2013–14 RFU Championship

2013–14 Greene King IPA Championship
Countries	England  Jersey
Date	14 September 2013 – 4 June 2014
Champions	London Welsh
Runners-up	Bristol
Relegated	Ealing Trailfinders
Matches played	144
Attendance	289,423 (average 2,010 per match)
Highest attendance	10,905 Bristol at home to London Welsh on 4 June 2014
Lowest attendance	473 Ealing Trailfinders at home to Nottingham on 12 April 2014
Tries scored	807 (average 5.604 per match)
Top point scorer	Juan Pablo Socino (Rotherham) 300 points[1]
Top try scorer	Miles Mantella (London Scottish) 19 tries[2]
← 2012–13 2014–15 →

The 2013–14 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, was the fifth 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 was held between 14 September 2013 and 4 June 2014. It was contested by eleven English clubs and one from Jersey in the Channel Islands. It was also the first Championship season with a title sponsor, as the Rugby Football Union and Greene King Brewery reached a deal by which the brewery would become the competition's main sponsor from 2013–14 through to 2016–17.^[3]

After being promoted after an appeal in the previous season, London Welsh were relegated back into the RFU Championship after finishing last in the 2012-13 English Premiership.^[4] As a result of relegation, they remained at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford instead of returning to their home ground of Old Deer Park in London in order to strengthen their support base.^[5] London Welsh replaced Newcastle Falcons who were promoted into the English Premiership after winning the play-off final against Bedford Blues.^[6] Doncaster Knights were relegated to the 2014–15 National League 1^[7] and were replaced by the champions of National League 1, Ealing Trailfinders who played in the RFU Championship for the first time.^[8]

The twelve clubs in the 2013–14 RFU Championship also participated in the 2013–14 edition of the British and Irish Cup along with clubs from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.^[9] Matches in the RFU Championship were broadcast on Sky Sports.^[10]

Structure

The Championship's structure had all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. In a change to previous years, this season commenced with an extra round of games in the "Greene King IPA Big Rugby Weekend". Matches were played on the weekend of 14 and 15 September with three double headers at neutral grounds: Saracens' Allianz Park, Doncaster's Castle Park and Exeter's Sandy Park.^[11]

The play–off structure remained the same as the previous year.^[12] The top four teams at the end of the home–and–away season qualified for the promotion play–offs, which followed a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. The winners had to meet the RFU's Minimum Standards Criteria in order to be promoted to the Premiership. If they had failed to meet the criteria, then there would have been no promotion from the RFU Championship.^[13] However, on 9 May 2014, the RFU announced that all four play-off participants had met the Minimum Standards Criteria, assuring that the champion would indeed be promoted to the 2014–15 Premiership.^[14] There was no relegation play–off; the bottom team was automatically relegated.^[12] Following an agreement with the RFU in 2012, each RFU Championship club received £355,000 in funding from the RFU for the season.^[15]

Participating teams

Bedford Blues

Bristol

Cornish Pirates

Ealing

Jersey

Leeds Carnegie

London Scottish

London Welsh

Moseley

Nottingham

Plymouth

Rotherham

Locations of the 2013–14 RFU Championship teams

Club	Stadium	Capacity	Area
Bedford Blues	Goldington Road	6,000	Bedford, Bedfordshire
Bristol	Memorial Stadium	12,100	Bristol, Avon
Cornish Pirates	Mennaye Field	4,000 (2,200 Seats)	Penzance, Cornwall
Ealing Trailfinders	Trailfinders Sports Ground	3,020 (1,200 seats)	West Ealing, London
Jersey	St. Peter	5,000	Saint Peter, Jersey
Leeds Carnegie	Headingley Carnegie Stadium	20,250	Leeds, West Yorkshire
London Scottish	Athletic Ground, Richmond	4,500	Richmond, London
London Welsh	Kassam Stadium	12,500	Oxford, Oxfordshire[n 1]
Moseley	Billesley Common	3,000+	Birmingham, West Midlands
Nottingham	Meadow Lane	19,588	Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Plymouth Albion	The Brickfields	8,500	Plymouth, Devon
Rotherham Titans	Clifton Lane Abbeydale Park[n 2]	2,500 1,000	Rotherham, South Yorkshire Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Notes

1. Despite being relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2012–13 season, London Welsh remained at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford instead of returning to their home ground of Old Deer Park in London in order to strengthen their support base.^[5] However, they played two matches at their traditional home:^[16]
   • against Moseley in Round 18 on 9 March 2014
   • against Nottingham in Round 23 on 26 April 2014
2. Rotherham would have to play their final league game and any playoff games at Abbeydale Park in Sheffield due to a dispute with Rotherham Cricket Club over ground sharing at Clifton Lane.^[17][18]

