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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Ampthill

Bedford Blues

Caldy

Cornish Pirates

Coventry

Doncaster Knights

Ealing Trailfinders

Hartpury University

Jersey Reds

London Scottish

Nottingham

Richmond

No money secrets when Robert was around

15 December 2019 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Captain: Will Carling IN THE final years of amateurism, circa 1992, when the home unions took ever […]

Indestructible Faletau gets bad breaks

15 December 2019 0 comments

Invisible man: Taulupe Faletau has not been seen by club or country PICTURE: Getty Images There was a time when Taulupe Faletau gave a cast-iron […]

‘Mooloo Man’ Foster joins the club

15 December 2019 0 comments

NO PROVINCIAL team is ever likely to match the grandiose achievements of the one responsible for hammering the Lions to the point of humiliation. More […]

Kayser’s king of TV

15 December 2019 0 comments

BENJAMINKayser’s command of English rather exposes less articulate pundits, some of whom sound as though they might have graduated from the Robbie Savage school of […]

Boks’ bus driver was handcuffed to wheel

15 December 2019 0 comments

THIS coming Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the day the Springboks had their team bus hijacked in central London, a ploy which in retrospect […]

First-half blitz earns Newcastle No1 billing

15 December 2019 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN A FIRST-HALF try-double from lock Sean Robinson put Newcastle on course for a resounding win to claim the top seeding for the […]

Nagle-Taylor score kills off Knights’ late fightback

15 December 2019 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM HARTPURY enjoyed their final home outing of 2019 with a four-try win over an injury-depleted Doncaster Knights. “It was nice to finally […]

Dominant Durutalo leads way for Ealing

15 December 2019 0 comments

By OLI SHAPLEY Flyer: James Cordy Redden breaks free to score for Ealing PICTURE: PRiME Media Images Limited EALING Trailfinders booked themselves a home quarter-final […]

Searing finale books Nottingham top spot

15 December 2019 0 comments

By PHIL DALY NOTTINGHAM finished the game in red hot form on a freezing afternoon in West Yorkshire. They ran in five tries in the […]

Johnson’s late try seals historic win for Ampthill

15 December 2019 1 comment

By WARREN KAY AMPTHILL head coach Paul Turner hailed his benchmen as a dramatic late Billy Johnson try clinched victory over near rivals Bedford. Turner […]

Pirates maul their way back from brink

15 December 2019 1 comment

By MIKE SINCLAIR CORNISH Pirates recovered from an early self-inflicted 14-0 deficit to clinch their first victory over London Scottish in three attempts this season. […]

Record-chaser Tait gets set for Christmas clash

15 December 2019 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Playing on: Alex Tait is chasing a new contract ALEX TAIT is playing for a new contract – and the chance to […]

Jemphrey’s double delights Light Blues

15 December 2019 0 comments

Varsity match By ROGER PANTING Touch down: Fergus Jemphrey goes over for his and Cambridge’s second try TEAMS OXFORD: Stoller 8, David (c) 5 (Martin […]

Purdy: I’d be lying if I didn’t say I want to play Premiership rugby again

11 December 2019 0 comments

Winger Henry Purdy was squeezed out by Gloucester due to their tight salary cap and now plays for Coventry after a stint in New Zealand

Exiles hungry for home comforts

8 December 2019 0 comments

Preview Nottingham v London Scottish Today, Kick-off 3pm NOTTINGHAM took the spoils on the road against Cornish Pirates last Sunday but still sit third in […]

Purdy puts on top-and-tail command performance

8 December 2019 0 comments

By DAVID LAWRENCE MATCH STATS… TEAMS BEDFORD BLUES: Green 6 (Reed 62, 6), Tapley 6, Worley 6 (Hirskyj-Douglas 51, 6), Strachan 7, Hutler 7, Hooley […]

