The 2018–19 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, is the tenth season of the professionalised format of the
RFU Championship
The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men’s English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when ...
, the second tier of the English rugby union league system run by the
Rugby Football Union. It is contested by eleven English clubs and one from
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...
in the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
.
Greene King
Greene King is a large pub retailer and brewer. It is based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. The company owns pubs, restaurants and hotels. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by CK Assets in October 2019.
H ...
sponsors the competition for a sixth successive season. Clubs in the league also competed in the inaugural
RFU Championship Cup.
On 19 April 2019
London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
were declared champions with a round to go, following an emphatic win away against struggling
Richmond, claiming promotion back to the
Premiership for the
2019–20 season, in what was their second Championship title in three seasons.
The next day (20 April), Richmond were relegated following relegation rivals
Hartpury's victory at home against
London Scottish.
Richmond would drop to the
2019–20 National League 1
The 2019–20 National League 1, known for sponsorship reasons as the SSE National League 1, was the 11th season of the third tier of the English rugby union system, since the professionalised format of the second tier RFU Championship was introd ...
.
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
had the best campaign of a promoted club since the Championship's inception back in 2009–10 (regular season only), amassing 51 points on the way to an 8th place finish - surpassing London Scottish's 45 point, 8th place finish back in
2011–12.
Structure
The Championship's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The first placed team in the competition is promoted to the
Premiership; providing that club's ground fulfills the
Rugby Football Union's Minimum Standards Criteria
while the bottom side is relegated to
National League 1
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
. As part of an agreement with the RFU, each club will receive £530,000 funding. The
British and Irish Cup, which the RFU Championship clubs played in with Welsh and Irish clubs, was scrapped due to the Championship clubs withdrawing and is to be replaced by a new cup competition – the
RFU Championship Cup.
Teams
On 24 March 2018
Rotherham Titans
Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club, or Rotherham Titans is a professional rugby union team from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, currently playing in the fourth tier of the English rugby union league system, following their relegation from the Nat ...
were relegated with three games to go, after losing away to
Jersey Reds
Jersey Reds is a rugby club based in Jersey, Channel Islands that currently competes at the RFU Championship, which is the second tier of English professional rugby.
Until season 2022/23, the professional arm of Jersey Reds was part of Jers ...
. Despite seeing some improvements in the second half of the season, the Yorkshire club were easily the weakest side in the division, dropping to
2018–19 National League 1, the lowest level the club have played for fourteen seasons.
Promoted in their place were the winners of
2017–18 National League 1,
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, who return to the second tier for the first time since being relegated at the end of the
2009–10 season.
On 7 April 2018
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
were crowned champions of the 2017–18 season with two games to go following title rivals
Ealing Trailfinders
Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the current champions of the RFU Championship but will remain in that league due to ineligibility for promotion to Premi ...
defeat that day to
Doncaster Knights
Doncaster Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club representing the town of Doncaster, England. The first XV are known as the "Doncaster Knights", and play in the RFU Championship. Being the most promoted side in English history has led to ...
. They were therefore promoted to
Premiership Rugby
Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition. The Premiership has consisted of thirteen clubs since 2021, and is the ...
.
In winning the championship Bristol also became the most decorated tier 2 side in English league history with four league titles to-date. They are replaced by
London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
who return to the Championship after just one year in the Premiership.
Table
Fixtures & Results
Fixtures for the season were announced by the RFU on 22 June 2018.
Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3
*Postponed. Game to be rescheduled for 3 November 2018.
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Round 4
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Round 5
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Round 6
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Round 7
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Round 8
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Round 9
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Round 3 (rescheduled game)
*Game rescheduled from 16 September 2018.
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Round 10
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Round 11
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Round 12
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Round 13
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Round 14
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Round 15
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Round 16
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Round 17
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Round 18
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Round 19
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Round 20
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Round 21
*London Irish are champions.
Richmond are relegated following Hartpury's victory on 20 April.
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Round 22
Attendances
Individual statistics
* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included).
Top points scorers
Top try scorers
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 67 points
72 – 5 London Irish at home to Yorkshire Carnegie on 13 October 2018
;Largest away win — 41 points
61 – 20 Ealing Trailfinders away to Coventry on 23 March 2019
;Most points scored — 72 points
72 – 5 London Irish at home to Yorkshire Carnegie on 13 October 2018
;Most tries in a match — 12
London Irish at home to Yorkshire Carnegie on 13 October 2018
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Ealing Trailfinders away to Coventry on 23 March 2019
;Most penalties in a match — 5 (2)
Nottingham at home to Doncaster Knights on 29 September 2018
Coventry away to Nottingham on 23 December 2018
;Most drop goals in a match — 1 (5)
Hartpury College away to Doncaster Knights on 8 September 2018
Jersey Reds at home to Cornish Pirates on 13 October 2018
Nottingham away to Richmond on 20 October 2018
Nottingham at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 26 October 2018
Nottingham away to Coventry on 13 April 2019
Attendances
;Highest — 10,106
London Irish at home to Doncaster Knights on 23 March 2019
;Lowest — 602
Richmond at home to Hartpury College on 29 September 2018
;Highest average attendance — 3,770
London Irish
;Lowest average attendance — 977
Hartpury College
Player
;Most points in a match — 24
Dougie Flockhart for Doncaster Knights at home to Richmond on 26 January 2019
;Most tries in a match — 4
Robin Wedlake for Cornish Pirates away to Hartpury College on 15 September 2018
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Craig Willis for Ealing Trailfinders away to Coventry on 23 March 2019
;Most penalties in a match — 5
Shane O'Leary for Nottingham at home to Doncaster Knights on 29 September 2018
Will Maisey for Coventry away to Nottingham on 23 December 2018
;Most drop goals in a match — 1 (5)
Luke Cozens for Hartpury College away to Doncaster Knights on 8 September 2018
Aaron Penberthy for Jersey Reds at home to Cornish Pirates on 13 October 2018
Shane O'Leary for Nottingham away to Richmond on 20 October 2018
Shane O'Leary for Nottingham at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 26 October 2018
Shane O'Leary for Nottingham away to Coventry on 13 April 2019
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Championship
2
2018–19