National Leagues

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

Cinderford steal it thanks to Taylor

9 September 2018 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH B’m Moseley…23 Cinderford……24 CINDERFORD hooker Nathan Taylor grabbed a hat-trick in his team’s first visit to Billesley Common. Their superb driving maul […]

Hawks edge out Barnes in nervy tussle

9 September 2018 0 comments

By ALISTAIR BEYNON Henley……………26 Barnes …………24 HENLEY Hawks withstood a strong second-half fightback from Barnes to win an exhilarating yet errorstrewn contest. Barnes started strongly […]

OEs’ total control as Club are foxed

9 September 2018 2 comments

By GRAHAM COX Blackheath ….10 O Elthamians…21 OLD Elthamians were clinical in the pivotal moments as they sealed an impressive win at Blackheath. OEs may […]

Riley has the key brace as Sedgley hold on

2 September 2018 0 comments

By ANDREW SMITH Huddersfield…24 Sedgley Park 29 PRE-SEASON promotion favourites Sedgley Park made a winning start in a hard-earned bonus-point victory at Huddersfield’s Lockwood Park. […]

New club but it’s the same old Rickie Aley

2 September 2018 0 comments

By NICK PULLEN Eyes on the prize: Stourbridge flanker Sam Montieri spots a gap in the Lions’ defence PICTURES: Ceri Davies NEW recruit Rickie Aley […]

Red card just acts as signal for Amps to excel

2 September 2018 1 comment

By WARREN KAY Ampthill …43 L’boro St…34 AMPTHILL’S 14 men defied the odds after losing captain Billy Johnson, who received a straight red for foul […]

Green holds his nerve for the Ionians

2 September 2018 0 comments

By MALLY KNOWLES Hull Ionians …35 Sheffield T …33 HULL Ionians left it late to record a victory on their return to National Two North. […]

Stortford come up short in nail-biter

2 September 2018 1 comment

By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s Stort 23 DMP …26 STORTFORD lost scrumhalf Alex Patton to injury early on and, in an expansive opening, the first period […]

Lions tamed on their league debut

2 September 2018 0 comments

By SIMON MOYLE P’boro Lions…12 Wharfedale …26 WHARFEDALE were deserved winners in a tight game and made the most of the opportunities as Peterborough Lions […]

Tearaway Sale get last-gasp leveller

2 September 2018 1 comment

By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge…36 Sale …36 SALE announced their arrival in National One with a solid debut at Grantchester Road, racing into a 19-0 lead […]

South get off to a fine winning start

2 September 2018 0 comments

By RICHARD GREEN South Leics …47 Macclesfield 24 FIVE second-half tries for South Leicester gave them a bonus point victory over Macclesfield. After an uneventful […]

Titanic effort is not enough as Rotherham fall a point short

2 September 2018 1 comment

Stretch: Dominic Lespierre reaches out to score for Old Elthamians PICTURES: G Lyons Photography ROTHERHAM, playing their first game outside the two top divisions for […]

Classy Chinnor show they will be force to be reckoned with

2 September 2018 2 comments

By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A …11 Chinnor …26 NEWLY-PROMOTED Chinnor caused an early National 1 upset by beating Plymouth Albion, who finished third last season. […]

Park’s early spark proves decisive

2 September 2018 0 comments

By NIGEL WILCE Cinderford …29 Rosslyn Park 36 CINDERFORD produced a second-half fightback to secure two bonus points but were unable to recover from a […]

OAs are rampant against league’s newbies

2 September 2018 0 comments

By BRIAN QUINN Old Albanian …59 Guernsey …5 ALBANIANS began the new campaign with a resounding bonus-point win over newly-promoted Guernsey. The home management will […]

Elliot takes eye on day for debutants

2 September 2018 1 comment

By GRAHAM COX Esher …7 Blackheath …36 BLACKHEATH will be pleased with an opening day bonus point win from a venue where they’ve frequently come […]

