2016–17 RFU Championship
| 2016–17 RFU Championship | |
|---|---|
| Countries |
 England Jersey |
| Date | 3 September 2016 – May 2017 |
|
← 2015–16 2017–18 → | |
The 2016–17 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, will be the eighth 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. This will be the fourth and final year of the competition's sponsorship with Greene King Brewery.[1] The twelve teams in the RFU Championship also compete in the British and Irish Cup, along with clubs from Ireland and Wales. Some matches in the RFU Championship are broadcast on Sky Sports.
Structure
The Championship's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The play-off structure will remain the same as the previous year.[2] The top four teams at the end of the home-and-way season qualify for the promotion play-offs which follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. The winners have to meet the RFU's Minimum Standards Criteria in order to be promoted to the Premiership. There is no promotion if a ground fails to meet the criteria.[3] There is no relegation play-off; the bottom team is automatically relegated.[2] In 2015 the RFU increased the annual funding to over £500,000 per club, an agreement which will last until 2020.[4]
Teams
After spending ten seasons in the Championship Moseley were relegated following their last place finish, last season. They are replaced by Richmond , who won the National League 1 and return to the second tier for the first time since their in 1997. Richmond subsequently entering administrated and dropping eight tiers.
As of 2 May 2016, the following teams will play in the Championship:
| Club | Stadium | Capacity | Area | Captain | DOR/Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Blues | Goldington Road | 6,000 | Bedford, Bedfordshire |  Nick Fenton-Wells |
 Mike Rayer |
| Cornish Pirates | Mennaye Field | 4,000 (2,200 Seats) | Penzance, Cornwall | Chris Morgan |
|
| Ealing Trailfinders | Trailfinders Sports Ground | 3,020 (1,020 seats) | West Ealing, London |  Danny Kenny |
Ben Ward |
| Jersey | St Peter | 5,000 | Saint Peter, Jersey | Alex Rae |
Harvey Biljon |
| London Scottish | Athletic Ground, Richmond | 4,500 | Richmond, London | Mark Bright |
Mike Friday |
| London Welsh | Old Deer Park | 5,850 (1,000 seats) | Richmond, London | Matt Corker |
Rowland Phillips |
| Nottingham Rugby | Lady Bay Sports Ground | 2,000 (est) | Nottingham, Nottinghamshire |  Daniel Montagu |
Martin Haag |
| Richmond | Athletic Ground, Richmond | 4,500 | Richmond, London | Steve Hill | |
| Rotherham Titans | Clifton Lane | 2,500 | Rotherham, South Yorkshire | Tom Holmes |
Lee Blackett |
Fixtures
Fixtures will be announced later in the year
Play-offs
Semi-finals
The semi-finals follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system – with the games being played over two-legs and the higher placed team choosing which leg they play at home.
Final
The final is played over two legs – with the higher placed team deciding who plays at home in the first leg.
See also
- 2016–17 British and Irish Cup
Notes
References
- ↑ "Greene King IPA to sponsor RFU Championship" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- 1 2 "Championship: RFU to abolish play-off pool stages". BBC Sport. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ↑ "Bristol, Yorkshire Carnegie and Doncaster meet Premiership promotion criteria". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ↑ "Championship: 'Extra RFU funding is not enough', Plymouth chief". BBC Sport. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
External links
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