National Leagues

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s National Leagues news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

Four years of effort pays off in promotion

23 April 2017 0 comments

By MORGAN HILL Exmouth………………7pts Bishop’s Stort’ …60pts GOING UP!: Bishop’s Stortford celebrate winning promotion to National League One for next season. PICTURE: Jason Fahy ANDY […]

Stour thrashed as Tynedale run riot

23 April 2017 0 comments

By NICK PULLEN Stourbridge….24 Tynedale ………52 STOURBRIDGE signed off their home campaign with an embarrassing defeat against rampant Tynedale. Tynedale set the tempo right from […]

Raiders no match for the rampant Rams

23 April 2017 0 comments

By MATT McCRORY Redingens’ …43 Worthing ……27 REDINGENSIANS Rams’ final home fixture of the season saw them fight off Worthing Raiders to cement their place […]

Tonbridge finish top season as champs

23 April 2017 0 comments

National League 3 London & SE AS EXPECTEDTonbridge Juddians ended their campaign as champions and will complete in National Two South next season but they […]

Six of the best for in-form Tigers

23 April 2017 0 comments

By ANDREW SMITH Sheffield T ….49 S Leicester ….22 SHEFFIELD Tigers continue their’ remarkable turnaround with a six-try demolition of South Leicester. The South Yorkshire […]

Geese come back and are still alive

23 April 2017 2 comments

By BILL HOOPER Redruth …21 LI Wild Geese…22 BEN Kitchen’s conversion of George Drye’s try in time added on proved to be the match-winning kick […]

Hurst hails performances of youngsters

23 April 2017 0 comments

National League 3 Midlands BROADSTREET won the title in style with a merciless 64-7 battering of a Sandbach side that was relegated as a result. […]

Hawks off to flyer to cruise to victory

23 April 2017 0 comments

By NICK PITSON Henley…52 Barnstaple…27 HENLEYHawks comfortably saw off struggling Barnstaple – scoring eight tries in the process at Dry Leas. The Hawks were quick […]

Huddersfield continue to smash records

23 April 2017 2 comments

National League 3 North HUDDERSFIELDhave taken the National Three North title with a record breaking 26 wins from 26 after beating Sandal 37-35 in a […]

Old Redcliffians forced to dig very deep

23 April 2017 0 comments

National League 3 South West OLD REDCLIFFIANS were run all the way as they finished their National League 3 South West campaign in style with […]

Lions are roaring against plucky Hinckley

23 April 2017 1 comment

By MIKE HOWKINS Leicester L ….49 Hinckley ……….12 LEICESTER Lions claimed local bragging rights with a comfortable one-sided win against Hinckley. Jonathan Boden got the […]

Tigers comeback denies Chester

23 April 2017 2 comments

By BEN JAMES Sedgley Park 33 Chester…………29 AN INSPIRED second half helped Sedgley Park come from 22-12 down to beat Chester. Tries from Thomas Coe, […]

Carlisle at the double to boost Barnes

23 April 2017 0 comments

By WILL REILLY Barnes …………47 Clifton ……………19 BARNES boosted their survival chances with an impressive victory against Clifton – moving them one point behind London […]

Wasps’ defeat ends hopes of Lions call-up for Cipriani

9 April 2017 0 comments

A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME JEFF PROBYN As if to prove the point I made last week about the standard of club verses […]

Norton notches try record as England move into quarters

9 April 2017 0 comments

WORLD SEVENS SERIES HONG KONG By NICK VERDIER DANNorton became the most prolific try scorer in World Sevens Series history as England booked their place […]

3G – sow the seeds of future success

9 April 2017 2 comments

IF Saracens can become reigning double champions, and set up another Champions Cup semi-final after beating Glasgow Warriors, what can other clubs do to replicate […]

Dickson looking to a bright future at Bedford

9 April 2017 0 comments

TRANSFER WRAP LEE DICKSON will be leaving Northampton at the end of the season to join Bedford Blues as playercoach next season, as revealed in […]

