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The 2015 County Championship Shield was the 11th version of the annual English rugby union County Championship , organized by the RFU for the tier 3 English counties . Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the fifth tier and below of the English rugby union league system . The counties were divided into three pools of four teams each, based roughly on regional lines, with the winner of each group plus the best runner-up going through to the semi-finals, with the winners of those games meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium . At the moment there is no promotion or relegation out of or into the County Championship Shield, although the 2014 champions Surrey moved up into tier 2 , having won the competition three years in a row.[ 1] [ 2]
After winning their respective groups and semi final matches Leicestershire faced Cumbria in the late kick off game at Twickenham Stadium . Leicestershire made up for their defeat the previous season by defeating Cumbria 34 – 17 to win their first ever Shield trophy.[ 3]
The competition format consisted of three groups of four counties each, based roughly on regional lines where possible, with each team playing each other once. The top side of each group automatically qualified for the semi-finals, as did the best group runner-up. The winners of the semi-finals played in the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 31 May 2015,[ 4] As the lowest tier in the county championship there is no relegation while promotion is not given every season, although outstanding county performances (such as Surrey's ) can lead to counties moving up to tier 2 .
Participating counties and ground locations [ edit ]
Market Harborough (
Leics )
Locations of the 2015 County Championship Shield county teams
County
Stadium(s)
Capacity
City/Area
Berkshire
Old Bath Road
1,250
Sonning , Reading , Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Floyd Field Manor Fields Sports Ground
N/A N/A
Buckingham , Buckinghamshire Bletchley , Milton Keynes , Buckinghamshire
Cumbria
Rugby Ground Ellis Sports Ground
1,500 (500 seats) 12,000 (2,000 seats)
Carlisle, Cumbria Workington , Cumbria
Dorset & Wilts
Paxcroft Bestwall Park
N/A N/A
Trowbridge , Wiltshire Wareham , Dorset
Essex
Goresbrook
1,000
Barking , London
Hampshire
Rugby Camp
K.A.
Portsmouth , Hampshire
Leicestershire
The Rugby Ground Vipers Rugby Ground
N/A N/A
Market Harborough , Leicestershire Whetstone , Leicestershire
Middlesex
Trailfinders Sports Ground
3,020
West Ealing , London
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire
Eakring Road
1,000
Mansfield , Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire
Greystones
K.A.
Chipping Norton , Oxfordshire
Staffordshire
Hartwell Lane
K.A.
Barlaston , Staffordshire
Warwickshire
Ivor Preece Field
1,500 (250 seats)
Binley Woods , Coventry , Warwickshire
2015 County Championship Shield Pool 1 Table
County
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points For
Points Against
Points Difference
Try Bonus
Losing Bonus
Points
1
Leicestershire (Q)
3
3
0
0
120
25
95
3
0
15
2
Oxfordshire
3
2
0
1
94
76
18
2
0
10
3
Buckinghamshire
3
1
0
2
38
87
−49
0
0
4
4
Berkshire
3
0
0
3
45
109
−64
1
0
2
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
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 Shield semi finals. Updated: 16 May 2015 Source: "County Championships" . englandrugby.com.
(BP) Leicestershire 45–14 Buckinghamshire Bericht
The Rugby Ground, Market Harborough
(BP) Oxfordshire 59–27 Berkshire (BP) Bericht
Greystones, Chipping Norton
[ 5]
Berkshire 5–36 Leicestershire (BP) Bericht
Buckinghamshire 10–29 Oxfordshire (BP) Bericht
[ 5] [ 6]
Buckinghamshire 14–13 Berkshire (BP)
Manor Fields Sports Ground, Bletchley, Milton Keynes
Oxfordshire 6–39 Leicestershire (BP)
Greystones, Chipping Norton
[ 5] [ 7]
2015 County Championship Shield Pool 2 Table
County
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points For
Points Against
Points Difference
Try Bonus
Losing Bonus
Points
1
Cumbria (Q)
3
3
0
0
73
25
48
1
0
13
2
Warwickshire
3
2
0
1
74
64
10
1
0
9
3
Staffordshire
3
1
0
2
53
80
−27
0
0
4
4
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire
3
0
0
3
47
78
−31
0
1
1
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
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 Shield semi finals. Updated: 16 May 2015 Source: "County Championships" . englandrugby.com.
(BP) Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 23–25 Warwickshire Bericht
[ 5]
Cumbria 20–0 Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire [ n 1]
(BP) Warwickshire 36–8 Staffordshire Bericht
The Ivor Preece Field, Binley Woods, Coventry
^ Cumbria awarded a 20 – 0 win, because Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire were unable to raise a squad due to injuries.[ 8]
[ 5] [ 6]
(BP) Cumbria 33–13 Warwickshire Bericht
Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 24–33 Staffordshire
[ 5] [ 7]
2015 County Championship Shield Pool 3 Table
County
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points For
Points Against
Points Difference
Try Bonus
Losing Bonus
Points
1
Dorset & Wilts (Q)
3
3
0
0
103
36
67
1
0
13
2
Essex (Q) [ n 1]
3
2
0
1
106
44
62
2
1
11
3
Hampshire
3
1
0
2
51
83
−32
1
0
5
4
Middlesex
3
0
0
3
36
133
−97
0
0
0
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
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 Shield semi finals. Updated: 16 May 2015 Source: "County Championships" . englandrugby.com.
^ Essex qualify for semi finals as best ranked runner up.
Middlesex 5–50 Dorset & Wilts (BP) Bericht
Trailfinders Sports Ground, West Ealing, London
[ 5]
Dorset & Wilts 24–20 Essex (BP) Bericht
(BP) Hampshire 35–16 Middlesex Bericht
[ 6]
Dorset & Wilts 29–11 Hampshire Bericht
[ 7]
Leicestershire 49–15 Dorset & Wilts Bericht
Vipers Rugby Ground, Whetstone
Ellis Sports Ground, Workington
[ 5] [ 9]
Twickenham Stadium, London
[ 5]
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