2015 County Championship Shield

The 2015 County Championship Shield was the 11th version of the annual English rugby union County Championship, organized by the RFU for the tier 3 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the fifth tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into three pools of four teams each, based roughly on regional lines, with the winner of each group plus the best runner-up going through to the semi-finals, with the winners of those games meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. At the moment there is no promotion or relegation out of or into the County Championship Shield, although the 2014 champions Surrey moved up into tier 2, having won the competition three years in a row.[1][2]

For the first tier of the English Counties competition, see 2015 Bill Beaumont Cup. For the second tier of the English Counties competition, see 2015 County Championship Plate.
2015 County Championship Shield
Countries England
Date2 May 2015 - 31 May 2015
ChampionsLeicestershire (1st title)
Runners-upCumbria

After winning their respective groups and semi final matches Leicestershire faced Cumbria in the late kick off game at Twickenham Stadium. Leicestershire made up for their defeat the previous season by defeating Cumbria 34 – 17 to win their first ever Shield trophy.[3]

Competition format

The competition format consisted of three groups of four counties each, based roughly on regional lines where possible, with each team playing each other once. The top side of each group automatically qualified for the semi-finals, as did the best group runner-up. The winners of the semi-finals played in the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 31 May 2015,[4] As the lowest tier in the county championship there is no relegation while promotion is not given every season, although outstanding county performances (such as Surrey's) can lead to counties moving up to tier 2.

Participating counties and ground locations
Sonning (Berks)
Buckingham (Bucks)
Bletchley (Berks)
Carlisle (Cumbria)
Workington (Cumbria)
Trowbridge (D&W)
Wareham (D&W)
Barking (Essex)
Portsmouth (Hamps)
Whetstone (Leics)
Market Harborough (Leics)
West Ealing (Middx)
Mansfield (NLD)
Chipping Norton (Oxon)
Barlaston (Staffs)
Binley Woods (Warks)
Locations of the 2015 County Championship Shield county teams
County Stadium(s) Capacity City/Area
Berkshire Old Bath Road 1,250 Sonning, Reading, Berkshire
Buckinghamshire Floyd Field
Manor Fields Sports Ground		 N/A
N/A		 Buckingham, Buckinghamshire
Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Cumbria Rugby Ground
Ellis Sports Ground		 1,500 (500 seats)
12,000 (2,000 seats)		 Carlisle, Cumbria
Workington, Cumbria
Dorset & Wilts Paxcroft
Bestwall Park		 N/A
N/A		 Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Wareham, Dorset
Essex Goresbrook 1,000 Barking, London
Hampshire Rugby Camp N/A Portsmouth, Hampshire
Leicestershire The Rugby Ground
Vipers Rugby Ground		 N/A
N/A		 Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Whetstone, Leicestershire
Middlesex Trailfinders Sports Ground 3,020 West Ealing, London
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire Eakring Road 1,000 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire Greystones N/A Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Staffordshire Hartwell Lane N/A Barlaston, Staffordshire
Warwickshire Ivor Preece Field 1,500 (250 seats) Binley Woods, Coventry, Warwickshire

Group stage

Pool 1
2015 County Championship Shield Pool 1 Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Leicestershire (Q)330012025953015
2Oxfordshire32019476182010
3Buckinghamshire31023887−49004
4Berkshire300345109−64102
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 16 May 2015
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1
2 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Leicestershire 45–14 Buckinghamshire
Report
The Rugby Ground, Market Harborough
2 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Oxfordshire 59–27 Berkshire (BP)
Report
Greystones, Chipping Norton

[5]

Round 2
9 May 2015
15:00
Berkshire 5–36 Leicestershire (BP)
Report
Old Bath Road, Sonning
9 May 2015
15:00
Buckinghamshire 10–29 Oxfordshire (BP)
Report
Floyd Field, Buckingham

[5][6]

Round 3
16 May 2015
15:00
Buckinghamshire 14–13 Berkshire (BP)
Manor Fields Sports Ground, Bletchley, Milton Keynes
16 May 2015
15:00
Oxfordshire 6–39 Leicestershire (BP)
Greystones, Chipping Norton

[5][7]

Pool 2
2015 County Championship Shield Pool 2 Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Cumbria (Q)33007325481013
2Warwickshire3201746410109
3Staffordshire31025380−27004
4Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire30034778−31011
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 16 May 2015
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1
2 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 23–25 Warwickshire
Report
Eakring Road, Mansfield
2 May 2015
15:00
Staffordshire 12–20 Cumbria
Report
Hartwell Lane, Barlaston

[5]

Round 2
9 May 2015
15:00
Cumbria 20–0 Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire
[n 1]

9 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Warwickshire 36–8 Staffordshire
Report
The Ivor Preece Field, Binley Woods, Coventry
  1. Cumbria awarded a 20 – 0 win, because Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire were unable to raise a squad due to injuries.[8]

[5][6]

Round 3
16 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Cumbria 33–13 Warwickshire
Report
Rugby Ground, Carlisle
16 May 2015
15:00
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 24–33 Staffordshire
The Stute, Ilkeston

[5][7]

Pool 3
2015 County Championship Shield Pool 3 Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Dorset & Wilts (Q)330010336671013
2Essex (Q)[n 1]320110644622111
3Hampshire31025183−32105
4Middlesex300336133−97000
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 16 May 2015
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.
  1. Essex qualify for semi finals as best ranked runner up.

Round 1
2 May 2015
15:00
Hampshire 5–38 Essex (BP)
Rugby Camp, Portsmouth
2 May 2015
15:00
Middlesex 5–50 Dorset & Wilts (BP)
Report
Trailfinders Sports Ground, West Ealing, London

[5]

Round 2
9 May 2015
15:00
Dorset & Wilts 24–20 Essex (BP)
Report
Paxcroft, Trowbridge
9 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Hampshire 35–16 Middlesex
Report
Rugby Camp, Portsmouth

[6]

Round 3
16 May 2015
15:00
Dorset & Wilts 29–11 Hampshire
Report
Bestwall Park, Wareham
16 May 2015
15:00
(BP) Essex 48–15 Middlesex
Goresbrook, Barking

[7]

Knock-out Stage

Semi-finals
23 May 2015
15:00
Leicestershire 49–15 Dorset & Wilts
Report
Vipers Rugby Ground, Whetstone
23 May 2015
15:00
Cumbria 18–17 Essex
Report
Ellis Sports Ground, Workington

[5][9]

Final
31 May 2015
15:00
Leicestershire 34–17 Cumbria
Report
Twickenham Stadium, London

[5]

See also

References
  1. "Surrey make it three County Championship Shield titles in a row at Twickenham". Dorking Advertiser. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  2. "Surrey Enters The Bill Beaumont Cup". Surrey Rugby. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  3. "Rugby: Leicestershire lift County Championship Shield after win over Cumbria at Twickenham". Leicester Mercury. 1 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  4. "ENGLAND V BARBARIANS SUNDAY 31 MAY 2015 K.O. 3pm". Tunbridge Wells RFC. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  5. "County Championships Results: 2015". englandrugby.com. 31 May 2015.
  6. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (347). Rugby Paper Ltd. 10 May 2015. p. 33.
  7. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (348). Rugby Paper Ltd. 17 May 2015. p. 29.
  8. "Cumbria Game Called Off". NLDRFU – Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire & Derbyshire Rugby. 8 May 2015.
  9. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (349). Rugby Paper Ltd. 24 May 2015. p. 25.
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