Falcons up tempo to cruise into last eight

8 December 2019 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Touchdown: Tom James goes over for Doncaster Dangerman: George Wacokecoke goes over for his hat-trick try PICTURES: Gareth Lyons NEWCASTLE wing George […]

Willis strikes late to steal victory for Ealing

8 December 2019 0 comments

By WARREN KAY FLY-HALF Craig Willis stroked home a 78th minute penalty to snatch the win for Ealing but director of rugby Ben Ward was […]

Ruthless Reds make Students pay for mistakes

8 December 2019 0 comments

By TOM INNES JERSEY secured their ticket to the knockout stages of the Championship Cup by scoring five tries in what was an eventually comfortable […]

Pirates at full steam after shufti at Saints

8 December 2019 2 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE On track: Chris Stirling BUOYED by a reaffirming trip to high-flying Northampton in midweek, Pirates’ coaching staff head into today’s fixture with […]

Northampton Saints fill Dylan Hartley void with new hooker signing

3 December 2019 0 comments

Sam Matavesi has left Cornish Pirates to move to Franklin’s Gardens

St Andrews day delight as Bright stars for Scottish

1 December 2019 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN SCOTTISH broke their away duck with their highest score this season to secure a Cup quarterfinal for the first time in the […]

Ruthless Trailfinders put Blues to sword

1 December 2019 1 comment

By OLI SHAPLEY Try-double: Elijah Niko EALING Trailfinders rampaged their way to their biggest win of the season with a huge victory over Bedford Blues. […]

Ton up for Cargill as Pirates shuffle the deck

1 December 2019 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Preview Cornish Pitares v Nottingham Today, Kick-off 2.30pm FLY-HALF Will Cargill captains the Pirates in his 100th appearance for the club. Pirates […]

Reds sparked by Morgan’s magic in fine performance

1 December 2019 1 comment

By TOM INNES JERSEY Reds showed their clinical streak in carving out victory against pool rivals Doncaster Knights. The home side scored four tries and […]

Ten-try Cov romp towards last eight

1 December 2019 0 comments

COVENTRY have one foot in the Championship Cup quarterfinals thanks to an emphatic home win over Ampthill. After banking a bonus point before the break, […]

Falcons spread their wings in final quarter rout

1 December 2019 1 comment

By LUKE JARMYN FIVE tries in the last 25 minutes saw Newcastle finally show the class that sets them apart in the Championship, allowing the […]

Fowkes: There’s still all to play for

17 November 2019 0 comments

Preview Nottingham v Bedford Blues Today, Kick-off 3pm NEIL FOWKES knows it’s too early to judge Nottingham’s prospects for the rest of the season, as […]

Beattie’s late try gets Scots home against the Pirates

17 November 2019 2 comments

By SAM JACKSON Scottish: Bobby Beattie Pirates: Callum Patterson LONDON Scottish capped their final home match of the year in dramatic style with a Bobby […]

Trailfinders wear down injury-hit Doncaster

17 November 2019 2 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS Marked: Morgan Eames leads the Doncaster charge Clincher: Ealing captain Rayn Smid dots down to seal the win PICTURES: Gareth Lyons EALING […]

It’s festival time as rivals share 85 points

17 November 2019 0 comments

By WARREN KAY DEFENCEappeared optional for both sides as the crowd were treated to a 12-try festival. Ampthill began brilliantly, with fly-half Samuel Costelow charging […]

Hartpury go surging on with seven-try Carnegie rout

17 November 2019 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM HARTPURY made it three wins from four with a comfortable seven-try victory over bottom club Yorkshire Carnegie. While it was hardly a […]

Let’s put on a show, Welch tells Falcons

17 November 2019 0 comments

@therugbypaper Hope: Will Welch No.8: Ryan Burrows AFTER winning ugly on the road again in the wind and the rain at Bedford last Saturday, flanker […]

Rested Pirates expect a battle

10 November 2019 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Ampthill Today, Kick-off 2.30pm CORNISH PIRATES’ drive towards the Championship title rests on how well the squad can manage the short […]