Martey’s double on Barnes’ return

2 September 2018 0 comments

By DAVID DOONAN Barnes…33 LI Wild Geese 14 TWO tries from Robbie Martey helped Barnes make the perfect start to life in National Two South […]

Ravai set for Mose debut at Ravers

2 September 2018 0 comments

Preview Caldy v Moseley Today, Kick-off 3pm RAVAI Fatiaki can make a massive impact for Birmingham Moseley this season according to director of rugby Richard […]

Hawks flying in perfect formation

2 September 2018 1 comment

By SIMON LORD Bury St Ed …37 Henley Hks …45 A WELL-DRILLED and organised Henley side capitalised on Bury mistakes to come out victorious in […]

Dings pay the price for lack of discipline

2 September 2018 0 comments

By RICH GRANT Dings C …17 Redruth…25 DINGS went down three tries to two in a well-contested match at Shaftesbury Park. Visitors Redruth enjoyed the […]

It’s fourth time lucky as Rams start fast

2 September 2018 2 comments

By CAMERON TEMPLE The Rams…44pts Canterbury…15pts RAMS have faltered out of the blocks on each of the last three occasions in National Two South so […]

Barnes earns bragging rights for Clifton

2 September 2018 0 comments

By GEOFF SIBLEY O Redcliff’ …14 Clifton …17 CLIFTON just about deserved the win in a nip and tuck Bristol derby. Redcliffians could have taken […]

Morris is dancing to get Chester victory

2 September 2018 0 comments

By GEOFF LIGHTFOOT Chester…48 Preston GHs…37 CHESTER got their season off to the best possible start with victory over Preston Grasshoppers at Hare Lane. The […]

Four-star Mason inspires the Titans

2 September 2018 0 comments

By KEITH BROOKING Taunton …62 Worthing …24 WITH both sides showing several new faces for the first league game of the season it was the […]

Wilkinson helps Fylde stop the rot

2 September 2018 2 comments

By ALLAN FOSTER Fylde…24 Otley …14 CONNOR Wilkinson scored two tries as Fylde ended a run of 17 successive league defeats with a victory over […]

Will holds nerve to sting the Bees

2 September 2018 0 comments

By GARETH WITHERS Tonbridge J …22 B’ham & S…19 TONBRIDGE Juddians started the season with two tries inside the opening five minutes but ultimately had […]

Seventh heaven for hot Hinckley

2 September 2018 0 comments

By STEVE ADENT Hinckley…45 Tynedale …31 HINCKLEY got their season off to a winning start as they ran in seven tries against Tynedale. The first […]

Big rewards for super-charged forward pack at promoted Sale

27 May 2018 0 comments

Champions Sale take top billing but the best backs in National Two North all come from elsewehere Handful at No.8: Hinckley’s Alex Salt Key man […]

Tonga’uiha sure Pacific franchise would be smash hit

27 May 2018 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA SOANE Tonga’uiha reckons a combined ‘Pacific Force’ Super Rugby team could quickly challenge the old order and become a big hit on the […]

Bonus win moves Albion up to third

13 May 2018 0 comments

By NICK BURT Plymouth A … 33 Loughborough … 19 IN the final match of the season Plymouth secured the bonus point win to leapfrog […]

Brave Luctonians go down fighting

13 May 2018 0 comments

By GEOFF VICKRESS Luctonians… 21 Sale … 22 LUCTONIANS suffered the agony of relegation despite a magnificent door- die effort against champions Sale in the […]

Ealing find rhythm to deliver the knockout

13 May 2018 1 comment

By JONATHAN LANDI Cup kings: Ealing celebrate with the trophy PICTURE: Lissy Tomlinson IT WAS billed as the biggest game in Ealing’s history and the […]

Prydie’s too good for all this time in the shadows

13 May 2018 1 comment

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Tom Prydie arrived at ‘Heart and Soul Rugby Country’ last summer hoping to find a way back […]

Another sad no-show from the new England captain

13 May 2018 2 comments

HE failed to do so on a Monday night in the New Year to collect the Rugby Writers’ Club’s highest accolade, the Pat Marshall Memorial […]

At least Bent had actually set foot on Irish soil

13 May 2018 0 comments

SIX years ago Ireland caused a stink by rushing Michael Bent, a New Zealander, straight from the arrivals hall at Dublin airport into their squad […]

What price for loyalty?

