The 1996–97 National Division 2 (sponsored by Courage Brewery) was the tenth season of the top tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, currently known as Champ Rugby, and was the first season that saw professional rugby openly introduced into the English game. It was also the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage. New sides to the division included Richmond, Coventry, Rugby Lions and Rotherham (all promoted from tier 3) and there had been no teams relegated from tier 1 due to league restructuring.
The top two teams, Richmond and Newcastle Falcons were automatically promoted to the new look 1997–98 Premiership 1 (formerly National Division 1), and for the first time there were play–offs between the third and fourth placed teams, and the ninth and tenth placed teams in Division One, which meant 2 to 4 teams could be promoted/relegated between the divisions. The Division 2 sides played at home first with the winners of the two matches, on aggregate score, playing in the top division the following season. Coventry and Bedford both failed to win promotion.
At the end other end of the table, Rugby Lions and Nottingham were relegated to the newly named 1997–98 National League 1 (formerly National Division 3). Last season Nottingham finished in the bottom two and escaped relegation due to the division being increased from ten clubs to twelve clubs. This season they were not so lucky and next season will be their first in Division Three..
|Bedford, Bedfordshire
|10th (no relegation)
|-
|Blackheath
|Rectory Field
|3,500 (500 seats)
|Greenwich, London
|7th
|-
|Coventry
|Coundon Road
|10,000 (1,100 seats)
|Coventry, West Midlands
|Promoted from National 3 (1st)
|-
|London Scottish
|Athletic Ground
|7,300 (1,300 seats)
|Richmond, London
|3rd
|-
|Moseley
|The Reddings
|9,999 (1,800 seats)
|Birmingham, West Midlands
|6th
|-
|Newcastle
|Kingston Park
|6,600
|Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
|8th
|-
|Nottingham
|Ireland Avenue
|4,990 (590 seats)
|Beeston, Nottinghamshire
|9th (No relegation)
|-
|Richmond
|Athletic Ground
|7,300 (1,300 seats)
|Rugby, Warwickshire
|Promoted from National 3 (3rd)
|-
|Wakefield
|College Grove
|4,000 (500 seats)
|Wakefield, West Yorkshire
|4th
|-
|Waterloo
|St Anthony's Road
|9,950 (950 seats)
|Blundellsands, Merseyside
|5th
|-
|}
Table
----
Round 2
|away = Newcastle
|stadium = Coundon Road
|attendance = 8,000
|referee = Neil Cousins
Game rescheduled to 5 May 1997.
Top try scorers
{|class="wikitable"
! Rank !! Player !! Team !! Appearances !! Tries
|-
| 1 || John Bentley || Newcastle Falcons || 18 || 23
|-
| rowspan=2| 2 || Gary Armstrong || Newcastle Falcons || 21 || 21
|-
| Scott Quinnell || Richmond || 21 || 21
|-
| 3 || Jim Fallon || Richmond || 21 || 19
|-
| 4 || Andy Smallwood || Coventry || 20 || 17
|-
| rowspan=2| 5 || Pat Lam || Newcastle Falcons || 11 || 15
|-
| Darragh O'Mahony || Moseley || 13 || 15
|-
| rowspan=2| 6 || Andy McAdam || Coventry || 18 || 14
|-
| Tim Stimpson || Newcastle Falcons || 18 || 14
|-
| rowspan=2| 7 || Ben Whetstone || Bedford || 18 || 13
|-
| Guy Easterby || Rotherham || 21 || 13
|-
|}
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 151 pts
156 - 5 Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996
;Largest away win — 72 pts
87 - 15 Richmond away to Moseley on 5 October 1996
;Most points scored — 151 pts
156 - 5 Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996
;Most tries in a match — 24
Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996
;Most conversions in a match — 18
Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Rotherham away to Richmond on 14 September 1996
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3)
Coventry at home to Wakefield on 21 September 1996<br>
London Scottish away to Blackheath on 8 February 1997<br>
Blackheath at home to Nottingham on 22 March 1997
Player
;Most points in a match — 42
Jez Harris for Coventry at home to Nottingham on 5 October 1996
;Most tries in a match — 5
Pat Lam for Newcastle Falcons at home to Rotherham on 4 May 1997
;Most conversions in a match — 18
Rob Andrew for Newcastle Falcons at home to Rugby Lions on 5 October 1996
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Matt Inman for Rotherham away to Richmond on 14 September 1996
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2)
Jez Harris for Coventry at home to Wakefield on 21 September 1996<br>
Chris Braithwaite for Blackheath at home to Nottingham on 22 March 1997
Attendances
- Note that attendances were very poorly documented this season and aside from a few big games there is almost no information available
;Highest — 8,000
Coventry at home to Newcastle Falcons on 2 November 1996
;Lowest — N/A
N/A
;Highest Average Attendance — N/A
N/A
;Lowest Average Attendance — N/A
N/A
Notes
See also
- 1996–97 National Division 1
- 1996–97 National Division 3
- 1996–97 National Division 4 North
- 1996–97 National Division 4 South