2018–19 National League 2 North
The 2018–19 National League 2 North is the tenth season (32nd overall) of the fourth tier (north) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced.
| 2018–19 National League 2 North | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Date | 1 September 2018 – 5 May 2019 |
| Champions | Hull Ionians (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Chester (not promoted) |
| Relegated | Peterborough Lions, South Leicester, Macclesfield |
| Matches played | 240 |
| Attendance | 78,870 (average 329 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 1,794 Fylde v Preston Grasshoppers 22 December 2018 |
| Lowest attendance | 37 South Leicester v Sedgley Park 30 March 2019 |
| Top point scorer | Lewis Minikin (Hull Ionians) 315 points |
| Top try scorer | Morgan Passman (Tynedale) 31 tries |
Hull Ionians finished as champions following a bonus point home victory Leicester Lions on 13 April 2019, which sealed the league title with one round still to go. It was Ionians third National League 2 North title, equalling the record set by Macclesfield. It was a competitive league battle, with four teams looking like they could win but in the end Hull Ionians just did enough to claim the title, 4 points ahead of second placed Chester, who qualified for the promotion play-off. On 4 May 2019, Chester lost 10–19 away to National League 2 South runners up, Canterbury. That result meant that only Ionians would be promoted from the division, joining the 2019–20 National League 1 after just one season away.
At the other end of the table, newcomers Peterborough Lions were the first side to be relegated on 9 March 2019, with five games still to play, after they lost at home to Preston Grasshoppers. A week later a win for Sheffield Tigers on 6 April ensured the Sheffield based clubs safety, whilst condemning both Macclesfield and South Leicester to the drop, despite South Leicester winning their fixture away from home. Peterborough Lions and South Leicester would drop into Midlands Premier, while Macclesfield would fall to North Premier.
Another interesting fact from the season was the lowest ever recorded attendance in National League 2 North of just 37 who attended South Leicester's home game against Sedgley Park on 30 March 2019. South Leicester also set an overall low attendance record for the division, averaging just 85 supporters per game.