League table

2013–14 Greene King IPA Championship Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Difference	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
1	Bristol Rugby (RU)	23	19	0	4	786	505	281	18	3	96[n 1]
2	London Welsh (CH)	23	19	0	4	724	348	376	10	2	88
3	Leeds Carnegie (SF)	23	18	0	5	700	387	313	10	2	84
4	Rotherham Titans (SF)	23	17	0	6	718	474	244	11	1	80
5	London Scottish	23	14	0	9	554	423	131	10	2	66
6	Cornish Pirates	23	10	2	11	456	554	-98	4	3	51
7	Moseley	23	9	1	13	449	575	-126	4	2	44
8	Plymouth Albion	23	6	1	16	467	588	-121	5	9	40
9	Bedford Blues	23	7	0	16	472	624	-152	5	5	38
10	Nottingham	23	5	1	17	413	610	-197	3	9	34
11	Jersey	23	6	0	17	423	629	-206	1	6	29[n 2]
12	Ealing Trailfinders (R)	23	5	1	17	365	810	-445	5	1	28
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
Bristol were deducted 1 competition point for failing to reduce to 14 men when going to uncontested scrums against Bedford on 6 October.[19] Jersey were deducted 2 competition points for fielding an ineligible player.[20]
Green background are promotion play-off places. Pink background is the relegation place. Updated 5 June 2014 — Current English Leagues source: RFU

Regular season

The 2013–14 RFU Championship kicked off on the weekend of 14 and 15 September with the "Greene King IPA Big Rugby Weekend", an extra round of matches played as three double headers at neutral grounds.^[11] Thereafter, each team played the other twice on a home and away basis with the top four qualifying for the promotion phase.

Round 1 (Big Rugby Weekend)

14 September 2013 13:00

Ealing Trailfinders	13 – 44	London Scottish (BP)
	Ealing Scottish

Allianz Park Attendance: 1,550 Referee: Darren Gamage

14 September 2013 13:00

Moseley	24 – 42	Rotherham (BP)
	Rotherham Moseley

Castle Park Attendance: 1,050 Referee: Ian Tempest

14 September 2013 15:15

London Welsh	23 – 14	Bedford Blues
	Welsh Bedford

Allianz Park Attendance: 1,550 Referee: Matthew Carley

14 September 2013 15:15

Nottingham	24 – 16	Leeds Carnegie
	Nottingham Leeds

Castle Park Attendance: 1,098 Referee: Greg MacDonald

15 September 2013 13:15

Plymouth Albion (BP)	41 – 27	Jersey
	Plymouth Jersey

Sandy Park Attendance: 3,752 Referee: Simon Harding

15 September 2013 15:30

Cornish Pirates	23 – 21	Bristol (BP)
	Pirates Bristol

Sandy Park Attendance: 3,752 Referee: David Rose

---

Round 2

20 September 2013 19:45

Cornish Pirates (BP)	20 – 27	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Pirates Leeds

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,844 Referee: Ross Campbell

20 September 2013 19:45

Plymouth Albion (BP)	34 – 34	Moseley (BP)
	Plymouth

Brickfields Attendance: 1,746 Referee: Matthew Carley

21 September 2013 15:00

Jersey	26 – 14	Bedford Blues
	Jersey Bedford

St Peter Attendance: 2,265 Referee: Luke Pearce

21 September 2013 15:00

Rotherham (BP)	79 – 9	Ealing Trailfinders
	Rotherham Ealing

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,257 Referee: John Meredith

22 September 2013 15:00

Bristol (BP)	31 – 18	London Scottish
	Bristol Scottish

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,320 Referee: Greg MacDonald

22 September 2013 15:00

Nottingham	19 – 46	London Welsh (BP)
	Nottingham Welsh

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,164 Referee: Ian Tempest

---

Round 3

28 September 2013 14:30

London Welsh (BP)	40 – 9	Plymouth Albion
	Welsh Plymouth

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 999 Referee: Ross Campbell

28 September 2013 15:00

Bedford Blues (2 BP)	28 – 29	Leeds Carnegie
	Bedford Leeds

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,754 Referee: Steve Lee

28 September 2013 15:00

Ealing Trailfinders	17 – 31	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Ealing Pirates

