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 344 | 827 | −483 | 4 |
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:
- difference between points for and against
- total number of points for
(C) Champions
Promotion play–offs
For the first time play–offs took place between the third and fourth placed teams in Division Two and the ninth and tenth placed teams in Division One. The play–offs followed a 4th v 9th, 3rd v 10th system - with the games being played over two legs and the second tier team playing at home in the first leg.[3]
First leg
Second leg
- Bristol won 39 – 23 on aggregate to retain their place in Division One
- London Irish won 42 – 23 on aggregate to retain their place in Division One
Individual statistics
- Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top try scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Appearances | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Bentley | Newcastle Falcons | 18 | 23 |
| 2 |  Gary Armstrong | Newcastle Falcons | 21 | 21 |
 Scott Quinnell | Richmond | 21 | 21 | |
| 3 | Jim Fallon | Richmond | 21 | 19 |
| 4 | Andy Smallwood | Coventry | 20 | 17 |
| 5 |  Pat Lam | Newcastle Falcons | 11 | 15 |
| Darragh O'Mahony | Moseley | 13 | 15 | |
| 6 | Andy McAdam | Coventry | 18 | 14 |
| Tim Stimpson | Newcastle Falcons | 18 | 14 | |
| 7 | Ben Whetstone | Bedford | 18 | 13 |
| Guy Easterby | Rotherham | 21 | 13 |