The 1995–96 National Division 1 (sponsored by Courage Brewery) was the ninth season of the top tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, currently known as Premiership Rugby. Leicester were the defending champions and Saracens the promoted team.
Bath finished as champions for the sixth time, beating holders Leicester by just one point. Despite a disastrous season with 18 defeats in as many matches, West Hartlepool kept its place in the first division due to the expansion of the league from 10 teams to 12 the following season.[1]
Structure
Each side played one another twice, in a round robin system, home and away, to make a total of eighteen matches for each team. Due to the number of teams increasing from ten to twelve for the following season there was no relegation.
Participating teams
Locations of the 1995–96 Courage League National Division One teams
| Team
|
Stadium
|
Capacity
|
City/Area
|
Previous season
|
| Bath
|
Recreation Ground
|
8,300 (1,000 seats)[2]
|
Bath, Somerset
|
2nd
|
| Bristol
|
Memorial Stadium
|
8,500 (1,200 seats)[3]
|
Bristol, Avon
|
6th
|
| Gloucester
|
Kingsholm
|
12,000
|
Gloucester, Gloucestershire
|
7th
|
| Harlequins
|
The Stoop
|
9,000 (2,000 seats)[4]
|
Twickenham, London
|
8th
|
| Leicester
|
Welford Road
|
16,000[a]
|
Leicester, Leicestershire
|
Champions
|
| Orrell
|
Edge Hall Road[b]
|
5,300 (300 seats)[5]
|
Orrell, Greater Manchester
|
5th
|
| Sale
|
Heywood Road
|
4,000 (500 seats)[6]
|
Sale, Greater Manchester
|
4th
|
| Saracens
|
Bramley Road
|
2,300 (300 seats)[7][8]
|
Enfield, London
|
Promoted from National 2 (1st)
|
| Wasps
|
Repton Avenue
|
3,200 (1,200 seats)[9][10]
|
Sudbury, London
|
3rd
|
| West Hartlepool
|
Brierton Lane
|
7,000[11]
|
Hartlepool, County Durham
|
9th
|
Table
Source:
(C) Champions
Results
The Home Team is listed in the left column.
Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Fixtures & Results
Round 1
| West Hartlepool | 15 – 20 | Bath |
| | |
Brierton Lane Referee: Brian Campsall[12] |
[13]
Round 2
Recreation Ground Referee: Stuart Piercy[12] |
| Bristol | 12 – 3 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
[13]
Round 3
Welford Road Attendance: 16,000[12] Referee: Tony Rowlands[12] |
| West Hartlepool | 19 – 27 | Gloucester |
| | |
[13]
Round 4
Recreation Ground Referee: Ashley Rowden[12] |
| Gloucester | 14 – 27 | Leicester |
| | |
| Harlequins | 34 – 18 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
[13]
Round 5
| Harlequins | 23 – 15 | Saracens |
| | |
Repton Avenue Referee: Ed Morrison[12] |
| West Hartlepool | 12 – 19 | Leicester |
| | |
[13]
Round 6
Memorial Stadium Referee: Brian Campsall[12] |
| Saracens | 31 – 30 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
[13]
Round 7
The Stoop Referee: Chris Wright[12] |
| Orrell | 20 – 10 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
[13]
Round 8
Recreation Ground Referee: Steve Lander[12] |
| Gloucester | 13 – 24 | Harlequins |
| | |
| West Hartlepool | 11 – 29 | Sale |
| | |
[13]
Round 9
| Harlequins | 25 – 29 | Leicester |
| | |
Heywood Road Referee: Chris Rees[12] |
| Saracens | 19 – 16 | Gloucester |
| | |
| Wasps | P – P | West Hartlepool |
| | |
- Postponed due to spectator falling ill.[14] Game rescheduled to 20 April 1996.
