2014 Bill Beaumont Cup

Last updated
2014 Bill Beaumont Cup (County Championship)
CountriesFlag of England.svg  England
Date10 May 2014 - 1 June 2014
Champions Lancashire (23rd title)
Runners-up Cornwall
Relegated North Midlands, Northumberland
Matches played13
Attendance12,006
(average 924 per match)
Highest attendance4,000 Lancashire v Cornwall (1 June 2014)
Lowest attendance164 Hertfordshire v North Midlands (17 May 2014)
Top point scorer Flag of England.svg Chris Johnson
(Lancashire) 60
Top try scorer Flag of England.svg Lewis Vinnicombe
(Cornwall) 4
  2013
2015  

The 2014 Bill Beaumont Cup, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division One, was the 114th version of the annual, English rugby union, County Championship organized by the RFU for the top tier English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system (typically National League 1, National League 2 South or National League 2 North). The counties were divided into two regional pools with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New counties to the competition were the two finalists from the 2013 County Championship Plate final – Northumberland (winners) and North Midlands (runners-up) who replaced Durham and Kent. [1] Lancashire were the defending champions. [2]

Contents

The northern group was won by Lancashire, qualifying for their sixth successive final by winning all three games, although they had some stiff opposition from rivals Yorkshire and Cheshire on the way. They were joined by Cornwall, also making their second successive final, who won the southern section in a similar manner, with close wins against Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire getting them through. Both of the newly promoted counties, Northumberland and North Midlands, made an instant return as they were relegated to the 2015 County Championship Plate at the end of the competition. [3] [4]

In what was a repeat of the previous seasons final, Lancashire once again defeated Cornwall. Cornwall who were looking to win the championship for the first time in 14 years, actually led 23-10 at half-time, but fell apart in the second, as a rampant Lancashire side scored four tries to finish as victors 38-26. [5] Lancashire's outstanding player of the tournament was Fylde's Chris Johnson, who scored 60 points over the competition, including 4 tries, while Lewis Vinnicombe, playing for Truro in Tribute Western Counties West, was excellent for Cornwall with 4 tries overall.

Competition format

The competition format was two regional group stages divided into north and south, with each team playing each other once. This meant that two teams in the pool had two home games, while the other two had just one. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 1 June 2014.

Participating Counties and ground locations

United Kingdom England adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Thurstaston (Cheshire)
Red pog.svg
Sale (Cheshire)
Red pog.svg
Redruth (Cornwall)
Red pog.svg
Camborne (Cornwall)
Red pog.svg
Cinderford (Gloucestershire)
Red pog.svg
St Albans (Hertfordshire)
Red pog.svg
Lytham Saint Annes (Lancashire)
Red pog.svg
Whitefield (Lancashire)
Red pog.svg
Bromsgrove (North Midlands)
Red pog.svg
Corbridge (Northumberland)
Red pog.svg
Scarborough (Yorkshire)
Locations of the 2014 Bill Beaumont Cup county teams
CountyStadium(s)CapacityCity/Area
Cheshire Heywood Road
Paton Field
5,400
4,000
Sale, Greater Manchester
Thurstaston, Merseyside
Cornwall Recreation Ground
Recreation Ground
3,500 (580 seats)
7,000 (780 seats)
Redruth, Cornwall
Camborne, Cornwall
Gloucestershire Dockham Road 2,500 Cinderford, Gloucestershire
Hertfordshire Woollam Playing Fields
Highfields
1,000
N/A
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Ware, Hertfordshire
Lancashire Woodlands Memorial Ground
Park Lane
9,000
3,000
Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
Whitefield, Greater Manchester
North Midlands Finstall Park N/A Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Northumberland Tynedale 2,000 (400 seats) Corbridge, Northumberland
Yorkshire Silver Royd 1,950 (322 seats) Scalby, North Yorkshire

Group stage

Division 1 North

2014 Beaumont Cup Division 1 North Table
CountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints
1 Lancashire (Q)330011161502014
2 Yorkshire 3201835429019
3 Cheshire 31025780-23116
4 Northumberland (R)300372128-56112
  • 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 final. Pink background means the county were demoted to Division 2 North of the County Championship Plate for the following season. Updated: 24 May 2014
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1

10 May 2014
15:00
Cheshire3 - 24Yorkshire
Heywood Road, Sale
Attendance: 330
Referee: Andrew Rawson
10 May 2014
15:00
(BP) Lancashire57 - 19Northumberland
Woodlands Memorial Ground, Lytham St Annes
Attendance: 425
Referee: Wayne Falla

[6] [7]