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Matthew Carley

28 September 2013 15:00

Jersey	17 – 26	Bristol (BP)
	Jersey Bristol

St Peter Attendance: 2,590 Referee: Ian Tempest

28 September 2013 15:00

London Scottish	27 – 6	Nottingham
	Scottish Nottingham

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,394 Referee: Simon Harding

28 September 2013 15:00

Moseley	21 – 47	Rotherham (BP)
	Moseley Rotherham

Billesley Common Attendance: 938 Referee: Greg MacDonald

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Round 4

4 October 2013 19:45

Cornish Pirates (BP)	28 – 13	Moseley
	Pirates Moseley

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,374 Referee: Simon Harding

4 October 2013 19:45

Plymouth Albion (BP)	20 – 22	London Scottish
	Plymouth Scottish

Brickfields Attendance: 1,904 Referee: Darren Gamage

4 October 2013 20:00

Leeds Carnegie (BP)	64 – 3	Ealing Trailfinders
	Leeds Ealing

Headingley Attendance: 2,194 Referee: Ian Tempest

5 October 2013 15:00

Rotherham (2 BP)	27 – 32	London Welsh
	Rotherham Welsh

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,828 Referee: Steve Lee

6 October 2013 15:00

Bristol (BP)	45 – 27	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Bristol Bedford

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,817 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

6 October 2013 15:00

Nottingham (BP)	19 – 22	Jersey
	Nottingham Jersey

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,562 Referee: Ross Campbell

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Round 5

25 October 2013 19:30

London Scottish (BP)	23 – 24	Rotherham
	Scottish Rotherham

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,103 Referee: David Rose

26 October 2013 14:30

(BP) Jersey	18 – 23	Plymouth Albion
	Jersey Plymouth

St Peter Attendance: 2,216 Referee: Martin Fox

26 October 2013 15:00

Moseley	18 – 27	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Moseley Leeds

Billesley Common Attendance: 774 Referee: Darren Gamage

26 October 2013 18:30

(BP) London Welsh	41 – 6	Cornish Pirates
	Welsh Pirates

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,203 Referee: Ian Tempest

27 October 2013 15:15

(BP) Bedford Blues	31 – 14	Ealing Trailfinders
	Bedford Ealing

Goldington Road Attendance: 1,923 Referee: Dean Richards

27 October 2013 15:15

(BP) Bristol	33 – 18	Nottingham
	Bristol Nottingham

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,071 Referee: Matthew Carley

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Round 6

1 November 2013 19:45

Cornish Pirates	16 – 8	London Scottish
	Pirates Scottish

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,449 Referee: Dean Richards

1 November 2013 19:45

Ealing Trailfinders	6 – 15	Moseley
	Ealing Moseley

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 692 Referee: Simon Harding

2 November 2013 14:00

Rotherham	25 – 16	Jersey
	Rotherham Jersey

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,287 Referee: John Meredith

2 November 2013 15:00

(2BP) Plymouth Albion	31 – 38	Bristol (BP)
	Plymouth Bristol

Brickfields Attendance: 2,216 Referee: David Rose

3 November 2013 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	24 – 31	London Welsh
	Leeds Welsh

Headingley Attendance: 2,444 Referee: Steve Lee

3 November 2013 15:00

Nottingham	26 – 24	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Nottingham Bedford

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,614 Referee: Darren Gamage

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Round 7

8 November 2013 19:45

Ealing Trailfinders	5 – 20	Plymouth Albion
	Ealing Plymouth

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 562 Referee: Greg MacDonald

9 November 2013 15:00

Moseley	29 – 15	Nottingham
	Moseley Nottingham

Billesley Common Attendance: 712 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

10 November 2013 14:00

(BP) London Scottish	29 – 3	Jersey
	Scottish Jersey

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 928 Referee: Thomas Foley

10 November 2013 14:30

London Welsh	22 – 7	Bristol
	Welsh Bristol

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,821 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

10 November 2013 15:00

Cornish Pirates	16 – 13	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Pirates Bedford

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,609 Referee: Simon Harding

10 November 2013 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	19 – 10	Rotherham
	Leees Rotherham

Headingley Attendance: 2,345 Referee: Ross Campbell

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Round 8

15 November 2013 19:45

Bedford Blues	13 – 26	Moseley
	Bedford Moseley

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,545 Referee: Ross Campbell

16 November 2013 12:30

London Scottish	26 – 15	Leeds Carnegie
	Scottish Leeds

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 797 Referee: John Meredith

16 November 2013 15:00

Jersey	27 – 25	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Jersey Pirates

St Peter Attendance: 2,185 Referee: Matthew Carley

17 November 2013 14:30

(BP) London Welsh	28 – 0	Ealing Trailfinders
	Welsh Ealing

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,004 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

17 November 2013 15:00

(BP) Bristol	36 – 26	Rotherham
	Bristol Rotherham

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,655 Referee: Tom Foley

17 November 2013 15:00

Nottingham	15 – 10	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Nottingham Plymouth

