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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Improving Blues call for young gun Hutler

21 October 2018 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues Today, Kick-off 2.30pm BEDFORD top try scorer Ryan Hutler returns to their starting line-up as Blues aim to close […]

Trailfinders point the way with a 9-try battering

21 October 2018 0 comments

By OLI SHAPLEY EALINGTrailfinders produced their best performance of the season to inflict a heavy defeat on Coventry. Ben Ward’s men scored nine tries in […]

Unbeaten Irish forced to dig deep for victory

21 October 2018 0 comments

By CHRIS WALKER Headlock: Fergus Mulchrone scores for Irish despite Cameron Cowell’s tackle PICTURES: Gareth Lyons Challenge: Tyson Lewis takes on Thomas Parton LONDON Irish […]

Reds ride out early pressure to bring half ton up

21 October 2018 0 comments

By TOM INNES JERSEY Reds put Hartpury to the sword, running in seven tries to continue their upward progress in the Championship table. After watching […]

Spittle’s try signals start of Nottingham stampede

21 October 2018 1 comment

By LUKE JARMYN TIGHT-HEAD Osin Heffernan capped a classy second-half comeback by Nottingham with a lastminute bonus-point try. Winger Jack Spittle’s try after half-time proved […]

Mantella’s double piles more gloom on Carnegie

21 October 2018 1 comment

By WILL HOPPER LONDON Scottish continued to pile on the misery for Yorkshire Carnegie as they came away with a well-earned three try to one […]

Cornish Pirates hooker Sam Matavesi gets Fiji call-up

16 October 2018 0 comments

Fiji’s 30-man squad to take on Scotland, Uruguay and France next month

Fowkes wants big response at the Bay

14 October 2018 2 comments

NOTTINGHAM are looking to get back to winning ways after losing 36-28 to Cornish Pirates in Penzance last weekend. The Green and Whites have won […]

Knights fall short after storming comeback

14 October 2018 1 comment

By SAM ROBERTS BEDFORD fought off a mighty second half comeback by Doncaster to take the spoils at Goldington Road. The Blues, playing in pink […]

Carnegie in crisis as Exiles run in 12 tries

14 October 2018 0 comments

By HOWARD LANE History man: Topsy Ojo scores in record-equalling game Rolling in: It’s a try for Saia Fainga’a PICTURES: Pinnacle LONDON Irish head coach […]

Cov take the spoils despite Stevenson hat-trick

14 October 2018 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH DESPITE a 24-minute second-half hat-trick from London Scottish wing Rob Stevenson, Coventry continued their impressive home run with a tight bonus point […]

Ealing hold on but Ward unhappy with his defence

14 October 2018 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN THREE early tries gave Ealing an unassailable lead and moved them top of the Championship table. Early scores from No.8 Rayn Smid, […]

Powerful Reds leave Pirates all at sea

14 October 2018 2 comments

By TOM INNES JERSEY Reds produced a dominant forwards display to finish convincing winners against the team that started the day at the top of […]

Pirates batten down the hatches

7 October 2018 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Nottingham HIGH-FLYING Pirates will stiffen their defence for the visit of improving Nottingham, vows home lock Toby Freeman. Having won their […]

Knights left in a hole after ruthless Reds run in seven

7 October 2018 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS A SPARKLING display by the rapidly improving Jersey side, who scored seven tries at Castle Park, inflicted an embarrassing home defeat on […]

Richmond heavies thrive in the rain

7 October 2018 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Consolation: Bulumakau scores for Coventry Over the line: Jesse Liston dives over for Richmond PICTURE: Roger Wooldridge RICHMOND supremo Steve Hill hailed […]

Cope injury forces Carnegie

7 October 2018 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE to shuffle the deck GEORGE Watkins, one of the few bright sparks in Yorkshire Carnegie’s disappointing start to the campaign, is hoping […]

Hartpury lads fight back for deserved bonus point

7 October 2018 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM EALING secured a bonus point win to maintain their challenge at the top of the table, although a strong finish from Hartpury […]

Improving Scottish eye another big scalp

7 October 2018 2 comments

By NEALE HARVEY No.15: Joe Luca-Smith FRESHfrom morale-boosting victories over Jersey and Bedford, London Scottish are intent on claiming another big win today. Promotion-favourites London […]

Cornish Pirates bring in Worcester back rower

2 October 2018 0 comments

Just back from an arrangement which saw him play club rugby in New Zealand

Last-gasp Macken the hero for Irish

30 September 2018 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH Touchdown: Sam Tuitupou scores for Coventry Winner! Brendan Macken races through the Coventry defence in the 74th minute to score the crucial […]

Scanlon scorcher is clincher for Nottingham

30 September 2018 1 comment

By ROB WILDMAN AN OUTSTANDING try by full-back Sean Scanlon gave Nottingham the winning edge over Doncaster for the first time in eight games. Victory […]

Blues scrum gamble fails to pay off against Scots

30 September 2018 1 comment

By MARK WOOD A GUTSY late call to go for a 5m scrum from a penalty failed to pay off for Bedford as brave London […]