Round 2

17 May 2014
(BP) Cheshire35 - 31Northumberland (2BP)
Paton Field, Thurstaston
Attendance: 281
Referee: Brendan MacGaffney
17 May 2014
(BP) Yorkshire23 - 29Lancashire (BP)
Silver Royd, Scalby
Attendance: 1,850
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint-Roberts

[8] [7]


Round 3

24 May 2014
Lancashire25 - 19Cheshire (BP)
Park Lane, Whitefield
Attendance: 450
Referee: Karl Kirkpatrick
24 May 2014
Northumberland22 - 36Yorkshire (BP)
Tynedale Park, Corbridge
Attendance: 258
Referee: Andrew Rawson

[9] [7]

Division 1 South

2014 Beaumont Cup Division 1 South Table
CountyPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints
1 Cornwall (Q)330011158532014
2 Hertfordshire 32019352412111
3 Gloucestershire 310291829116
4 North Midlands (R)300361164-103000
  • 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 final. Pink background means the county were en demoted to Division 2 South of the County Championship Plate for the following season. Updated: 24 May 2014
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1

10 May 2014
15:00
(BP) Cornwall65 - 22North Midlands
The Recreation Ground, Redruth
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Nick Williams
10 May 2014
15:00
Gloucestershire19 - 30Hertfordshire (BP)
Dockham Road, Cinderford
Attendance: 218
Referee: Graham Dickens

[6] [7] [10]


Round 2

17 May 2014
(BP) Cornwall33 - 27Gloucestershire (BP)
Recreation Ground, Camborne
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Paul Kimber
17 May 2014
(BP) Hertfordshire54 - 20North Midlands
Woollam Playing Fields, St Albans
Attendance: 164
Referee: Veryan Boscawen

[8] [7] [10]


Round 3

24 May 2014
(BP) Hertfordshire9 - 13Cornwall
Highfields, Ware
Attendance: 580
Referee: James Clarke
24 May 2014
North Midlands19 - 45Gloucestershire (BP)
Finstall Park, Bromsgrove
Attendance: 250
Referee: Jamie Leahy

[9] [7] [10]

Final

1 June 2014
12:15
Lancashire36–26Cornwall
Try: Rylance, Stewart, Johnson, Lamprey, Burtonwood
Con: Johnson (4)
Pen: Johnson
Report Try: Vinnicombe, Ford-Robinson
Con: Lewitt (2)
Pen: Lewitt (4)
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 4,000 [11]
Referee: Andrew Rawson
15Sean Taylor Preston Grasshoppers
14 Warren Spragg Fylde
13Chris Briers Fylde
12Matt Riley Sedgley Park
11 Oliver Brennand Fylde
10 Chris Johnson (capt) Fylde
9Ryan De la Harpe Fylde
1Adam Lewis Fylde
2Mark Rylance Fylde
3Ben Black Sedgley Park
4Louis McGowan Sedgley Park
5Gareth Gore Fylde
6Gareth Rawlings Longton
7Evan Stewart Fylde
8Matthew Lamprey Sedgley Park
Replacements:
16Simon Griffiths Fylde
17Peter Altham Preston Grasshoppers
18David Fairbrother Fleetwood
19Paul Arnold Fylde
20Tom Burtonwood Fylde
21Phil Baines Preston Grasshoppers
22Steve Collins Sedgley Park
15 Kieron Lewitt Cornish All Blacks
14Lewis Vinnicombe Truro
13 Ryan Westren Cornish All Blacks
12Nielson Webber Cornish All Blacks
11Tom Notman Redruth
10Lewis Webb Cornish All Blacks
9Greg Goodfellow Redruth
1Darren Jacques Truro
2Jamie Salter Cornish All Blacks
3Craig Williams Redruth
4Damien Cook Redruth
5Ben Hilton (capt) Cornish All Blacks
6Chris Fuca Redruth
7Tom Rawlings Cornish All Blacks
8Barrie-John Chapman Cornish All Blacks
Replacements:
16 Jamal Ford-Robinson Cambridge
17Bryn Jenkins Cornish All Blacks
18Sam Parsons Redruth
19Tony Whittle Falmouth
20Steven Johns Birmingham Solihull
21 Matthew Shepherd St Austell
22Richard Brown Redruth

[7]

Total season attendances

CountyHome
Games
TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Cheshire26113063302817%
Cornwall23,2001,6002,0001,20031%
Gloucestershire12182182182189%
Hertfordshire274437258016416%
Lancashire287543845042510%
North Midlands1250250250250
Northumberland125825825825813%
Yorkshire11,8501,8501,8501,85095%

Individual statistics

See also

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