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,261 Referee: Dean Richards

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Round 9

22 November 2013 19:45

Plymouth Albion	16 – 27	Bedford Blues
	Plymouth Bedford

Brickfields Attendance: 1,548 Referee: Ian Tempest

23 November 2013 14:00

Rotherham	17 – 11	Nottingham (BP)
	Rotherham Nottingham

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,390 Referee: Greg MacDonald

23 November 2013 15:00

Moseley	8 – 24	London Welsh
	Moseley Welsh

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,081 Referee: Darren Gamage

24 November 2013 15:00

Cornish Pirates	21 – 15	Bristol (BP)
	Pirates Bristol

The Mennaye Attendance: 2,176 Referee: John Meredith

24 November 2013 15:00

Ealing Trailfinders	10 – 36	London Scottish (BP)
	Ealing Scottish

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 669 Referee: Ross Campbell

24 November 2013 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	29 – 13	Jersey
	Leeds Jersey

Headingley Attendance: 2,120 Referee: Steve Lee

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Round 10

29 November 2013 19:45

Plymouth Albion	17 – 28	Rotherham
	Plymouth Rotherham

Brickfields Attendance: 1,349 Referee: Tom Foley

30 November 2013 14:30

Jersey	18 – 28	Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
	Jersey Ealing

St Peter Attendance: 1,902 Referee: Darren Gamage

30 November 2013 15:00

Bedford Blues	28 – 26	London Welsh (BP)
	Bedford Welsh

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,599 Referee: John Meredith

30 November 2013 15:00

(BP) London Scottish	38 – 17	Moseley
	Scottish Moseley

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,128 Referee: Steve Lee

1 December 2013 15:00

(2BP) Bristol	22 – 28	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Bristol Leeds

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,029 Referee: Greg MacDonald

1 December 2013 15:00

Nottingham	27 – 27	Cornish Pirates
	Nottingham Pirates

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,229 Referee: Ross Cambell

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Round 11

21 December 2013 14:30

London Welsh	5 – 13	London Scottish
	Welsh Scottish

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,359 Referee: Ian Tempest

21 December 2013 15:00

Ealing Trailfinders	7 – 21	Bristol
	Ealing Bristol

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 724 Referee: Simon Harding

21 December 2013 15:00

Moseley	10 – 3	Jersey (BP)
	Moseley Jersey

Billesley Common Attendance: 948 Referee: Ross Campbell

26 December 2013 14:00

(BP) Rotherham	35 – 6	Bedford Blues
	Rotherham Bedford

Clifton Lane Attendance: 2,217 Referee: Steve Lee

26 December 2013 15:00

Cornish Pirates	10 – 3	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Pirates Plymouth

The Mennaye Attendance: 3,050 Referee: Darren Gamage

28 December 2013 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	30 – 19	Nottingham
	Leeds Nottingham

Headingley Attendance: 3,168 Referee: Dean Richards

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Round 12

28 December 2013 15:00

(BP) Bristol	29 – 8	Moseley
	Bristol Moseley

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 6,860 Referee: Thomas Foley

1 January 2014 15:00

Bedford Blues	21 – 13	London Scottish
	Bedford Scottish

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,555 Referee: John Meredith

4 January 2014 14:00

(BP) Jersey	26 – 33	London Welsh
	Jersey Welsh

St Peter Attendance: 1,617 Referee: Greg MacDonald

4 January 2014 14:00

(BP) Rotherham	35 – 30	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Rotherham Pirates

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,735 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

4 January 2014 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	14 – 15	Leeds Carnegie
	Plymouth Leeds

Brickfields Attendance: 1,835 Referee: Martin Fox

5 January 2014 15:00

(2 BP) Nottingham	27 – 28	Ealing Trailfinders
	Nottingham Ealing

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,367 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

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Round 13

25 January 2014 15:00

Bedford Blues	14 – 9	Nottingham (BP)
	Bedford Nottingham

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,189 Referee: Ross Campbell

25 January 2014 15:00

Jersey	22 – 35	Rotherham (BP)
	Jersey Rotherham

St Peter Attendance: 2,044 Referee: John Meredith

25 January 2014 15:00

(BP) London Scottish	25 – 6	Cornish Pirates
	Scottish Pirates

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,675 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

25 January 2014 15:00

(BP) Moseley	22 – 12	Ealing Trailfinders
	Moseley Ealing

Billesley Common Attendance: 700 Referee: Thomas Foley

26 January 2014 14:30

London Welsh	19 – 10	Leeds Carnegie
	Welsh Leeds

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,538 Referee: Martin Fox

26 January 2014 15:00

Bristol	P – P	Plymouth Albion

Memorial Stadium Referee: Andrew Jackson

• This match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[21][22] It was rescheduled to 23 February.^[23]

