2003–04 National Division One


The 2003–04 National Division One was the seventeenth full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Bristol Shoguns who had been relegated from the Zurich Premiership 2002-03 while Penzance & Newlyn and Henley Hawks were promoted from the 2002–03 National Division Two. In terms of ground changes Plymouth Albion had a new home - moving from Beacon Park to newly built Brickfields which at 6,500 had twice the capacity of the original ground.
After three consecutive seasons finishing second, Worcester became champions and were promoted to the Zurich Premiership for season 2004–05. Orrell were runners–up, and Wakefield and Manchester were relegated to the 2004–05 National Division Two. Wakefield's final match was on 26 April 2004 against Coventry, who won the match 15–11 and with that defeat, consigned Wakefield, after fourteen consecutive seasons in National Division One, to relegation; while Coventry finished above Wakefield only on points difference. Wakefield folded during the summer for financial reasons.

Participating teams

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/Area
Bedford BluesGoldington Road7,000Bedford, Bedfordshire
Bristol ShogunsMemorial Stadium12,100Bristol
CoventryCoundon Road9,000+Coventry, West Midlands
Exeter ChiefsCounty Ground5,200Exeter, Devon
Henley HawksDry Leas4,000Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
London WelshOld Deer Park5,850Richmond, London
ManchesterGrove Park4,000Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
OrrellEdge Hall Road3,000Orrell, Greater Manchester
OtleyCross Green5,000Otley, West Yorkshire
Penzance & NewlynMennaye Field3,500Penzance, Cornwall
Pertemps BeesSharmans Cross2,500Solihull, West Midlands
Plymouth AlbionThe Brickfields6,500Plymouth, Devon
WakefieldCollege Grove3,000Wakefield, West Yorkshire
WorcesterSixways8,477Worcester, Worcestershire

Final table

Results

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 8 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 13

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Round 13 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 14

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Round 15

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Round 16

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

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Round 8 & 25 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 20

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Round 20 & 25 (Rescheduled games)

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 21 (Rescheduled game)

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Round 23

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Round 24

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Round 25

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Round 25 (Rescheduled game)

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Round 26

Total Season Attendances

ClubHome
Games
TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Bedford Blues1017,4821,7483,4271,01725%
Bristol Shoguns1347,8953,6844,2172,83130%
Coventry915,4471,7163,1001,00019%
Exeter Chiefs610,0841,6812,5001,06932%
Henley Hawks88,240 1,0302,02045026%
London Welsh910,7701,1971,75065020%
Manchester124,92541076018710%
Orrell127,9536633,20728622%
Otley74,58565579057513%
Penzance & Newlyn919,8102,2015,1001,00058%
Pertemps Bees85,3856732,00030027%
Plymouth Albion1028,4672,8474,3421,64844%
Wakefield93,30036760025012%
Worcester1345,3303,4876,0252,02741%

Individual Statistics

Top try scorers

Season records

Team

;Largest home win — 79 pts
85 - 6 Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004
;Largest away win — 54 pts
54 - 0 Exeter Chiefs away to Wakefield on 13 March 2004
;Most points scored — 85 pts
85 - 6 Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004
;Most tries in a match — 13
Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004
;Most conversions in a match — 10
Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004
Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Exeter Chiefs away to Otley on 20 September 2003
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Coventry at home to Worcester on 10 April 2004

Player

;Most points in a match — 31
Leigh Hinton for Orrell at home to Bedford Blues on 6 December 2003
;Most tries in a match — 4
Dan Ward-Smith for Plymouth Albion at home to Henley Hawks on 20 March 2004
Richard Welding for Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004
Lee Carruthers for Otley at home to Manchester 13 December 2003
;Most conversions in a match — 10
Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004
Leigh Hinton for Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs away to Otley on 20 September 2003
;Most drop goals in a match — 1
N/A - multiple players

Attendances

;Highest — 6,025
Worcester at home to Pertemps Bees on 24 April 2004
;Lowest — 187
Manchester at home to Pertemps Bees on 3 April 2004
;Highest Average Attendance — 2,460
Worcester
;Lowest Average Attendance — 367
Wakefield