The RFU Championship
The second season of the RFU Championship saw Worcester Warriors come away with the coveted trophy, winning both legs of the final to claim victory in front of a capacity crowd at Sixways Stadium on May 18; securing their immediate return to the Aviva Premiership.
They join Exeter Chiefs who, following their promotion to the top flight in the debut season of the RFU Championship, finished eighth in the 2010/11 table to maintain their Premiership status.
The RFU Championship, a 12-club tournament formerly known as National League One, sees each team play 11 games, home and away, in a traditional league format. Then, the drama of the play-offs begins, with eight teams vying for promotion and four battling it out against relegation.
The 2011/12 season follows the three-stage system of the previous two seasons, with the addition of a double-legged semi final.
Season strucutre: 22 rounds, six play-off rounds followed by a double-legged semi-final and a double-legged final. Clubs finishing in the top eight will go into two promotion pools of four and, based on their ranking, will start with points as a reward for their record during Rounds 1-22. The 1st ranked team will have three points, the 2nd two, the 3rd one and the 4th none.
Clubs finishing in the bottom four will go into one relegation pool and will carry forward one point for every game won in Rounds 1-22.
Keep up-to-date
Twitter
Keep up to date with all of the latest news, scores and pictures @RFUChampionship
Newsletter
The new RFU Championship monthly ezine includes a round-up of all the action across the league, plus club features. There will also be an opportunity to ask players questions for the monthly interview, as well as competitions and prize giveaways.
Click on the following link and then hit send to subscribe to the RFU Championship newsletter. The newsletter will be issued on the first Friday of every month.
News
You can also keep up-to-date with news on the Championship season in the dedicated Championship news section on RFU.com. This part of the site includes weekly reviews of the action, statistical analysis and club news.
For enquiries related to the RFU Championship, please email: RFUchampionship@therfu.com
Sky's the limit
After a successful opening season, Sky Sports HD committed to showing a further 11 live games in 2011/12 as part of their five year (2010-15) agreement with the RFU.
Following agreement with the Championship clubs, Sky Sports will be boosting their coverage of the competition, going further behind the scenes on match day and bringing viewers closer to the teams with player warm-up interviews, half–time comments from the coaches, and exclusive changing room access.
The bonus editorial content shows a further commitment from the RFU Championship clubs, Sky Sports HD and the Rugby Football Union to continue to further raise the profile of the competition which has seen a consistent increase in the standard of professional rugby played for the past three-years.
The RFU’s Chief Commercial Officer Sophie Goldschmidt commented:
“This new venture with Sky Sports is a further development in the promotion of the competition. The standard of rugby played in the league is consistently rising, with over thirty former and current Championship players now with England and other nations in the Rugby World Cup 2011."
2011- 12 Fixtures
Round 1 (September 3): Moseley v Cornish Pirates, Doncaster Knights v Bristol Rugby, London Scottish v Rotherham Titans, Leeds Carnegie v London Welsh, Plymouth Albion v Esher Rugby, Nottingham Rugby v Bedford Blues
Round 2 (September 10): Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights, Esher Rugby v Bedford Blues, London Welsh v Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans v Leeds Carnegie, Bristol Rugby v London Scottish, Moseley v Nottingham Rugby
Round 3 (September 17): Doncaster Knights v Moseley, London Scottish v Cornish Pirates, Leeds Carnegie v Bristol Rugby, Plymouth Albion v Rotherham Titans, Bedford Blues v London Welsh, Nottingham Rugby v Esher Rugby