Free-running Hartpury give sad Scottish 6-try thrashing

10 November 2019 0 comments

■By ROGER PANTING LONDON Scottish’s director of rugby Graham Steadman was fuming after seeing his side suffer a six-try thrashing at the hands of impressive […]

Unbeaten Coventry drive on in the rain

10 November 2019 1 comment

■By PAUL SMITH TRIES from Joe Buckle and Max Trimble saw Coventry extend their unbeaten run to four games with a home win over Doncaster. […]

Falcons use their nous to down the Blues

10 November 2019 0 comments

■By TOM CARR THE BLUESwelcomed topof- the-table Newcastle Falcons to Goldington Road in a repeat of the 2013 Championship final. In a fairly tidy opening […]

Late power gets Reds home on heavy pitch

10 November 2019 1 comment

■By TOM INNES A POWERFULsurge during the final quarter saw Jersey Reds storm into a winning lead over plucky Nottingham at Stade Santander International. The […]

Foresaken Niko owes so much to Trailfinders

10 November 2019 2 comments

■By JON NEWCOMBE New chance: Elijah Niko FOR individuals less forgiving than Ealing wing Elijah Niko, grudge matches wouldn’t come much bigger than today’s Championship […]

Coventry fight back to salvage the draw

3 November 2019 1 comment

■By NEALE HARVEY NEVER-SAY-DIE Coventry staged an epic late recovery to earn a hard-fought draw that served to put a serious dent in Ealing’s promotion […]

Accuracy of Olver’s boot gets Knights back on track

3 November 2019 1 comment

■By GUY WILLIAMS DONCASTER fly-half Sam Olver secured a vital win for the Knights with five penalties and a conversion to restore his team’s confidence […]

Wonder try by Radwan as Falcons hit turbos

3 November 2019 0 comments

■By LUKE JARMYN Diving in: Tom Arscott scores for Newcastle Falcons PICTURE: OMH Rugby Pics NEWCASTLE continued their unbeaten run with a potent mix of […]

Resilient Amps hold off late onslaught

3 November 2019 0 comments

■By WARREN KAY AMPTHILL held out for their second win of the league campaign in a tight game where defences dominated. Head coach Paul Turner […]

Clinical Exiles show ruthless streak to earn bonus win

3 November 2019 3 comments

■By STEWART McCULLOUGH LONDON Scottish head coach Graham Steadman was pleased with his side’s second half display as the Exiles ran in five tries to […]

Pirates take the spoils with double for Duncan

3 November 2019 2 comments

■By ROB WILDMAN CORNISH Pirates completed a double at Lady Bay this season in a vastly different style to the one they needed a month […]

Stokes planning to put on a show

27 October 2019 1 comment

Preview Yorkshire Carnegie v Coventry Today, Kick-off 3pm YORKSHIRE Carnegie’s off-season upheaval has not stopped Coventry from putting in the hours in preparation of their […]

Blues pay for ill-discipline with Cornish at the double

27 October 2019 1 comment

By MARK WOOD BEDFORD paid the price as their indiscipline played right into Ealing hands as they triumphed in an attritional contest at Goldington Road […]

Improving Ampthill give Exiles a scare

27 October 2019 1 comment

By JONATHAN LANDI All square: Dan Barnes kicks the last-minute penalty for London Scottish to make it 6-6 AMPTHILL are growing up fast and the […]

Deadeye Bragman edges battle of the boots

27 October 2019 1 comment

By JENNY BATES HARTPURY won the kicking battle to take a tight game in miserable conditions at the Alpas Arena on Friday night. Neither team […]

Reds get roll on in second half to secure late bonus

27 October 2019 1 comment

By TIM PRYOR JERSEY boss Harvey Biljon praised his side’s defiant, defensive display as they were forced to show real character against a probing Doncaster […]