2013 County Championship Shield
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The 2013 County Championship Shield was the 9th 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. Typically there is no promotion or relegation out of or into the County Championship Shield. Surrey were the reigning champions.[1]
After winning their pools and semi-final matches, reigning champions Surrey met Cumbria in the final. Having thrashed Leicestershire the last time round, Surrey found Cumbria a much tougher prospect, eventually prevailing 23 – 16 to claim their second successive title (and third overall).[2]
Competition format
The competition format consisted of four pools (one of four teams, the others with three), based roughly on regional lines where possible, with each team playing each other once. The top side of each group qualified for the semi-finals, with the winners of the semi-finals playing in the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 26 May 2013. As the lowest tier in the county championship there is no relegation while promotion is not given every season, although outstanding county performances can lead to counties moving up to tier 2.
Participating counties and ground locations
| County | Stadium(s) | Capacity | City/Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire | Monk's Lane | 8,000 | Newbury, Berkshire |
| Buckinghamshire | Kingsmead Road | N/A | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
| Cumbria | Winters Park Lowmoor Road Bower Park |
N/A N/A N/A |
Penrith, Cumbria Wigton, Cumbria Aspatria, Cumbria |
| Dorset & Wilts | Allington Fields Bestwall Park |
500 N/A |
Chippenham, Wiltshire Wareham, Dorset |
| Essex | Forest Road | N/A | Ilford, Greater London |
| Hampshire | Rugby Camp | N/A | Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| Leicestershire[a 1] | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Middlesex | Athletic Ground | 4,500 (1,000 seats) | Richmond, London |
| Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | The Rugby Ground | 1,000 (60 seats) | Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire |
| Oxfordshire | Marston Ferry Road | N/A | Oxford, Oxfordshire |
| Surrey | Broadwater Sports Club | N/A | Farncombe, Surrey |
| Sussex | Pulborough Road Roundstone Lane |
N/A 1,500 (100 seats) |
Pulborough, West Sussex Angmering, West Sussex |
| Warwickshire | Butts Park Arena | 4,000 | Coventry, West Midlands |
- Notes
- Leicestershire did not play any home games during this year's Shield competition.
Group stage
Pool 1
| |||||||||||||||||
| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumbria (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 17 | 92 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
| 2 | Leicestershire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 98 | 41 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||
| 3 | Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 152 | -149 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 11 May 2013 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Pool 2
| |||||||||||||||||
| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warwickshire (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 32 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||
| 2 | Essex | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 37 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 3 | Buckinghamshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 73 | -49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 11 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Pool 3
| |||||||||||||||||
| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surrey (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 60 | 97 | 3 | 0 | 15 | ||||||
| 2 | Dorset & Wilts | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 93 | 72 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
| 3 | Oxfordshire | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 76 | 135 | -59 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||
| 4 | Berkshire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 63 | 122 | -59 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 11 May 2013 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Pool 4
| |||||||||||||||||
| County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sussex (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 50 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
| 2 | Hampshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 45 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 3 | Middlesex | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 70 | -24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background means the county qualified for the Shield semi finals. Updated: 11 May 2013 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. | |||||||||||||||||