English Championship

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

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 […]

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 […]

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

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]