2013 County Championship Plate
The 2013 County Championship Plate, also known as Bill Beaumont Cup Division 2, was the 12th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organized by the RFU for the tier 2 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system (typically National League 1, National League 2 South or National League 2 North). The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with three teams in the north division and three in the south, with the winners of each pool meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. New teams to the division included Northumberland (north)) and North Midlands (south) who were relegated from the 2012 Bill Beaumont Cup.
| 2013 County Championship Plate | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Date | 4 May 2013 – 26 May 2013 |
| Champions | Northumberland (4th title) |
| Runners-up | North Midlands |
| Attendance | 1,271 (average 106 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 360 East Midlands v Northumberland (4 May 2013) |
| Lowest attendance | 140 Northumberland v Eastern Counties (18 May 2013) |
| Top point scorer | Caolan Ryan (North Midlands) 30 |
| Top try scorer | Brett Daynes (East Midlands) 4 |
Both Northumberland and North Midlands would make an instant return to the 2014 Bill Beaumont Cup as they won their respective pools, with North Midlands having a more difficult time of it as they were run close by Somerset. In the final at Twickenham, Northumberland proved to be a class apart, scoring six tries as they beat North Midlands 45–10 to claim their 4th title in the plate competition.