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Round 14

31 January 2014 20:00

Nottingham	15 – 3	London Scottish
	Nottingham Scottish

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,197 Referee: Andrew Small

1 February 2014 14:00

Rotherham	16 – 6	Moseley
	Rotherham Moseley

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,287 Referee: Dean Richards

1 February 2014 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	36 – 15	London Welsh
	Plymouth Welsh

Brickfields Attendance: 2,024 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

2 February 2014 14:00

Cornish Pirates	18 – 18	Ealing Trailfinders
	Pirates Ealing

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,127 Referee: Luke Pearce

2 February 2014 15:00

(BP) Bristol	54 – 14	Jersey
	Bristol Jersey

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,657 Referee: Francisco Pastrana (UAR)

2 February 2014 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	50 – 6	Bedford Blues
	Leeds Bedford

Headingley Attendance: 2,086 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

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Round 15

7 February 2014 19:30

Moseley	P – P	Cornish Pirates

Billesley Common

• This match was postponed, as the surface of many parts of the pitch is under water.^[24] It has been rescheduled to 21 February.^[25]

8 February 2014 14:30

(BP) London Scottish	38 – 27	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Scottish Plymouth

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 819 Referee: David Procter

8 February 2014 15:00

Bedford Blues	19 – 32	Bristol (BP)
	Bedford Bristol

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,009 Referee: Darren Gamage

8 February 2014 15:00

Ealing Trailfinders	11 – 46	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Ealing Leeds

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 631 Referee: Greg MacDonald

8 February 2014 15:00

Jersey	17 – 13	Nottingham (BP)
	Jersey Nottingham

St Peter Attendance: 1,592 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

9 February 2014 14:30

(BP) London Welsh	47 – 16	Rotherham
	Welsh Rotherham

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,061 Referee: Steve Lee

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Round 16

14 February 2014 19:45

Ealing Trailfinders	P – P	Bedford Blues

Trailfinders Sports Ground

• This match was postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable. It has been rescheduled to 22 February.^[26]

15 February 2014 14:00

Rotherham	15 – 12	London Scottish (BP)
	Rotherham Scottish

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,342 Referee: Greg MacDonald

15 February 2014 15:00

Plymouth Albion	P – P	Jersey

Brickfields

• This match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[27]

16 February 2014 15:00

Cornish Pirates	P – P	London Welsh

The Mennaye

• This match was postponed after a pitch inspection at The Mennaye.^[28] It has been rescheduled to 16 March.^[29]

16 February 2014 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	62 – 5	Moseley
	Leeds

Headingley Attendance: 3,902 Referee: Andrew Jackson

16 February 2014 15:00

(BP) Nottingham	24 – 25	Bristol
	Nottingham Bristol

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,305 Referee: John Meredith

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Postponed matches

21 February 2014 19:30

Moseley	28 – 20	Cornish Pirates
	Pirates

Billesley Common Attendance: 626 Referee: Ross Campbell

• This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 15 on 7 February 2014 – was postponed as many parts of the pitch was under water.^[24]

22 February 2014 14:00

Ealing Trailfinders	P – P	Bedford Blues

Trailfinders Sports Ground

• This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 14 February 2014 – was postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable.^[30] The match was again postponed due to an unplayable pitch.^[26] It will now be played on 15 March.^[31]

23 February 2014 15:00

(BP) Bristol	43 – 12	Plymouth Albion
	Bristol Plymouth

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,408 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

• This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 13 on 26 January 2014 – was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[21][22]

Round 17

28 February 2014 19:45

Plymouth Albion	22 – 12	Nottingham
	Plymouth Nottingham

Brickfields Attendance: 1,436 Referee: Steve Lee

1 March 2014 15:00

Ealing Trailfinders	6 – 39	London Welsh (BP)
	Ealing Welsh

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 1,571 Referee: Andrew Jackson

1 March 2014 15:00

Moseley	24 – 13	Bedford Blues
	Moseley Bedford

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,090 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

1 March 2014 15:00

Rotherham	26 – 34	Bristol (BP)
	Rotherham Bristol

Clifton Lane Attendance: 2,349 Referee: Ian Tempest

2 March 2014 15:00

Cornish Pirates	19 – 15	Jersey (BP)
	Pirates Jersey

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,183 Referee: Greg MacDonald

2 March 2014 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	27 – 18	London Scottish
	Leeds Scottish

Headingley Attendance: 1,960 Referee: Darren Gamage

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Round 18

8 March 2014 15:00

Bedford Blues	18 – 33	Plymouth Albion
	Bedford Plymouth

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,199 Referee: Greg MacDonald