Regular season winners ready for big finale

9 April 2017 0 comments

WOMEN’S ROUND-UP By NICK VERDIER BRISTOL dominated the Premiership’s regular season and head coach Roy Davies has now challenged his troops to go all the […]

Defeated Dale fail to quell Chester charge

9 April 2017 0 comments

By BEN JAMES Chester…22 Wharfedale …15 TRIES from Freeman Payne, James Preston and Alexander Reed ensured Chester kept up their fine form in 2017 with […]

Lions roar to pile misery on Otley

9 April 2017 1 comment

By JOHN FINCH Otley …17 Leicester L…65 LEICESTER Lions certainly looked promotion contenders as they gave Otley their heaviest defeat of the season. The hosts […]

Barum boosted by vital home victory

9 April 2017 1 comment

By ANDREW JONES Barnstaple…21 Cinderford …13 BARNSTAPLE signed off their home campaign with victory over top-six side Cinderford as a poor game was lit up […]

Barker holds his nerves to teach Students

9 April 2017 0 comments

By RYAN STEVENS Loughborough…37 Esher …38 A LAST-GASP kick from Paul Roberts saw Esher sneak past Loughborough Students by a single point. Starting with successful […]

Greens stunned in Sedgley romp

9 April 2017 0 comments

By STEVE WILLIAMS FIVE tries in 15 minutes at the start of the second half saw Sedgley Park blitz Scunthorpe in a high-scoring encounter in […]

Clifton rub salt into Exmouth wounds

9 April 2017 0 comments

By ROGER OPIE Clifton 36 Exmouth 20 CLIFTON threw caution to the wind from the kickoff and ran the ball from all parts of the […]

Battle against the drop continues

9 April 2017 0 comments

By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge…40 Blaydon …43 TWO points for Cambridge put them on the brink of safety while Blaydon kept their hopes of beating the […]

Aley the man for South as Lucs are Downed

9 April 2017 2 comments

By MICK MCNEILL S Leicester …40 Luctonians …28 RICKIE ALEY was the difference between the sides after a stellar performance with hand and boot ensured […]

Tom on target as Stortford close in

9 April 2017 1 comment

By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s S …36 R’gensians R…33 TOM Banks late penalty ensured Bishop’s Stortford took a big step towards the league title against a […]

Fylde hit by full force of Law trio

9 April 2017 1 comment

By KEVIN ROBINSON Darlington …66 Fylde …22 DARLINGTON overwhelmed visitors Fylde at the Northern Echo Arena, scoring ten tries in the process, with a 30 […]

Caldy land title after stunning fightback

9 April 2017 1 comment

By JOHN LYON Caldy…28pts Sale …26pts CALDY enjoyed a day to remember as they were crowned champions of National 2 North after a game played […]

Barnes bask in summer sun with rare win

9 April 2017 0 comments

By PETER HAYES Canterbury 11 Barnes 17 BARNES upset the form book to take just a fifth win of the season as mid-table Canterbury slipped […]

Protheroe runs the show as perfect streak continues

9 April 2017 1 comment

By DAVID LAWRENCE Molesey …14pts Tries: Fidler 35, Crane 77 Conversions: Williams 35, 77 Hartpury College …32pts Tries: Cochrane 23, Protheroe 28, Polledri 40, Gilbert […]

Hinckley beat the Bridge in lively clash

9 April 2017 2 comments

By BEN JAMES Hinckley …36 Stourbridge 24 IT WAS tries galore as Hinckley secured a bonuspoint win over Stourbridge in a match that did little […]

Reds grab draw with a last-gasp Phillips try

9 April 2017 1 comment

By KEITH BROOKING Taunton T 33pts Redruth 33pts No doubt: Richard Brown is awarded a try fro Redruth Lewis Webb runs with the ball for […]

Plymouth look set for second as Cooper crosses late on

9 April 2017 0 comments

By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A …19 Ampthill …14 ALTHOUGH it’s not mathematically certain, Plymouth Albion virtually secured second place in the league table after beating […]

