2003–04 National Division One

2003–04 National Division One
Countries	England
Champions	Worcester
Runners-up	Orrell
Relegated	Wakefield and Manchester
Attendance	198,428 (average 1,470 per match)[a 1]
Highest attendance	6,025 Worcester at home to Pertemps Bees on 24 April 2004
Lowest attendance	187 Manchester at home to Pertemps Bees on 3 April 2004
Top point scorer	Tony Yapp (Exeter Chiefs) 320 points
Top try scorer	Lee Robinson (Plymouth Albion) Leigh Hinton (Orrell) 23 tries

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.^[1][2][3] 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.^[4]

After three consecutive seasons finishing second, Worcester became champions and were promoted to the Zurich Premiership for season 2004–05.^[5] Orrell were runners–up, and Wakefield and Manchester were relegated to the 2004–05 National Division Two.^[6] 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.^[7] Wakefield folded during the summer for financial reasons.^[8]

Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area
Bedford Blues	Goldington Road	7,000	Bedford, Bedfordshire
Bristol Shoguns	Memorial Stadium	12,100	Bristol
Coventry	Coundon Road	9,000	Coventry, West Midlands
Exeter Chiefs	County Ground	5,200	Exeter, Devon
Henley Hawks	Dry Leas	4,000	Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
London Welsh	Old Deer Park	5,850	Richmond, London
Manchester	Grove Park	4,000	Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
Orrell	Edge Hall Road	5,500	Orrell, Greater Manchester
Otley	Cross Green	5,000	Otley, West Yorkshire
Penzance & Newlyn	Mennaye Field	3,500	Penzance, Cornwall
Pertemps Bees	Sharmans Cross	2,500	Solihull, West Midlands
Plymouth Albion	The Brickfields	6,500	Plymouth, Devon
Wakefield	College Grove	3,000	Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Worcester	Sixways	8,477	Worcester, Worcestershire

2003–04 National Division One Final table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	B	Pts	Qualification
1	Worcester	26	26	0	0	1119	340	+779	21	125	Promoted
2	Orrell	26	22	0	4	946	455	+491	20	108
3	Plymouth Albion	26	19	1	6	752	417	+335	14	92
4	Pertemps Bees	26	16	1	9	691	526	+165	17	83
5	Otley	26	17	0	9	609	484	+125	7	75
6	Exeter Chiefs	26	15	1	10	706	499	+207	12	74
7	Bedford Blues	26	12	1	13	623	627	−4	11	61
8	London Welsh	26	12	0	14	526	605	−79	10	58
9	Bristol Shoguns	26	10	0	16	547	650	−103	11	51
10	Penzance and Newlyn	26	8	1	17	474	892	−418	9	43
11	Henley Hawks	26	6	2	18	488	780	−292	11	39
12	Coventry	26	6	2	18	488	733	−245	9	37
13	Wakefield	26	6	1	19	392	709	−317	11	37	Relegated
14	Manchester	24	1	0	23	363	1007	−644	5	9

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 December 2003.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 December 2003.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 December 2003.

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^[12]

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^[13][14]

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 3 January 2004.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 3 January 2004.

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^[15]

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• Game brought forward from 17 April 2004.

^[16]

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled for 7 March 2004.

^[17]

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• Game brought forward from 17 April 2004.

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• Postponed. Game rescheduled for 27 March 2004.

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^[21]

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• Game brought forward to 6 March 2004.

• Game brought forward to 21 February 2004.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled for 21 April 2004.

^[22]

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Club	Home Games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Bedford Blues	10[a 2]	17,482	1,748	3,427	1,017	25%
Bristol Shoguns	13	47,895	3,684	4,217	2,831	30%
Coventry	9[a 3]	15,447	1,716	3,100	1,000	19%
Exeter Chiefs	6[a 4]	10,084	1,681	2,500	1,069	32%
Henley Hawks	8[a 5]	8,240	1,030	2,020	450	26%
London Welsh	9[a 6]	10,770	1,197	1,750	650	20%
Manchester	12[a 7]	4,925	410	760	187	10%
Orrell	12[a 8]	7,953	663	3,207	286	12%
Otley	7[a 9]	4,585	655	790	575	13%
Penzance & Newlyn	9[a 10]	19,810	2,201	5,100	1,000	58%
Pertemps Bees	8[a 11]	5,385	673	2,000	300	27%
Plymouth Albion	10[a 12]	28,467	2,847	4,342	1,648	44%
Wakefield	9[a 13]	3,300	367	600	250	12%
Worcester	13	45,330	3,487	6,025	2,027	41%

^[23]

• Note that points scorers include tries as well as conversions, penalties, and drop goals.

• English rugby union system