8 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Jersey	13 – 18	Leeds Carnegie
	Jersey Leeds

St Peter Attendance: 2,012 Referee: Martin Fox

9 March 2014 12:00

(BP) London Welsh	42 – 18	Moseley
	Welsh

Old Deer Park Attendance: 2,006 Referee: Dean Richards

9 March 2014 12:30

(BP) London Scottish	42 – 13	Ealing Trailfinders
	Scottish Ealing

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 856 Referee: Thomas Foley

9 March 2014 13:00

(BP) Bristol	46 – 33	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Bristol Pirates

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,035 Referee: John Meredith

9 March 2014 13:00

Nottingham	7 – 51	Rotherham
	Nottingham Rotherham

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,329 Referee: Darren Gamage

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Postponed matches (2)

15 March 2014 15:00

Ealing Trailfinders	23 – 39	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Ealing Bedford

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 528 Referee: John Meredith

• This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 14 February 2014 – was postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable.^[30] The pitch was again found to be unplayable on the new date of 22 February, and the match was postponed for the second time.^[26]

15 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	23 – 30	Jersey
	Plymouth Jersey

Brickfields Attendance: 1,036 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

• This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 15 February 2014 – was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[27]

16 March 2014 15:00

Cornish Pirates	5 – 20	London Welsh
	Pirates Welsh

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,387 Referee: Martin Fox

• This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 16 February 2014 – was postponed after a pitch inspection at The Mennaye.^[28]

Round 19

21 March 2014 19:45

Ealing Trailfinders	25 – 23	Jersey (BP)
	Ealing Jersey

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 843 Referee: Matthew Carley

22 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Moseley	20 – 23	London Scottish
	Moseley Scottish

Billesley Common Attendance: 902 Referee: Andrew Jackson

22 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Rotherham	45 – 10	Plymouth Albion
	Rotherham Plymouth

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,386 Referee: Martin Fox

23 March 2014 14:30

(BP) London Welsh	29 – 11	Bedford Blues
	Welsh Bedford

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,353 Referee: Darren Gamage

23 March 2014 15:00

Cornish Pirates	17 – 11	Nottingham (BP)
	Pirates Nottingham

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,235 Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

23 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	27 – 33	Bristol (BP)
	Leeds Bristol

Headingley Attendance: 3,297 Referee: Thomas Foley

---

Round 20

29 March 2014 15:00

Jersey	8 – 39	Moseley (BP)
	Jersey Moseley

St Peter Attendance: 2,664 Referee: Steve Lee

29 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	20 – 26	Cornish Pirates
	Plymouth Pirates

Brickfields Attendance: 2,598 Referee: Darren Gamage

29 March 2014 17:00

Bedford Blues	12 – 33	Rotherham
	Bedford Rotherham

Goldington Road Attendance: 1,844 Referee: Thomas Foley

30 March 2014 14:00

London Scottish	21 – 32	London Welsh
	Scottish Welsh

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,807 Referee: John Meredith

• This result means that London Welsh will finish in the top four and therefore are into the playoffs.

30 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Bristol	82 – 28	Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
	Bristol Ealing

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,852 Referee: David Procter

• This result means that Bristol will finish in the top four and therefore are into the playoffs.

30 March 2014 15:00

(BP) Nottingham	20 – 27	Leeds Carnegie
	Nottingham Leeds

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,315 Referee: Martin Fox

---

Round 21

12 April 2014 14:00

(BP) London Welsh	45 – 7	Jersey
	Welsh Jersey

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 1,082 Referee: Greg MacDonald

12 April 2014 15:00

(BP) Ealing Trailfinders	37 – 35	Nottingham (2BP)
	Ealing Nottingham

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 473 Referee: Dean Richards

12 April 2014 15:00

Moseley	24 – 33	Bristol (BP)
	Moseley Bristol

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,437 Referee: Thomas Foley

13 April 2014 14:00

London Scottish	19 – 15	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Scottish Bedford

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,057 Referee: Martin Fox

13 April 2014 15:00

Cornish Pirates	20 – 40	Rotherham (BP)
	Pirates Rotherham

The Mennaye Attendance: 1,372 Referee: Andrew Jackson

13 April 2014 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	40 – 14	Plymouth Albion
	Leeds Plymouth

Headingley Attendance: 1,870 Referee: Ian Tempest

---

Round 22

18 April 2014 19:45

(BP) Bristol	25 – 21	London Welsh (BP)
	Bristol Welsh

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 8,061 Referee: Luke Pearce

18 April 2014 20:00

(BP) Nottingham	29 – 24	Moseley (2 BPs)
	Nottingham

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,402 Referee: Ian Tempest

19 April 2014 14:00

Jersey	17 – 25	London Scottish
	Jersey Scottish

St Peter Attendance: 2,345 Referee: Darren Gamage

19 April 2014 15:00

(BP) Bedford Blues	48 – 36	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Bedford Pirates

