Dover Rugby Club are happy to move on after their title battle with Canterbury 2nds became clouded in unusual circumstances - although they still consider themselves outright champions!

The Sharks thought they had pipped Canterbury Pilgrims on playing points difference.

Celebrations followed last month’s victorious final match of the season for the Sharks but the league later, instead, initially confirmed Canterbury as the Kent 2 champions on playing points difference due to RFU regulation 13.6.11.

Dover appealed that decision and it has been decided both clubs - promoted to Kent 1 - will be “joint-champions” this term, as the Sharks confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.

“We still feel we won the league - regardless of those regulations,” said player-coach Martyn Beaumont.

“We were disappointed with the way Canterbury went about it.

“Bearing in mind we have a good relationship with them, there was no contact from them and the RFU. We found out third-hand.

“We could have fought it more if we wanted to, but we would rather just move on.”

Canterbury were due to play their last match this season against Old Dunstonians but their opponents were unable to raise a team, so they were awarded five league points for a walkover victory.

It was the third occasion Canterbury had been awarded walkover wins - twice against Dunstonians and once against Southwark Lancers.

It meant they finished the season with 92 league points, which left Dover, who started their match against Sidcup on 87 points, needing a bonus-point victory to secure the title through a superior playing points difference of 469 to Canterbury’s 416 - or so they thought.

Subsequently, however, Canterbury officials alerted the league, under their rules, the playing points Dover achieved in their corresponding fixtures against Old Dunstonians, who they beat 40-34 and 38-5, and in their away match against Southwark Lancers - which they won 68-10 - should be erased.

This is because the city club had been denied the opportunity to achieve any playing points in their walkover wins against those opponents.

“Both teams are promoted either way,” continued Beaumont, a former Canterbury captain. “It actually doesn’t have much impact on either team.

“There were celebrations [after Dover won their last game of the season] because that’s how we interpreted it.

“But it had been interpreted differently and no one had said about it, so we found out we were not league winners four or five days later.

“The RFU have deemed, maybe, that it could be interpreted either way. It [the regulation in question] will probably be rewritten!

“But I moved on weeks ago. We felt it was the right thing to challenge it - because of the hard work we put in - but we’d already moved on.

“We have been preparing for next year already.”

With the controversy behind them, Beaumont and his team-mates can now look back fondly on their 2022/23 campaign.

He said: “We were really pleased.

“We have had - not a turbulent few years - but this was part of our five-year plan when I took over. We have a relatively young squad - if you take me and a couple of others out!

“It’s the culmination of everything we have worked on.”

Now, both clubs can prepare for life in a higher division, which should include derbies against Ashford, Deal & Betteshanger and Thanet - as well as mouthwatering games against one another.

Beaumont said: “It’s going to be tough and challenging. I think it’ll be good for both teams, going up.

“There were perhaps some games this year that have not been as challenging.

“But we have spoken to some referees who have refereed at that level. They think we will be all right so we’ll set some targets and reassess at Christmas and see where we’re at.”