In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of 1996–97 Courage League National Division One and all the implications this topic has on our society. 1996–97 Courage League National Division One is a topic that has captured the attention of experts and fans alike, generating passionate debates and sparking growing interest in its many facets. Throughout these pages, we will delve into the history, impact and possible future implications of 1996–97 Courage League National Division One, analyzing every detail and offering a comprehensive vision of this topic that is so relevant today. From its origins to its most recent applications, this article dives into a comprehensive analysis of 1996–97 Courage League National Division One with the goal of providing the reader with a deep and enriching understanding of this exciting topic.
1996–97 Courage League National 1 | |
---|---|
Countries | England |
Champions | Wasps RFC (2nd title) |
Runners-up | Bath |
Relegated | West Hartlepool Orrell |
Matches played | 132 |
Official website | |
www | |
The 1996–97 English Premiership (known as the Courage League National 1 for sponsorship reasons) was the tenth season of the top flight of rugby union in England. It was the first professional season in English rugby union history.
The league was made up of twelve teams with each team playing each other twice, in a round robin system.
Wasps were the champions, with a winning margin of six points above Bath, the runners–up. West Hartlepool and Orrell were relegated to National Division 2. It was the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage.
Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Bath | Bath | 8,200 | Bath, Somerset |
Bristol | Memorial Stadium | 12,100 | Bristol |
Gloucester | Kingsholm | 11,000 | Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
Harlequins | The Stoop | 8,500 | Twickenham, London |
Leicester Tigers | Welford Road | 16,000 | Leicester, Leicestershire |
London Irish | The Avenue | 6,600 | Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey |
Northampton Saints | Franklin's Gardens | 10,000 | Northampton, Northamptonshire |
Orrell | Edge Hall Road | 5,500 | Orrell, Greater Manchester |
Sale | Heywood Road | 5,400 | Sale, Greater Manchester |
Saracens | Southbury Road | 5,000 | Enfield, London |
Wasps | Loftus Road | 18,439 | Shepherd's Bush, London |
West Hartlepool | Victoria Park | 7,856 | Hartlepool, County Durham |
Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Points difference | Points | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wasps (C) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 685 | 406 | +279 | 37 | |||||
2 | Bath | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 863 | 411 | +452 | 31 | |||||
3 | Harlequins | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 745 | 416 | +329 | 30 | |||||
4 | Leicester Tigers | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 600 | 395 | +205 | 29 | |||||
5 | Sale Sharks | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 603 | 525 | +78 | 28 | |||||
6 | Saracens | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 568 | 449 | +119 | 25 | |||||
7 | Gloucester | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 476 | 589 | −113 | 23 | |||||
8 | Northampton Saints | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 515 | 477 | +38 | 20 | |||||
9 | Bristol | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 432 | 625 | −193 | 17 | |||||
10 | London Irish | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 502 | 747 | −245 | 12 | |||||
11 | West Hartlepool (R) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 382 | 795 | −413 | 6 | |||||
12 | Orrell (R) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 350 | 886 | −536 | 6 | |||||
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Green denotes the champions and qualification for the 1997–98 Heineken Cup. Blue denotes qualification for the 1997–98 Heineken Cup. Buff denotes the relegation/promotion play–off places. Pink denotes the relegation places to 1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two. |
The home team is listed in the left column.
Clubs | BAT | BRI | GLO | HAR | LEI | LOI | NOR | ORR | SAL | SAR | WAS | WHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bath | 76–7 | 71–21 | 35–20 | 47–9 | 46–3 | 52–14 | 40–14 | 84–7 | 35–33 | 36–40 | 46–10 | |
Bristol | 13–18 | 18–13 | 24–35 | 12–38 | 26–38 | 20–11 | 38–10 | 34–24 | 11–21 | 18–41 | 20–17 | |
Gloucester | 29–45 | 20–20 | 11–27 | 32–30 | 29–19 | 19–6 | 30–0 | 12–16 | 9–6 | 28–23 | 37–10 | |
Harlequins | 22–6 | 29–6 | 75–19 | 18–34 | 66–7 | 36–16 | 89–18 | 30–31 | 27–0 | 22–42 | 48–10 | |
Leicester Tigers | 28–25 | 53–19 | 32–14 | 12–13 | 46–13 | 23–9 | 36–14 | 25–9 | 22–18 | 18–12 | 48–3 | |
London Irish | 31–56 | 27–28 | 20–21 | 20–19 | 25–18 | 34–21 | 27–48 | 19–25 | 23–37 | 20–22 | 52–41 | |
Northampton Saints | 9–6 | 29–21 | 25–27 | 15–20 | 22–19 | 31–21 | 41–7 | 30–12 | 17–10 | 15–26 | 46–20 | |
Orrell | 13–56 | 27–28 | 3–49 | 20–56 | 12–29 | 32–27 | 14–50 | 8–40 | 22–44 | 27–44 | 22–15 | |
Sale Sharks | 11–5 | 31–33 | 52–12 | 24–13 | 20–20 | 41–25 | 31–15 | 37–11 | 33–23 | 31–33 | 58–18 | |
Saracens | 36–29 | 33–15 | 41–11 | 28–20 | 25–23 | 45–0 | 24–23 | 24–15 | 17–17 | 15–28 | 51–8 | |
Wasps | 25–25 | 15–13 | 36–10 | 17–19 | 14–7 | 31–18 | 18–13 | 62–5 | 36–10 | 36–21 | 36–12 | |
West Hartlepool | 16–24 | 19–8 | 14–23 | 21–41 | 19–30 | 18–33 | 17–57 | 24–8 | 22–43 | 25–16 | 23–48 |
Home win | Draw | Away win |
For the first time playooffs took place between the third and fourth placed teams in Division Two and the ninth and tenth placed teams in Division One. The play-offs followed a 4th v 9th, 3rd v 10th system. The matches were played over two legs, with the second-tier team playing at home in the first leg.
Bristol won 39–23 on aggregate.
London Irish won 42–23 on aggregate.