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,365 Referee: Thomas Foley

19 April 2014 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	21 – 26	Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
	Plymouth Ealing

Brickfields Attendance: 1,555 Referee: Steve Lee

19 April 2014 15:00

Rotherham	17 – 34	Leeds Carnegie
	Rotherham Leeds

Abbeydale Park, Sheffield Attendance: 2,477 Referee: Martin Fox

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Round 23

25 April 2014 20:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	36 – 3	Cornish Pirates
	Leeds Pirates

Headingley Attendance: 2,017 Referee: Greg MacDonald

26 April 2014 15:00

(BP) Bedford Blues	31 – 41	Jersey (BP)
	Bedford Jersey

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,659 Referee: Andrew Small

26 April 2014 15:00

(2 BPs) Ealing Trailfinders	29 – 36	Rotherham (BP)
	Ealing Rotherham

Trailfinders Sports Ground Attendance: 842 Referee: Dean Richards

26 April 2014 15:00

(BP) London Scottish	31 – 55	Bristol Rugby (BP)
	Scottish Bristol

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,155 Referee: Ian Tempest

26 April 2014 15:00

(BP) London Welsh	64 – 12	Nottingham
	Welsh Nottingham

Old Deer Park Attendance: 1,236 Referee: John Meredith

26 April 2014 15:00

Moseley	16 – 11	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Plymouth

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,105 Referee: Andrew Jackson

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.^[3]

First leg

10 May 2014 14:45

Bristol Rugby	17 – 14	Rotherham
	Bristol Rotherham

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,839 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

---

11 May 2014 13:00

Leeds Carnegie	38 – 31	London Welsh
	Leeds Welsh

Headingley Attendance: 2,844 Referee: Andrew Small

Second leg

17 May 2014 18:05

Rotherham	11 – 22	Bristol Rugby
	Rotherham Bristol

Abbeydale Sports Club (Sheffield RUFC) Attendance: 3,267 Referee: Matthew Carley

---

18 May 2014 12:45

London Welsh	29 – 20	Leeds Carnegie
	Welsh Leeds

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 2,324 Referee: Greg Garner

Final

28 May 2014 19:45

London Welsh	27 – 8	Bristol Rugby
	Welsh Bristol

Kassam Stadium Attendance: 5,021 Referee: Wayne Barnes

---

4 June 2014 19:45

Bristol Rugby	20 – 21	London Welsh
	Bristol Welsh

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 10,905 Referee: Luke Pearce

Total attendances

• Note attendance statistics include 1st round with each team playing at the neutral venue considered the 'home team' as well as playoff games

Club	Home Matches	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Bedford Blues	12	27,137	2,261	2,754	1,550	37%
Bristol	14	79,261	5,662	10,905	3,752	47%
Cornish Pirates	12	21,558	1,797	3,752	1,127	40%
Ealing Trailfinders	12	10,085	840	1,571	473	25%
Jersey	12	27,184	2,265	3,752	1,592	42%
Leeds Carnegie	13	30,028	2,310	3,902	1,098	13%
London Scottish	12	15,269	1,272	2,155	797	27%
London Welsh	14	24,121	1,723	5,021	999	16%
Moseley	12	11,363	947	1,437	626	29%
Nottingham	12	15,843	1,320	1,614	1,098	9%
Plymouth Albion	12	22,999	1,917	3,752	1,036	22%
Rotherham Titans	13	22,872	1,759	3,267	1,050	66%

^[32][33]

Top scorers

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Points[1] 1 Juan Pablo Socino Rotherham 300 2 Matthew Jarvis Nottingham 191 3 James Pritchard Bedford Blues 175 4 Glyn Hughes Leeds Carnegie 156 5 Alex Lozowski Leeds Carnegie 143 6 Declan Cusack Plymouth Albion 134 7 Alex Davies London Welsh 132 8 Kieran Hallett Cornish Pirates 131 9 Niall O'Connor Jersey 128 Gordon Ross London Welsh

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Tries[2] 1 Miles Mantella London Scottish 19 2 George Watkins Bristol 18 3 Mark Bright London Scottish 16 4 Tom Bowen Plymouth Albion 14 5 Phil Chesters Ealing 12 6 Seb Stegmann London Welsh 11 7 David Doherty Leeds Carnegie 10 Jonah Holmes Leeds Carnegie Michael Keating Rotherham Nick Scott London Welsh Matthew Williams Moseley