Quick-fire Reds get season underway

30 September 2018 0 comments

By TOM INNES JERSEY Reds claimed their first win in four Championship outings this season after a powerful display in their opening home game. After […]

Jones sparkles in Rich six-try display

30 September 2018 0 comments

By JONATHAN LANDI Richmond 38 Hartpury 12 RICHMOND are hardly known as extravagant try scorers but they gave that assertion short shrift by outclassing a […]

Big Pirates fightback puts Ealing fans on edge

30 September 2018 2 comments

By OLI SHAPLEY EALING Trailfinders got their fourth consecutive win in a try-fest with Cornish Pirates at Trailfinders Sports Club. Ben Ward’s men raced into […]

USA forward Cameron Dolan set to join Nottingham

27 September 2018 0 comments

New signing to add extra ballast to the Green and Whites’ pack

Cutthroat Pirates shoot for perfection

23 September 2018 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Richmond Today, Kick-off 2.30pm WING wizard Robin Wedlake aims to maintain his rich vein of form and help Pirates continue their […]

Cozens puts the boot into Coventry’s fight-back

23 September 2018 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM HARTPURY deservedly edged a tense encounter against newly-promoted Coventry. On a wet and gloomy afternoon, conditions dictated it would be a tight […]

First half mistakes let Ealing get away

23 September 2018 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS EALING earned their third successive bonus point win of the season with three first half tries opening up an unassailable lead. Trailfinders […]

Slow starts giving Carnegie mountains to climb

23 September 2018 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE BRENDAN COPE knows Yorkshire Carnegie cannot afford another poor start if they are to preserve their unbeaten home record against Nottingham. In […]

Exiles secure maiden win with Selway in the bin

23 September 2018 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN A SILKY period in the second half by London Scottish saw them grab a first win of the season and break a […]

No sulking, Luke out to prove he’s worth recall

23 September 2018 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY LUKE McLean still harbours hopes of an Italy recall if he can steer London Irish into the Premiership. Stranded on 89 caps […]

Strong gets nod to do battle with Bulumakau

9 September 2018 0 comments

Cornish Pirates v Coventry Preview Today. Kick-off 2.30pm CORNISH Pirates co-coach Gavin Cattle has made just one change to the side following last week’s opening […]

Dickson has no complaints with ‘boring’ winning rugby

9 September 2018 1 comment

By MATT WRIGHT A LAST-GASP penalty try gave Bedford a dramatic victory over Jersey and ensured their forward dominance did not go unrewarded. That makes […]

Knights go riding high with late power play

9 September 2018 1 comment

By GUY WILLIAMS A STRONG second half performance by Doncaster at Castle Park in their first home match of the campaign enabled them to recover […]

Eight-try Exiles bring in the bonus by half-time

9 September 2018 0 comments

By RAY CHILD LONDON Irish forwards coach George Skivington was delighted with his side’s resounding eight-try bonus-point victory at the Madejski. The Exiles, buoyed by […]

Ealing hold on in face of fierce Exiles fight-back

9 September 2018 1 comment

By LUKE JARMYN FIVE tries and a man-of the- match display from flanker Andrew Durutalo got Ealing back on track after their first round defeat […]

Jake finds Leeds as good as advertised

9 September 2018 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE CANADIAN international Jake Ilnicki is delighted to be following in the footsteps of his international coach Mike Shelley after moving from Newcastle […]

Cozens on target to see Hartpury get winning start

2 September 2018 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM HARTPURY took a morale-boosting win from this hard-fought openingnight encounter on a mild, still evening in Gloucestershire. With the sides scoring one […]

We’ll need time for new men to gel says Paver

2 September 2018 0 comments

By MIKE SINCLAIR PREVIEW… September 2. Kick-off 2.30pm. Mennaye Field Cornish P v Doncaster Warning: Alan Paver CORNISH Pirates have played three, won three, in […]

Rayer: This could go down to wire

2 September 2018 1 comment

Preview Nottingham v Bedford Sept 2. Lady Bay. 3pm TWO new recruits will be making their Bedford debuts when the Blues head to Nottingham today. […]

Determined Cov defy late fightback by Jersey

2 September 2018 0 comments

By TOM BRANSTON COVENTRY Rugby returned to life in the second tier with a lively win over Channel islanders Jersey Reds at butts Park arena […]

Irish put a marker down with power play

2 September 2018 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Hero: James Cordy gets a hug on scoring Rock and roll: Benjamin Meehan’s try celebration PICTURES: Lissy Tomlinson LIVEWIRE Ben Meehan produced […]

Hill delighted by hard-fought win over big rivals

2 September 2018 1 comment

By GEOFF NORDEMANN A PERFECT start for Richmond, beating local rivals and ground-sharers London Scottish at the Athletic Ground, much to the delight of their […]

Ealing can push the favourites close

26 August 2018 1 comment

Former Nottingham boss Ian Costello, now Wasps attack coach, runs the rule over this season’s Championship clubs Livewire: Doncaster’s Fijian scrum-half Henry Seniloli Ireally enjoyed […]