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 Eng ...
, the second tier of the English rugby union league system run by the
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...
. It is contested by eleven English clubs and one from
Jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
in the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...
.
Greene King
Greene King is a British pub and brewing company founded in 1799, currently based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The company also owns brands including Hungry Horse and Farmhouse Inns, as well as other pubs, restaurants and hotels. It was listed o ...
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 that most recently competed in the Premiership Rugby, Premiership, the top division of rugby union in England. The club also participated in the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Champion ...
were declared champions with a round to go, following an emphatic win away against struggling
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
, 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 National League 1, third tier of the English rugby union system, since the professionalised format of the second tier RFU Champ ...
.
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
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
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...
's Minimum Standards Criteria
while the bottom side is relegated to
National League 1
National One, up until 2023 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 Lea ...
. As part of an agreement with the RFU, each club will receive £530,000 funding. The
British and Irish Cup
The British and Irish Cup was an annual rugby union competition for second tier, semi-professional clubs and the reserves or developing teams from professional clubs from Great Britain and Ireland. It took place for the first time in the 2009� ...
, 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 were relegated with three games to go, after losing away to
Jersey Reds
Jersey Reds was a rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands. On 28th September 2023, the club ceased trading and shortly thereafter went into liquidation following the withdrawal of financial support from a key investor.
Until seaso ...
. 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 rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, 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 status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
were crowned champions of the 2017–18 season with two games to go following title rivals
Ealing Trailfinders defeat that day to
Doncaster Knights
Doncaster Knights Rugby Football Club ''(formerly, Doncaster RFC)'' are a professional rugby union club representing the city of Doncaster, England. The club play in the 2nd division of English rugby, the RFU Championship. Being the most prom ...
. 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, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby ...
.
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 that most recently competed in the Premiership Rugby, Premiership, the top division of rugby union in England. The club also participated in the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Champion ...
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