Juddians have the champagne on ice

9 April 2017 0 comments

National League 3 London & SE TONBRIDGE Juddians are on the verge of claiming the title after an emphatic 46-5 win at home to Hertford. […]

Dale roar back to tame the Tigers

9 April 2017 1 comment

By BRIAN TILLEY Tynedale …41 Sheffield T …40 TYNEDALE twice came from 16 points behind to snatch a thrilling victory. The Corbridge outfit were simply […]

Gibson pops up at death to save Geese

9 April 2017 0 comments

By WARREN MUGGLETON LI W Geese 41 Henley H 35 KARL Gibson scored a late try for London Irish Wild Geese against Henley Hawks at […]

Blues’ fast start finished by Barker

9 April 2017 1 comment

By MATT COLERIDGE Macclesfield…24 Blackheath …12 A FIRST-half blitz proved enough for Macclesfield although they were given a scare by Blackheath before Lewis Barker’s late […]

Broadstreet in control after Lions slayed

9 April 2017 0 comments

National League 3 Midlands NUNEATON’S end-to-end 48-26 victory over Lichfield is likely to be in vain after wins for all three National Three Midlands title […]

Gate hit back to defeat Hoppers

9 April 2017 1 comment

By HENRY WOODSFORD Preston G …32 Harrogate …48 HARROGATE conjured a second-half comeback to beat Preston Grasshoppers in an 11-try thriller at Lightfoot Green. Gate […]

Wings sting Bury in first-half blitz

9 April 2017 2 comments

By JON EDWARDS O Elthamians 47 B St Edmunds 12 DOM Lespierre and Huw Roberts scored two tries apiece as Old Elthamians secured a crucial […]

Trimble terrific as Cov go try crazy

9 April 2017 2 comments

By BRIAN QUINN Old Albanian …8 Coventry …73 MAX TRIMBLE scored a hat-trick as Coventry ran in 11 tries with Will Maisey racking up 21 […]

Champions Huddersfield marching on

9 April 2017 0 comments

National League 3 North HUDDERSFIELD extended their unbeaten league record to 25 games as they overcome second-placed Rossendale 41-11. Despite winning the title last weekend, […]

Goss the boss as Chinnor dominate

9 April 2017 1 comment

By MATTHEW ALMOND Worthing R 14 Chinnor 73 CHINNOR racked up 11 tries at Worthing Raiders to put the Bishop’s Stortford party on hold and […]

Leonard keeps survival dreams alive

9 April 2017 0 comments

By DANIEL SAWYER Rosslyn Park …29 Hull Ionians…30 HULL IONIANS handed their survival hopes a timely shot in the arm with a hard-fought victory at […]

Late tries secure Crusaders play-off spot

9 April 2017 1 comment

National League 3 South West TWO late tries saw Dings Crusaders come from behind to beat Ivybridge 23-17 to secure second place and their spot […]

Baker off to a flyer as Amps see off Blaydon

2 April 2017 0 comments

By JOHN BRENNAN Blaydon 17 Ampthill 40 WINGER Nigel Baker ran in a hat-trick of tries inside the opening 30 minutes to help Ampthill towards […]

Barrett the hero as Dale edge it

2 April 2017 0 comments

By ED WILLIAMS Wharfedale 13 Sedgley Park 10 AN AFTERNOON of brutal rugby, with no quarter being given from either side, was just edged by […]

Lespierre hat-trick fires OEs up table

2 April 2017 0 comments

By JON EDWARDS Barnes 27 O Elthamians 50 A STORMING first-half display helped Old Elthamians overcome battling Barnes and edge into the all-important play-off spot. […]

Williams on song to subdue Club

2 April 2017 0 comments

By GRAHAM COX Blackheath 25 B’ham Mose 32 A SPIRITED effort from Blackheath was not quite enough to overcome a Moseley side whose firsthalf performance […]

National Leagues

Recent Posts

Search