2018–19 RFU Championship

2018–19 Green King IPA Championship
Countries	England  Jersey
Date	31 August 2018 – 27 April 2019
Matches played	40
Attendance	61,137 (average 1,528 per match)
Highest attendance	2,985 London Irish v Nottingham 8 September 2018
Lowest attendance	602 Richmond v Hartpury 29 September 2018
Tries scored	278 (average 7 per match)
Top point scorer	Will Cargill (Cornish Pirates) 63 points
Top try scorer	Robin Wedlake (Cornish Pirates) 8 tries

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. The competition is sponsored by Greene King for a sixth successive season.^[1]

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; providing that club's ground fulfills the Rugby Football Union's Minimum Standards Criteria^[2] 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.^[3][4] 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.^[5][6]

Teams

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[10]

Club Stadium Capacity Area Previous season Bedford Blues Goldington Road 6,000 (3,500 seats) Bedford, Bedfordshire 3rd Cornish Pirates Mennaye Field 4,000 (2,200 seats) Penzance, Cornwall 4th Coventry Butts Park Arena 4,000 (3,000 Seats) Coventry, West Midlands Promoted from National 1 Doncaster Knights Castle Park 5,000 (1,650 seats) Doncaster, South Yorkshire 7th Ealing Trailfinders Trailfinders Sports Ground 3,020 (1,020 seats) West Ealing, London Runners up Hartpury College College Stadium 2,000 Hartpury, Gloucestershire 10th Jersey Reds Stade Santander International 4,000 Saint Peter, Jersey 5th London Irish Madejski Stadium 24,161[lower-alpha 1] Reading, Berkshire Relegated from Premiership London Scottish Athletic Ground 4,500 (1,000 seats) Richmond, London 11th Nottingham Lady Bay Sports Ground 3,000 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire 8th Richmond Athletic Ground 4,500 (1,000 seats) Richmond, London 9th Yorkshire Carnegie Emerald Headingley Stadium 21,062 Leeds, West Yorkshire 6th

Bedford Cornish Pirates Coventry Doncaster Hartpury College Jersey Reds London London Irish Nottingham Yorkshire Carnegie London teams Ealing Trailfinders London Scottish Richmond Locations of the 2018–19 RFU Championship teams

Ealing London Scottish Richmond Greater London RFU Championship teams

Table

Fixtures

Fixtures for the season were announced by the RFU on 22 June 2018.

Attendances

Individual statistics

• 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).

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Will Cargill Cornish Pirates 63 2 Shane O'Leary Nottingham 59 3 Rob Kirby Richmond 57 4 Stephen Myler London Irish 52 5 Rory Jennings London Scottish 51 6 Peter Lydon Ealing Trailfinders 47 7 Robin Wedlake Cornish Pirates 40 [19]

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Robin Wedlake Cornish Pirates 8 2 James Cordy-Redden Ealing Trailfinders 6 3= Ryan Hutler Bedford Blues 5 3= Sam Matevesi Cornish Pirates 5 4= Tom Duncan Cornish Pirates 4 4= Ollie Hoskins London Irish 4 4= Charlie Ingall London Scottish 4 4= Rory McLean Richmond 4 4= Dave Porecki London Irish 4 4= Augustin Slowik Jersey Reds 4 4= Rayn Smid Ealing Trailfinders 4 [19]

Season records

Notes

References