The 2024–25 RFU Championship was the sixteenth season 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 professional second tier of rugby union in England. It featured twelve English teams.
Ealing Trailfinders were the reigning champions, having been refused promotion to the
Premiership due to failing to meet minimum standards.
Ealing Trailfinders finished as champions on 17 May following a decisive victory away to
Caldy
Caldy (historically spelt Calday) is a small, affluent village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, south-east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward (country subdivision), Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wi ...
, giving them the title with two games still left to play. Despite winning their second RFU Championship title in a row (and third overall) the minimum standards ruling meant that once again they were ineligible for promotion.
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
finished bottom but due to the Championship increasing from 12 to 14 teams for the following season, there was no relegation.
Structure
The twelve teams will play each of the other teams twice.
The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
* 4 points are awarded for a win
* 2 points are awarded for a draw
* 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
* 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
* 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.
Promotion and relegation
Subject to meeting the minimum standards criteria the team finishing top of the league will qualify for a promotion playoff against the bottom side in
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 ...
while the team that finishes bottom will be typically 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 ...
.
Relegation this season would be different as earlier in the season it had been indicated that the RFU Championship was due to increase from 12 to 14 teams for 2025–26. This was finally confirmed by the RFU with most of the season completed, meaning that no clubs would be relegated at the end of 2024–25.
In March 2025 it was confirmed that only Doncaster Knights were eligible for promotion to the premiership.
Teams
Eleven of the twelve teams played in last season's competition.
Chinnor
Chinnor is a large village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, about southeast of Thame and close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The village is a spring line settlement on the Icknield Way below the Chiltern escarpment. Sinc ...
were promoted as the champions of the
2023–24 National League 1 with no side being relegated the opposite way due 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 ...
going into liquidation in September 2023 and there only being eleven sides.
Table
Fixtures & results
Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Round 4
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Round 5
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Round 6
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Round 7
*Game abandoned in 68th minute, with Chinnor leading 18–13, due to power cut caused by adverse weather. The
RFU
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the 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 (WR) in 1886. It prom ...
would later rule the result a victory for Chinnor subject to appeal.
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Round 8
*Game abandoned due to injury to referee. Game to be rescheduled for 11 January 2025.
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Round 9
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Round 10
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Round 8 (rescheduled game)
*Game originally rescheduled from 14 December 2024 but postponed again due to frozen pitch.
Game to be rescheduled for 1 March 2025.
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Round 11
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Round 12
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Round 8 (rescheduled game)
*Game originally rescheduled from 14 December 2024 and then rescheduled again from 11 January 2025.
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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
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Round 22
Attendances
Leading scorers
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under
World Rugby
World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Most points
Most tries
See also
*
2024–25 Premiership Rugby
*
2024–25 Premiership Rugby Cup
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2024-25 RFU Championship
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RFU Championship seasons
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