Season records

Team Largest home win — 70 pts 79 – 9 Rotherham Titans at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 21 September 2013 Largest away win — 44 pts 51 - 7 Rotherham Titans away to Nottingham on 9 March 2014 Most points scored — 82 pts 82 – 28 Bristol at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 30 March 2014 Most tries in a match — 12 Bristol at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 30 March 2014 Most conversions in a match — 11 Bristol at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 30 March 2014 Most penalties in a match — 8 Leeds Carnegie at home to London Welsh on 11 May 2014 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Ealing Trailfinders at home to Nottingham on 12 April 2014 [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]

Player Most points in a match — 34 Juan Pablo Socino for Rotherham Titans at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 21 September 2013 Most tries in a match — 4 (x2) Marko Mama for Bristol at home to Cornish Pirates on 9 March 2014 Curtis Wilson for Rotherham Titans away to Nottingham on 9 March 2014 Most conversions in a match — 11 Adrian Jarvis for Bristol at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 30 March 2014 Most penalties in a match — 7 Glyn Hughes for Leeds Carnegie at home to London Welsh on 11 May 2014 Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple players [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] Attendances Highest — 10,905 Bristol at home to London Welsh on 4 June 2014 Lowest — 473 Ealing Trailfinders at home to Nottingham on 12 April 2014 Highest Average Attendance — 5,662 Bristol Lowest Average Attendance — 840 Ealing Trailfinders [52][53]

See also

• 2013–14 British and Irish Cup

References

1. "RFU Championship Statistics - Top Point Scorers". Rugby Round Up. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
2. "RFU Championship Statistics - Top Try Scorers". Rugby Round Up. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
3. "Greene King IPA to sponsor RFU Championship" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
4. Mick Cleary (16 April 2013). "London Welsh's agony proves that relegation is a must in the Aviva Premiership". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
5. Ed Mezzetti (31 May 2013). "Most fans want London Welsh to stay in Oxford, says chairman". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
6. Matt Newsum (29 May 2013). "Newcastle beat Bedford to seal promotion to Premiership". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
7. "FT Bedford 38 Knights 26 - Doncaster Knights relegated to National One". Doncaster Free Press. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
8. John Wilkinson (29 April 2013). "Ealing Trailfinders 41 Coventry 17". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
9. "Rugby Football Union to fund travel for Cup games". BBC Sport. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
10. "RaboDirect Pro12 games to be shown on Sky Sports from 2014". Sky Sports. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
11. "Tickets on sale for Greene King IPA Big Rugby Weekend". Rugby Football Union. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
12. "Championship: RFU to abolish play-off pool stages". BBC Sport. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
13. Jonathan Reilly (13 March 2011). "Premiership is no go for now admits chief Irvine". Bedfordshire News. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
14. "Minimum Standards Criteria audit results" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
15. Pilnick, Brent (22 August 2012). "RFU unveils new funding deal for Championship clubs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
16. "Rugby - Fixtures & Results". London Welsh RFC. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
17. "Rugby Union: Damage fears for Abbeydale outfield". thestar.co.uk. 10 April 2014.
18. "Titans secure Abbeydale for massive semi final against Bristol". rotherhamrugby.co.uk. 30 April 2015.
19. "Bristol Rugby deducted one point for breach of regulations". BBC Sport. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
20. "Championship: Jersey docked two points and fined £5,000". BBC Sport. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
21. "POSTPONED: Bristol Rugby Vs Plymouth Albion". Bristol Rugby. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
22. "Bristol v Plymouth Albion Postponed". Plymouth Albion. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
23. "Bristol Match Rearranged". Plymouth Albion. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
24. "Moseley POSTPONED". Cornish Pirates. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
25. "1st XV Team Fixtures for 2013 - 2014". Moseley Rugby Football Club. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
26. "ETRFC v Bedford Blues – Rescheduled for Saturday 22 Feb". Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
27. "Plymouth Albion v Jersey match Postponed". Plymouth Albion. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
28. "Welsh Home". Cornish Pirates. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
29. "Welsh Home : New Match Date". Cornish Pirates. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
30. "EALING TRAILFINDERS RESCHEDULED". Bedford Blues. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
31. "Bedford visit rescheduled for 15 March". Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
32. "Championship 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
33. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
34. "Championship 13/14 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
35. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
36. "Championship 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
37. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
38. "Championship 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
39. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
40. "Championship 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
41. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
42. "Championship 13/14 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
43. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
44. "Championship 13/14 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
45. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
46. "Championship 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
47. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
48. "Championship 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
49. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
50. "Championship 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
51. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
52. "Championship 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
53. "Championship Play offs 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.

External links

• RFU Championship news