The 2012–13 RFU Championship is the fourth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship,[7]the second tier of English domestic rugby union competitions, played between August 2012 and May 2013.
After an appeal, last seasons champions, London Welsh were promoted to the Aviva Premiership and subsequently Newcastle Falcons relegated, due to finishing bottom of the Aviva Premiership during the 2011–12 season.[8][9] On 8 May 2012 it was announced that only Bristol and London Welsh (subject to further developments) were eligible for promotion under the RFU's minimum standards criteria;[10] London Welsh advanced to the Championship final,[11] whilst Bristol were defeated in their semi-final by the Cornish Pirates, a club that could not meet the standards criteria.[12] However, on 23 May, the day of the first leg of the final, the RFU announced that London Welsh would not be eligible for promotion due to "various failures". London Welsh's appeal was heard by an Independent Panel on 29 June which ruled ″... that the Exiles should be promoted on the basis that they play their home games at Oxford's Kassam Stadium and that the club meet the minimum entry criteria to the league as imposed by the Professional Game Board.″ Chief Executive Officer of the RFU, Ian Richie, subsequently announced that there would be a full review of the Minimum Standard Criteria.[13]Esher dropped out of the Championship after being relegated to the 2013–14 National League 1 and they will be replaced by a club from the Channel Islands, Jersey who won National League 1 last season and will compete in the Championship for the first time after three consecutive promotions.[14][15][16]
On 30 August the RFU announced that, for the first time, a team coached by Mike Rayer of Bedford Blues and consisting of English Qualified Players from RFU Championship teams will play a touring team. The match took place on 17 November at Castle Park, Doncaster against the Māori All Blacks with the New Zealand team winning 52 – 21.
Structure
The Championship's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The play–off structure has been changed dramatically for the 2012–13 season. Previously, the top eight teams entered into a complex mixture of pool and knockout play to determine promotion to the Premiership, whilst the bottom four entered into a pool whose last–placed team was relegated to National League 1.[18] The play–off pools have been abolished beginning with this season. On the promotion side, the knockout stage, involving two–legged semi–finals followed by a two–legged final, will remain in place. Now, the top four teams at the end of the home–and–away season qualify for the promotion play–offs which follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. There will be no relegation play–offs; the bottom team will now be automatically relegated.[18]
Competition funding
The RFU Championship clubs were in dispute with the RFU over funding for the competition and claimed that each club was owed £77,000 for the past three seasons and will be owed a further £120,000 over the next four seasons. The clubs also believed they should have received £295,000 in 2009–10, rising to £400,000 by 2015–16 and further believed there was a breach of contract on the part of the RFU. The RFU stated that the original funding was an estimate and by 2015–16 the figure will be £359,400.[13] On 21 August the RFU unveiled the Championship funding structure for the next four seasons to 2015–16. The funding is based on the continuation of the "English Qualified Players scheme", where clubs are required to field fifteen English qualified players in the 22-man squad on each matchday. (In previous seasons teams were required to field fourteen.) Although the amount is not given in the press release, the RFU also stated they will "increase its financial underwritings in relation to a title sponsorship while efforts continue to secure a partner".
^Leeds will play a number of their matches away from Headingley Stadium as part of a "strategy to grow our business by developing a closer partnership with all clubs in Yorkshire".[19]
Updated to match(es) played on 21 April 2013. Source: itsrugby.co.uk Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Notes:
^London Scottish were deducted 3 competition points for fielding an ineligible player.[21]
Regular season
The 2012–13 RFU Championship kicked off on 31 August with Nottingham defeating Leeds Carnegie and will finish on 20 April 2013. Each team will play the other twice on a home and away basis with the top four qualifying for the promotion phase.[22]
Billesley Common Attendance: 1,001 Referee: Luke Pearce
6 January 2013 15:00
Leeds Carnegie
R – R
Plymouth Albion
Headingley Rugby Stadium Referee: Matthew Carley
The original result was 34 – 16 to Leeds. However, the match went to uncontested scrums within 13 minutes on the new pitch at Headingley.[23][24] A meeting of the Organising Committee of the Championship decided that the fixture should be replayed on the next available free weekend, being 1–3 February at a venue of Leeds' choice.[25]
Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,463 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts
Play–offs
Semi–finals
The semi–finals followed a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system - with the games being played over two legs and the higher placed team deciding who played at home in the first leg.
Newcastle Falcons finished the regular season in first place and played fourth-placed finishers Leeds Carnegie, with both matches being shown on SkySports. The other semi–final was between second placed Nottingham and Bedford who finished third.[33]
Following the findings of an independent audit report, Leeds Carnegie, Newcastle Falcons and Nottingham Rugby met the "Minimum Standards Criteria" (MSC), and were eligible for promotion to the 2013–14 Aviva Premiership should they win the RFU Championship. Bedford Blues failed to meet the MSC but have the right to an appeal.[34]
63 – 7 Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012
Largest away win – 40 pts
53 - 13 Newcastle Falcons away to Moseley on 6 October 2012
Most points scored – 63 pts
63 – 7 Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012
Most tries in a match – 9
Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012
Most conversions in a match – 9
Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012
Most penalties in a match – 7 (x3)
London Scottish at home to Rotherham Titans on 2 September 2012
Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 29 April 2013
Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 April 2013
Most drop goals in a match – 2 (x2)
Rotherham Titans away to Cornish Pirates on 11 November 2012
Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 8 March 2013
Gary Law for Rotherham Titans at home to Jersey on 22 September 2012
Most tries in a match – 3 (x6)
Matt Evans for Cornish Pirates away to Jersey on 1 September 2012 Ally Hogg for Newcastle Falcons away to London Scottish on 8 September 2012 James Stephenson for Bedford Blues at home to London Scottish on 15 September 2012 Charlie Hayter for Moseley away to Jersey on 15 September 2012 Phil Burgess for Cornish Pirates at home to Rotherham Titans on 11 November 2012 Johny Harris for Nottingham at home to Plymouth Albion on 3 March 2013
Most conversions in a match – 9
James Arlidge for Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012
Most penalties in a match — 7 (x3)
James Love for London Scottish at home to Rotherham Titans on 2 September 2012 Jake Sharp for Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 29 April 2013 Jimmy Gopperth for Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 April 2013
Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2)
Gary Law for Rotherham Titans away to Cornish Pirates on 11 November 2012 Mark Atkinson for Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 8 March 2013