13 May 2018 0 comments

LONG after football abandoned the value of the one-club man, rugby is doing the same. Matt Banahan’s exit from Bath after 12 years is a […]

Chinnor promoted in thrilling play-off

6 May 2018 0 comments

■By KEN VAUGHAN Going up: Chinnor celebrate at the end of the match PICTURES: Simon Cooper GEORGE Oliver’s lastgasp try secured Chinnor promotion to National […]

What a Week for hat-trick hero

6 May 2018 0 comments

■By NICK BURT Plymouth …53 Rosslyn Park …14 ROBBIE Weeks scored a hat-trick as Plymouth Albion cut loose in an emphatic victory against Rosslyn Park. […]

Meredith strikes at the death to clinch Lucs win

6 May 2018 1 comment

■By ROSS BARNETT Leicester Lions 21 Luctonians…22 LUCTONIANS overturned an eight-point deficit at half-time to defeat Leicester Lions. Charles Meredith grabbed the vital try at […]

Uruguay gear up for new Super League

6 May 2018 1 comment

URUGUAY, give or take a couple of players based in France, were the only truly amateur team at RWC2015 but that is in the process […]

THIS WEEK’S AWARDS…

6 May 2018 0 comments

Try of the week: Danny Cipriani is in the kind of form that makes it impossible for Eddie Jones to ignore him any longer, the […]

RUGBY MATTERS

6 May 2018 0 comments

European farce has forced Samoa to play waiting game BRENDAN GALLAGHER Weekly look at the game’s other talking points Frustrated: Samoa must wait until July […]

Baa-Baas will be spoilt for choice with this lot

6 May 2018 1 comment

Great: Conrad Smith TO misquote Hemingway, there are players retiring this season who never retired before! Never can I remember so many illustrious, seemingly never […]

Five-try Stour too good for Otley

29 April 2018 0 comments

By NICK PULLEN Stourbridge…31 Otley………5 STOURBRIDGE shrugged off their ill-discipline to record a comfortable victory over mid-table Otley. The hosts started the game like a […]

Coventry are set to sparkle now says Nilsen

29 April 2018 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY NEWS EXTRA TOP-CLASS facilities and a host of impressive new signings will ensure Coventry thrive in next season’s Championship, according to hooker […]

Islanders create history in play-offs

29 April 2018 0 comments

By GEOFF LIGHTFOOT London v SW Guernsey……38 Bournemouth 23 GUERNSEY take a place in National Two South for the first time in their history after […]

Dale edge closer to safety with win

29 April 2018 1 comment

By ED WILLIAMS Wharfedale…30 Macclesfield…21 WHARFEDALE crept closer to safety as they downed Macclesfield at the Avenue. The result keeps Wharfedale nine points clear of […]

Lions promoted after Hull triumph

29 April 2018 0 comments

By PAUL JONES North v Midlands Hull………22 Peterborough 31 PETERBOROUGH deservedly took the honours and promotion following an away win at Hull in the North […]

YOUNG GUNS

29 April 2018 0 comments

EHREN PAINTER NORTHAMPTON TIGHT-HEAD PROP Ehren Painter’s first two Premiership matches for Northampton could hardly have been more contrasting. Making his home debut towards the […]

Sorry, but this Shields talk just smacks of desperation

29 April 2018 1 comment

A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME JEFF PROBYN Pinning his colours: Brad Shields was part of the New Zealand U20 team that won the […]

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