[13]
Round 10
| Bath | 34 – 22 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
Recreation Ground Referee: Ashley Rowden[12] |
[13]
Round 11
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 10 April 1996.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 April 1996.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 13 January 1996.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 March 1996.
| West Hartlepool | P – P | Bristol |
| | |
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 May 1996.
[13]
Round 12
Recreation Ground Referee: Brian Campsall[12] |
| Gloucester | 17 – 16 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
[13]
Round 11 (rescheduled game)
- Game rescheduled from 30 December 1995.
[13]
Round 13
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 April 1996.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 24 April 1996.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 20 April 1996.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 1996.
| West Hartlepool | P – P | Harlequins |
| | |
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 March 1996.
[13]
Round 14
Recreation Ground Referee: Brian Campsall[12] |
| Leicester | 48 – 15 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
[13]
Round 11 (rescheduled game)
- Game rescheduled from 30 December 1995.
[13]
Round 13 (rescheduled games)
- Game rescheduled from 10 February 1996.
| West Hartlepool | 21 – 91 | Harlequins |
| | |
- Game rescheduled from 10 February 1996.
[13]
Round 15
Memorial Stadium Referee: Steve Lander[12] |
| West Hartlepool | 3 – 14 | Saracens |
| | |
[13]
Round 16
Recreation Ground Referee: John Pearson[12] |
| West Hartlepool | 22 – 44 | Orrell |
| | |
[13]
Round 11 (rescheduled game)
Kingholsm Attendance: 10,000[12] Referee: Nick Cousins |
- Game rescheduled from 30 December 1995.
[13]
Round 17
| Harlequins | 33 – 19 | Gloucester |
| | |
| Sale | 44 – 13 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
Bramley Road Referee: Stuart Piercy[12] |
[13]
Round 11 (rescheduled game)
- Game rescheduled from 30 December 1995.
[13]
Rounds 9 & 13 (rescheduled games)
Memorial Stadium Referee: Chris White |
- Game rescheduled from 10 February 1996.
- Game rescheduled from 10 February 1996.
| Wasps | 52 – 12 | West Hartlepool |
| | |
- Game rescheduled from 4 November 1995.
[13]
Round 13 (rescheduled game)
| Leicester | 28 – 6 | Gloucester |
| | |
- Game rescheduled from 10 February 1996.
[13]
Round 18
Recreation Ground Referee: Brian Campsall[12] |
| Gloucester | 17 – 10 | Saracens |
| | |
| Leicester | 19 – 21 | Harlequins |
| | |
| West Hartlepool | 3 – 34 | Wasps |
| | |
[13]
Round 11 (rescheduled game)
| West Hartlepool | 15 – 37 | Bristol |
| | |
- Game rescheduled from 30 December 1995.
[13]
Note
- ^ Ground capacity at Welford Road increased from 14,700 to 16,000 with a capacity crowd achieved versus Bath on 23 September 1995.
- ^ Orrell would also play one home game at the 18,000 capacity Central Park in Wigan.
See also
References
- ^ "Courage National Leagues - Final Tables – 1995/96". www.moseleyrugby.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Bath F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 40.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Bristol F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 43.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Harlequins F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 50.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Orrell R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 70.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Sale F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 118.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Saracens F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 78.
- ^ "Saracens aim for bigger Wembley crowds following Premiership defeat of Worcester". The Telegraph. 15 February 2010.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Wasps F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 82.
- ^ "Dallaglio's turned into Nostradamus". The Rugby Paper. 21 May 2023.
- ^ "West Hartlepool". Rugby Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Peter Hall and Colin Gale. "1995 to 1996". Bath Rugby Heritage. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Fixtures / Results (September 9, 1995 to May 5, 1996)". Rugby Archives. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
- ^ "Unlikely thirteenth". Independent. 31 December 1995.
External links
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| 2025–26 teams | |
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| Former clubs | |
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| Seasons | | National Division 1 | |
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| Premiership 1 | |
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Premiership Rugby | |
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| Other | | Awards | |
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| Competitions | |
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| In season events | |
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