1996β97 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 1996β97 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 runnersβup. West Hartlepool and Orrell were relegated to National Division 2. [1] It was the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage. [2]
Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Bath | Recreation Ground | 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 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wasps (C) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 685 | 406 | +279 | 37 | Champions 1997β98 Heineken Cup |
2 | Bath | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 863 | 411 | +452 | 31 | Qualified for 1997β98 Heineken Cup |
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 | Relegation playoff |
10 | London Irish | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 502 | 747 | −245 | 12 | |
11 | West Hartlepool (R) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 382 | 795 | −413 | 6 | Relegated to 1997β98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two |
12 | Orrell (R) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 350 | 886 | −536 | 6 |
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
The home team is listed in the left column.
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. [2]
Bristol won 39β23 on aggregate.
London Irish won 42β23 on aggregate.
1996β97 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 1996β97 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 runnersβup. West Hartlepool and Orrell were relegated to National Division 2. [1] It was the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage. [2]
Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Bath | Recreation Ground | 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 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wasps (C) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 685 | 406 | +279 | 37 | Champions 1997β98 Heineken Cup |
2 | Bath | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 863 | 411 | +452 | 31 | Qualified for 1997β98 Heineken Cup |
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 | Relegation playoff |
10 | London Irish | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 502 | 747 | −245 | 12 | |
11 | West Hartlepool (R) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 382 | 795 | −413 | 6 | Relegated to 1997β98 Allied Dunbar Premiership Two |
12 | Orrell (R) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 350 | 886 | −536 | 6 |
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
The home team is listed in the left column.
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. [2]
Bristol won 39β23 on aggregate.
London Irish won 42β23 on aggregate.