# 2014 County Championship Shield

The 2014 County Championship Shield was the 10th 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. Typically there is no promotion or relegation out of or into the County Championship Shield, although Surrey's dominance over the past couple of competitions meant that they had a chance of being invited to take part in tier 2 the following season. The competition would also welcome Staffordshire, who did not play in the county championship last year, replacing Sussex. Surrey were the reigning champions.
After winning their respective groups and semi final games, Surrey faced Leicestershire in the final at Twickenham, in what would be Surrey's third consecutive Shield final. Having won the previous two finals, Surrey made it a hat trick (and fourth Shield title overall) as they defeated Leicestershire 39–16. This would also be Surrey's last season in the third tier as their performances would see them promoted to the 2015 County Championship Plate.

## Competition format

The competition format consisted of four pools (one of four teams, the others with three), based roughly on regional lines where possible, with each team playing each other once. The top side of each group qualified for the semi-finals, with the winners of the semi-finals playing in the final held at Twickenham Stadium on 1 June 2014. 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

| County | Stadium(s) | Capacity | City/Area |
| Berkshire | Monk's Lane | 8,000 | Newbury, Berkshire |
| Buckinghamshire | Weedon Lane | N/A | Amersham, Buckinghamshire |
| Cumbria | Ellis Sports Ground Bower Park | 12,000 (2,000 seats) N/A | Workington, Cumbria Aspatria, Cumbria |
| Dorset & Wilts | Ballard's Ash Sports Ground | N/A | Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire |
| Essex | Forest Road | N/A | Ilford, Greater London |
| Hampshire | Rugby Camp | N/A | Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| Leicestershire | Vipers Rugby Ground Leicester Road | N/A N/A | Whetstone, Leicestershire Hinckley, Leicestershire |
| Middlesex | The Reeves | N/A | Feltham, Greater London |
| Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | Sleaford Road | N/A | Sleaford, Lincolnshire |
| Oxfordshire | Witney Road Cane Lane | N/A N/A | Hailey, Witney, Oxfordshire Grove, Oxfordshire |
| Staffordshire | Peel Croft | 5,500 | Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire |
| Surrey | Frant Road | 1,400 (400 seats) | Croydon, Greater London |
| Warwickshire | Liberty Way Ivor Preece Field | 4,314 1,500 (250 seats) | Nuneaton, Warwickshire Binley Woods, Coventry, Warwickshire |

## Group stage
### Pool 1

2014 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 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 85 | 69 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 2 | Essex | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 51 | 62 | -11 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Warwickshire | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 120 | 51 | 69 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Buckinghamshire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 106 | -74 | 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: 17 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |||||||||||||||

#### Round 1

* 3 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Leicestershire | 19 - 22 | Essex |
* Vipers Rugby Ground, Whetstone
* 3 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Warwickshire | 52 - 10 | Buckinghamshire |
| | Report | |
* Liberty Way, Nuneaton

#### Round 2

* 10 May 2014 14:30
| Buckinghamshire | 17 - 25 | Leicestershire (BP) |
* Weedon Lane, Amersham
* 10 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Warwickshire | 38 - 0 | Essex |
| | Report | |
* The Ivor Preece Field, Binley Woods

#### Round 3

* 17 May 2014 15:00
| Essex | 29 - 5 | Buckinghamshire |
* Forest Road, Ilford
* 17 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Leicestershire | 41 - 30 | Warwickshire (BP) |
| | Report | |
* Leicester Road, Hinckley

### Pool 2

2014 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) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 19 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 55 | -26 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Staffordshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 40 | -13 | 0 | 2 | 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: 17 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |||||||||||||||

#### Round 1

* 3 May 2014 15:00
| Cumbria | 18 - 12 | Staffordshire (BP) |
| | Report | |
* Ellis Sports Ground, Workington

#### Round 2

* 10 May 2014 15:00
| Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | 7 - 40 | Cumbria (BP) |
| | Report | |
* Sleaford Road, Sleaford

#### Round 3

* 17 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Staffordshire | 15 - 22 | Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire |
* Peel Croft, Burton upon Trent

### Pool 3

2014 County Championship Shield Pool 3 Table :
| | County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| 1 | Oxfordshire (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 45 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Berkshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Dorset & Wilts | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 66 | -22 | 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: 17 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |||||||||||||||

#### Round 1

* 3 May 2014 15:00
| Dorset & Wilts | 18 - 37 | Berkshire (BP) |
| | Report | |
* Ballard's Ash Sports Ground, Wootton Bassett

#### Round 2

* 10 May 2014 15:00
| Berkshire | 19 - 37 | Oxfordshire (BP) |
| | Report | |
* Monk's Lane, Newbury

#### Round 3

* 17 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Oxfordshire | 29 - 26 | Dorset & Wilts (BP) |
| | Report | |
* Witney Road, Witney

### Pool 4

2014 County Championship Shield Pool 4 Table :
| | County | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
| 1 | Surrey (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 10 | 71 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Middlesex | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 49 | 82 | -33 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Hampshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 80 | -38 | 1 | 0 | 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: 17 May 2014 Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com. |||||||||||||||

#### Round 1

* 3 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Middlesex | 46 - 35 | Hampshire (BP) |
* The Reeves, Feltham

#### Round 2

* 10 May 2014 15:00
| (BP) Surrey | 47 - 3 | Middlesex |
| | Report | |
* Frant Road, Croydon

#### Round 3

* 17 May 2014 15:00
| Hampshire | 7 - 34 | Surrey |
* Rugby Camp, Portsmouth

## Knock-out Stage
### Semi-finals

* 24 May 2014 15:00
| Cumbria | 18 - 23 | Leicestershire |
| | Report | |
* Bower Park, Aspatria Attendance: 250 Referee: Mike Harris
* 24 May 2014 15:00
| Oxfordshire | 12 - 52 | Surrey |
| | Report | |
* Cane Lane, Grove Attendance: 250 Referee: Claire Hodnett

### Final

* 1 June 2014 17:00
| Leicestershire | 16 - 39 | Surrey |
| | Report | |
* Twickenham, London