The 2025–26 Champ Rugby will be the seventeenth season of the

Champ Rugby Champ Rugby (formerly the RFU Championship) is an English rugby union competition among fourteen 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 ...

, the professional second tier of

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

in England. It is the first season under the rebranded banner of Champ Rugby, succeeding sixteen seasons under RFU Championship branding. The number of teams in the league will increase by two, as there was no relegation in the previous season.

Ealing Trailfinders Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the reigning RFU Championship champions of 2024–25 but were considered ineligible for promotion to Premiership Rugby a ...

are the defending champions. Ealing were not promoted to the Premiership after failing to meet the minimum standards criteria.

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 ...

were promoted from

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 ...

and

Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...

were added following a period of administration.

Background

On 15 May 2025, 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 ...

(RFU) unveiled the new format and structure of English rugby’s second division branded Champ Rugby. The competition will see a return of relegation to

and potential promotion to the Premiership, which Tier 2 board chair Simon Gillham said will create "aspiration and jeopardy". The league has been expanded to 14 teams, with 2024–25 National League 1 winners

joining the competition alongside

, who will mark their return to professional rugby following a period in administration.

Structure

League season

The fourteen teams will play each of the other teams twice, once at home and once away from home. 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

Play-offs and relegation

1st–6th place
The top six sides, after the regular season, will enter into a play-off phase to determine the league champions. The teams that finish in first and second place in the regular season standings will earn automatic home semi-final places. The 3rd–6th placed teams in the league standings will play quarter-finals to determine who makes it to the semi-finals. The eventual champions will then face the bottom placed team in the 2025–26 Premiership for a chance at promotion to the top tier. 12th & 13th
The teams placed 12th and 13th in the table will face each other in single-leg play-off, the loser playing the runner-up in 2025–26 National League 1. The eventual winner will be in Champ Rugby for the 2026–27 season. 14th
The bottom placed side will be automatically relegated to National League 1 for the 2026–27 season. They will be replaced by the National League 1 champions.

Participation teams and location

Fourteen teams will complete in the league – the twelve teams from last season, the champions of

National League One 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 ...

and Worcester Warriors. No team was promoted to the Premiership. Last season the RFU’s Tier 2 Board ran a tender process for any club, college or university to join this league, if they could meet a growth strategy and minimum operating standards. On 3 April 2025 the RFU announced that Worcester Warrior’s will return to professional rugby, two and half years after going into

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. ** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...

Table

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2025-26 RFU Championship 2 RFU Championship seasons