Round 4 (September 24): Cornish Pirates v Leeds Carnegie, Doncaster Knights v London Scottish, London Welsh v Nottingham Rugby, Rotherham Titans v Bedford Blues, Bristol Rugby v Plymouth Albion, Moseley v Esher Rugby
Round 5 (October 1): London Scottish v Moseley, Leeds Carnegie v Doncaster Knights, Plymouth Albion v Cornish Pirates, Bedford Blues v Bristol Rugby, Nottingham Rugby v Rotherham, Esher Rugby v London Welsh
Round 6 (October 8): Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues, Doncaster Knights v Plymouth Albion, London Scottish v Leeds Carnegie, Rotherham Titans v Esher Rugby, Bristol Rugby v Nottingham Rugby, Moseley v London Welsh
Round 7 (October 15): Leeds Carnegie v Moseley, Plymouth Albion v London Scottish, Bedford Blues v Doncaster Knights, Nottingham Rugby v Cornish Pirates, Esher Rugby v Bristol Rugby, London Welsh v Rotherham Titans
Round 8 (October 22): Cornish Pirates v Esher Rugby, Doncaster Knights v Nottingham Rugby, London Scottish v Bedford Blues, Leeds Carnegie v Plymouth Albion, Bristol Rugby v London Welsh, Moseley v Rotherham Titans
Round 9 (October 29): Plymouth Albion v Moseley, Bedford Blues v Leeds Carnegie, Nottingham Rugby v London Scottish, Esher Rugby v Doncaster Knights, London Welsh v Cornish Pirates, Rotherham Titans v Bristol Rugby
Round 10 (November 5): Cornish Pirates v Rotherham Titans, Doncaster Knights v London Welsh, London Scottish v Esher Rugby, Leeds Carnegie v Nottingham Rugby, Plymouth Albion v Bedford Blues, Moseley v Bristol Rugby,
Round 11 (November 19):Bedford Blues v Moseley, Nottingham Rugby v Plymouth Albion, Esher Rugby v Leeds Carnegie, London Welsh v London Scottish, Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights, Bristol Rugby v Cornish Pirates
Round 12 (November 26): Doncaster Knights v Cornish Pirates, London Scottish v Bristol Rugby, Leeds Carnegie v Rotherham Titans, Plymouth Albion v London Welsh, Bedford Blues v Esher Rugby, Nottingham Rugby v Moseley
Round 13 (December 3): Cornish Pirates v London Scottish, Esher Rugby v Nottingham Rugby, London Welsh v Bedford Blues, Rotherham Titans v Plymouth Albion, Bristol Rugby v Leeds Carnegie, Moseley v Doncaster Knights
Round 14 (December 10): London Scottish v Doncaster Knights, Leeds Carnegie v Cornish Pirates, Plymouth Albion v Bristol Rugby, Bedford Blues v Rotherham Titans, Nottingham Rugby v London Welsh, Esher Rugby v Moseley
Round 15 (December 24): Cornish Pirates v Plymouth Albion, Doncaster Knights v Leeds Carnegie, London Welsh v Esher Rugby, Rotherham Titans v Nottingham Rugby, Bristol Rugby v Bedford Blues, Moseley v London Scottish
Round 16 (December 31): Leeds Carnegie v London Scottish, Plymouth Albion v Doncaster Knights, Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates, Nottingham Rugby v Bristol Rugby, Esher Rugby v Rotherham Titans, London Welsh v Moseley
Round 17 (January 7): Cornish Pirates v Nottingham Rugby, Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues, London Scottish v Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans v London Welsh, Bristol Rugby v Esher Rugby, Moseley v Leeds Carnegie
Round 18 (January 14): Plymouth Albion v Leeds Carnegie, Bedford Blues v London Scottish, Nottingham Rugby v Doncaster Knights, Esher Rugby v Cornish Pirates, Rotherham Titans v Moseley, London Welsh v Bristol Rugby
Round 19 (January 28) Cornish Pirates v London Welsh, Doncaster Knights v Esher Rugby, London Scottish v Nottingham Rugby, Leeds Carnegie v Bedford Blues, Bristol Rugby v Rotherham Titans, Moseley v Plymouth Albion
Round 20 (February 4); Bedford Blues v Plymouth Albion, Nottingham Rugby v Leeds Carnegie, Esher Rugby v London Scottish, London Welsh v Doncaster Knights, Rotherham Titans v Cornish Pirates, Bristol Rugby v Moseley
Round 21 (February 18); Cornish Pirates v Bristol Rugby, Doncaster Knights v Rotherham Titans, London Scottish v London Welsh, Leeds Carnegie v Esher Rugby, Plymouth Albion v Nottingham Rugby, Moseley v Bedford Blues
Round 22 (February 25); Bedford Blues v Nottingham Rugby, Esher Rugby v Plymouth Albion, London Welsh v Leeds Carnegie, Rotherham Titans v London Scottish, Bristol Rugby v Doncaster Knights, Cornish Pirates v Moseley