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 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 in the Channel Islands. Greene King sponsors the competition for a sixth successive season.[1] Clubs in the league also competed in the inaugural RFU Championship Cup.[2]
On 19 April 2019 London Irish 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.[3] The next day (20 April), Richmond were relegated following relegation rivals Hartpury's victory at home against London Scottish.[4] Richmond would drop to the 2019–20 National League 1.
Coventry 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[5] while the bottom side is relegated to National League 1. As part of an agreement with the RFU, each club will receive £530,000 funding.[6][7] 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.[8][9]
On 24 March 2018 Rotherham Titans were relegated with three games to go, after losing away to Jersey Reds. 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.[10] Promoted in their place were the winners of 2017–18 National League 1, Coventry, who return to the second tier for the first time since being relegated at the end of the 2009–10 season.[11]
On 7 April 2018 Bristol were crowned champions of the 2017–18 season with two games to go following title rivals Ealing Trailfinders defeat that day to Doncaster Knights. They were therefore promoted to Premiership Rugby.[12] 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 who return to the Championship after just one year in the Premiership.[13]
Updated to match(es) played on 21 April 2019. Source: "Greene King IPA Championship". England Rugby. 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
Fixtures & Results
Fixtures for the season were announced by the RFU on 22 June 2018.
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).
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
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
^Trailfinders Sports Ground capacity raised from 3,020 (1,200 seats) to 4,000 (2,200 seats) on 3 February 2019.
^Although Madejski's full capacity is 24,161, for most matches only the West Stand will be open with capacity of 7,579.
^Jersey Reds' round 3 home game against London Irish was rescheduled to 3 November due to its proximity to Jersey International Air Display making availability of air transport and accommodation difficult.[16]
