English Championship

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s English Championship news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

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Richmond

Heard about this, Bill? Boks losing to your National League

16 February 2020 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher gives the RFU food for thought with a famous match at Worcester Determination: Duncan Roke, of the National League, is held by De […]

CLUB-BY-CLUB: HOW THE CHAMPIONSHIP HAS PRODUCED PREMIERSHIP, PRO14 AND ULTIMATELY ENGLAND PLAYERS

16 February 2020 1 comment

Current team in brackets *dual reg Ampthill Karl Garside (Northampton Saints), Ben Earl* (Saracens), Nick Isiekwe* (Saracens), Ralph Adams-Hale* (Saracens), Samson Ma’asi* (Northampton Saints), Jon […]

Matt: Get set for Super Saturday numbers game

16 February 2020 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Influential: England fly-half George Ford ENGLAND’S 2003 World Cup-winning scrum-half Matt Dawson predicts “a Super Saturday” finish to this year’s Six Nations, […]

Harlequins hunt Ealing Trailfinders front-row trio

14 February 2020 0 comments

Harlequins scrum coach Adam Jones set to have more than just Wilco Louw coming into the front row

World Cup man Mark Wilson back on track with Sale Sharks

13 February 2020 0 comments

Wilson knows there’s plenty of work to be done to add to his 18 England caps

Jersey Reds typify Championship disbelief with damning condemnation of RFU

12 February 2020 0 comments

Jersey Reds chairman Mark Morgan criticises Bill Sweeney for ill-thought actions and lack of clarity given to Championship clubs by RFU

RFU and PRL slash funding to the Championship by 50%

12 February 2020 0 comments

Championship clubs hang on a cliff edge as funding from central power is cut from £8.1 to £4.3m

Deuce for Williams as Exiles flop again

9 February 2020 0 comments

By GEORGE LAWRENCE L Scottish ………… 17 Nottingham ……30 LONDON SCOTTISH suffered a fifth straight defeat as Nottingham recorded back-to-back victories for the first time […]

Blues’ brick wall stands tall to deny late onslaught

9 February 2020 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH AN outstanding defensive display saw Bedford register their fourth league win in five games. Led by skipper Sean McCarthy and back row […]

Prop star Millar-Mills swings it for Ealing

9 February 2020 1 comment

By TOM INNES Battlers: Jersey celebrate Will Homer’s first try EALING Trailfinders hung on to claim the points after an exciting tussle with old rivals […]

Deadeye Olver has howitzer at ready for Pirates

9 February 2020 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE HE’S been involved in picking that many opponents’ pockets, Oliver not Olver would be more of an apt name for the man […]

Falcons given a workout by improving Hartpury

9 February 2020 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM LEAGUE leaders Newcastle collected a bonus point win but were made to work hard by a Hartpury team who showed a significant […]

Namibian cavalry arrive for Carnegie

9 February 2020 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE Challenge: Phil Davies Star signing: De la Harpe YORKSHIRE Carnegie director of rugby Phil Davies has boosted his squad with the addition […]

Homegrown Jamie Blamire becomes latest player to commit to Newcastle

6 February 2020 0 comments

The Falcons academy product has scored six tries in 14 appearances this season

Talent-spotter Paul Turner seeking more gems for WRU

4 February 2020 0 comments

“The Welsh Exiles programme has gone from strength to strength” – how can Wales find more Tompkins and Rowlands?

Spittle hits high-five as Carnegie crumble

2 February 2020 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN WING Jack Spittle ran in five tries as Nottingham romped to a comfortable win against struggling Yorkshire Carnegie at Headingley on Friday […]

Falcons give nod to a new creator

2 February 2020 0 comments

Preview Newcastle v Ampthill Today, Kick-off 1pm FLY-HALF Brett Connon makes his first start of the season as Newcastle make five changes from the side […]

Knights rely on their Olver ‘get out of jail’ card again

2 February 2020 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS ONCE again Doncaster can be grateful for the accurate goal kicking of fly-half Sam Olver whose successful 78th penalty won the closest […]

Martin flies solo to sink Pirates

2 February 2020 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH Flyer: Kyle Moyle makes yards for Pirates A WONDERFUL solo try from debutant James Martin clinched an against-the-odds comeback win for Coventry. […]

Worthington picks up the points for Bedford

2 February 2020 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN AN injury time try by replacement No.8 Huw Worthington sealed a nailbiting comeback for the Blues in an enthralling game at Goldington […]

Trailfinders up intensity to continue perfect run

2 February 2020 0 comments

By OLI SHAPLEY EALING Trailfinders kept up their perfect start to 2020 with a dominant nine-try victory over Hartpury at Trailfinders Sports Club. Trailfinders’ forwards […]

Pirates braced for another humdinger

26 January 2020 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues Today, Kick-off 2.30pm CORNISH Pirates joint head coach Alan Paver is expecting another ‘ding dong’ affair when Bedford Blues […]

Carnegie battle to the end with late Humfrey try

26 January 2020 1 comment

By TOM INNES JERSEY Reds stretched their legs and brushed aside Yorkshire Carnegie in a predictably onesided encounter. Enjoying a firm pitch and the chance […]

Eden’s late strike puts Hartpury in wonderland

26 January 2020 0 comments

By LAURA SHANA On the run: Coventry’s Max Trimble HARTPURY notched a last-gasp win over high-flyers Coventry in an enthralling game decided by nerves of […]

Amps survive late assault for famous victory

26 January 2020 0 comments

By WARREN KAY AMPTHILL held firm in the face of a fierce second half fightback to take the spoils over former coach Clive Griffith’s charges […]

Purple patch after half-time turns game Ealing’s way

26 January 2020 0 comments

By OLI SHAPLEY EALING Trailfinders ground out an impressive victory against local rivals London Scottish after a much improved second-half performance saw them pull away […]

Fright night for Falcons at electric Lady Bay

26 January 2020 1 comment

By ROB WILDMAN NEIL Fowkes told his Nottingham squad they must back up this performance in forthcoming trips to Yorkshire Carnegie and London Scottish. “We […]

Player-head coach Joe Ford leaves Yorkshire Carnegie

23 January 2020 0 comments

Carnegie say Ford has left the Championship club to concentrate on his business activities away from rugby

Pirates steal the points with potent final quarter

19 January 2020 0 comments

By TOM INNES CORNISH Pirates flew back from the Channel Islands with four hardearned points last night after coming from behind to complete a deserved […]

Forwards’ supremacy gets Ealing on a roll

19 January 2020 0 comments

By OLI SHAPLEY Fast start: Jordan Els scores for Trailfinders Fifty up: Tommy Bell is about to go over for Trailfinders PICTURE: PRiME Media Images […]

Olver earns his money with last-minute winner

19 January 2020 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS DONCASTER, outplayed for almost the entire second half and trailing 15-9 at Castle Park, won the closest of contests with the last […]

Lennon’s try puts brakes on Hartpury comeback

19 January 2020 2 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM FIRST half supremacy proved crucial for Bedford in an entertaining game, staged in close to perfect conditions, between two teams who wanted […]

Try-double by Tolmie swings it Cov’s way

19 January 2020 0 comments

By STEVE MATHER COVENTRY director of rugby Rowland Winter hailed replacement Scott Tolmie’s impact off the bench after the hooker’s last-minute try secured a dramatic […]

Williams back after beating cancer

19 January 2020 1 comment

Preview Yorkshire Carnegie v Newcastle Today, Kick-off 3pm JOHNNY Williams makes his first-team comeback for Newcastle after overcoming testicular cancer. The 23-year-old former England U20 […]

Influx of South Africans puts the squeeze of Europe’s Pacific Islanders, warns union chief

16 January 2020 0 comments

Dan Leo points out the shift in recruitment by European clubs from Pacific Islanders in the 80s, 90s and 2000s, to the South Africans

We’ll give Newcastle a real run says Brett

12 January 2020 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Yorkshire Carnegie Today, Kick-off 2.30pm CORNISH PIRATES captain Brett Beukeboom believes Chris Stirling has given the club the tools to keep […]

Joseph gets Trailfinders off to fast start in 2020

12 January 2020 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN WINGReon Joseph sped Ealing Trailfinders to a first win over Nottingham at Lady Bay in a stuttering match to start 2020 for […]

Falcons starting to look invincible

12 January 2020 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Effort: Doncaster’s Lloyd Hayes and Matt Challinor Final say: Adam Radwan scores for Falcons with the last play of the game PICTURE: […]

Hartpury are undone by unseen knock-on

12 January 2020 3 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM JERSEY won this game in the dying seconds after a series of attacking lineouts, resulting from Hartpury indiscipline, created the late opportunity. […]

Grimoldby holds his nerve to win it at the death

12 January 2020 1 comment

By WARREN KAY A LAST KICK of the game penalty by Louis Grimoldby secured victory for Amptill. Coventry had dominated early on and took a […]

Scottish let slip 14-point lead over battling Blues

12 January 2020 0 comments

By JONATHAN LANDI BEDFORD Blues’ indifferent season took a turn for the better as they showed character in adversity to deny London Scottish in west […]

Championship chairman fears funding cuts to Tier Two

7 January 2020 0 comments

Nottingham chairman Alistair Bow on the state of play between Championship clubs and the RFU, with the central funding agreement soon up for renewal

Hull Ionians to hold minute’s silence after recent death of player Billy Hardy

2 January 2020 0 comments

Hardy was in his second season at the reigning National Two North champions

Super sub provides the Bright spark for Scottish

22 December 2019 1 comment

By TOM INNES THE ultimate in impact substitutions saw veteran No.8 Mark Bright claim the winning try for London Scottish within six minutes of entering […]

Welch has willpower to quench Trailfinders

22 December 2019 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY NEWCASTLE took a giant stride towards reclaiming their Premiership place with a hard-working display which, coupled with some lethal finishing, flattened misfiring […]

Pirates target home win hat-trick after switch in style

22 December 2019 0 comments

By MIKE SINCLAIR On track: Gavin Cattle CORNISH Pirates aim to make it three home wins in successive weeks when they return to league action […]

Winter rues lineout errors as bonus goes begging

22 December 2019 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH A POWERFUL scrummaging display allied to the ball-carrying skills of skipper Ryan Burrows saw Coventry to a comfortable win over Nottingham. The […]

Griffiths keeping his Knights on guard

22 December 2019 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Prepared: Clive Griffiths Winless: Martyn Wood YORKSHIRE Carnegie are still looking for their first win of the campaign but Doncaster will not […]