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

Killer wing Adamson hunts down club record

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By ROB WILDMAN @therugbypape Nottingham….. 24pts Tries: van der Flier 19, Ferreira 19, R Olowofela 44, Ramage 80 Conversions: Stronge 35, 45 Bedford Blues 34pts […]

Bring back rucking and kill the jackal

7 April 2024 0 comments

Coach to coach Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to Paul Turner, below, coach of Championship club Ampthill RFC Why did […]

Halliday: New deal is within our reach

1 April 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Calls for a further relaxation of Premiership ground capacity rules appear to be gathering momentum as the protracted discussions over the new […]

Bazalgette dreaming of shot at big time

1 April 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury playmaker Harry Bazalgette believes he’s put himself in the shop window for Premiership outfits as he aims to follow in his […]

Fearn’s in line to boost Knights

31 March 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Darren Fearn is thought to be Doncaster Knights’ first-choice as new forwards coach as the Championship club continue to reshape their coaching […]

Ampthill overcome 14-point deficit to beat Ealing

31 March 2024 0 comments

Championship ■ By BEN WHITE AMPTHILL secured their second straight Championship home win, spectacularly coming back from a 14-point deficit at halftime to defeat league […]

Hammond’s happy to take the points home

24 March 2024 0 comments

■By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge ……. 15pts Tries: Edwards 43, Caven 74 Conversion: James 44 Penalty: James 80 Nottingham…… 20pts Tries: Olowofela 12, Williams 14, 48 […]

Adamson leads from the front to keep Bedford in the running

24 March 2024 0 comments

■By MICK JACOBS Bedford ………….27pts Tries: Adamson 7, 78; Conway 13, Worley 29 Conversions: Maisey 14, 30 Penalties: Maisey 50 Caldy ……………… 14pts Tries: Kilcourse […]

Knights make the most of lifelines

24 March 2024 0 comments

■By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster………………….. 27pts Tries: Margett 53, Simpson 57, 77 Conversions: Bennett 53, 57, 77 Penalties: Bennett 42, 75 Cornish Pirates ………… 27pts Tries: […]

Ealing keep their heads to take down brave Scots

24 March 2024 0 comments

■By RICHARD WESTABY Ealing T ………….52pts Tries: Cornish 3, Holgate 12, De Wee 15, Willis 24, Alo 51, Holmes 55, Newman 71, Bird-Tulloch 75 Conversions: […]

Record for Wand as Coventry move on up

24 March 2024 0 comments

■By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury………… 17pts Tries: Ward 57, 77; Smith 75 Conversions: Bazalgette 77 Coventry ………. 47pts Tries: Wand 5, 40, 62, 69; Wilson 8, […]

I’m ambitious. I want to coach as high as I can

24 March 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby with Alex Rae – The former Northampton Saints, Saracens, Wasps and Bedford Blues lock, now head coach at Coventry, talks about […]

Dream Team with Alex Day

17 March 2024 0 comments

The Bedford and former Cornish Pirates, Northampton & Saracens scrum-half chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. Paul Andrew – I […]

Relief for Nottingham as Exiles fall short

17 March 2024 0 comments

■By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham…… 31pts Tries: J Olowofela 13, Stronge 18, 33; R Olowofela 30, Valentine 40 Conversions: Arden 18, 30, 34 L Scottish ………28pts […]

Pirates duo happy for top sides to do the plundering

17 March 2024 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS Over the years, the Cornish Pirates coaching duo of Gavin Cattle and Alan Paver have unearthed some real gems when it comes […]

Beating Ealing proves anything is possible

17 March 2024 0 comments

Matthew Luddington talks to London Scottish flanker Jack Ingall about combining work and play in the Championship ANECDOTES from rugby’s amateur era paint a vivid […]

Baxter turns his attention to top Ealing pair

10 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE – EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE Having already snapped up Coventry’s star centre Will Rigg in a mid-season swoop, Exeter are going back […]

Blues dodge a few bullets to take down Cambridge

10 March 2024 0 comments

By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge …….12pts Tries: M Williams 64, 80 Conversions: Benson 80 Bedford ………….22pts Tries: French 16, Adamson 41, Maisey 46, L Frost 73 […]

Ealing are stunned by brave Coventry

10 March 2024 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH Coventry………………….. 34pts Ealing Trailfinders…..32pts Tries: Betteridge 12, Poole 17, 40; Martin 64 Conversions: Pellegrini 12, 17, 40, 64 Penalties: Pellegrini 43, Wilson […]

Austin nails chance for bizarre win at Lady Bay

10 March 2024 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham…….. 0pts Hartpury………….. 3pts Penalty: Austin 61 BIZARRE. That was one way of describing how Hartpury squeezed to a fifth win from […]

Masterclass from Bennett gives Knights the edge

10 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN L Scottish ………20pts Doncaster…….. 34pts Tries: Brown 23, Ingall 54, Ferdinand 71 Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 55 Penalties: Lloyd-Seed 75 Tries: penalty 18, Roberts […]

ARMY NAVY

10 March 2024 0 comments

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Each day, I can see the positive impact of rugby

10 March 2024 0 comments

Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to Alex Rae, below, the head coach at Championship side Coventry RFC Why and how […]

Wasps better off with URC – Sharp

3 March 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Coventry chairman Jon Sharp is convinced that Wasps’ future, if it has one, lies in the United Rugby Championship, not the RFU […]

Tonkin gets the call to join Ealing

3 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By JON NEWCOMBE Ealing Trailfinders have moved quickly to find a new forwards coach following the news that Cornel van Zyl has […]

Dream Team with Michael Le Bourgeois

3 March 2024 0 comments

The Bedford Blues player-coach and former Wasps and Jersey Reds centre chooses the best XV he has played with or against 1. Joe Marler – […]

Bristol go on the rampage

3 March 2024 0 comments

Bedford Blues….. 33pts Bristol Bears……. 54pts BRISTOL Bears ran in eight tries as they put on show at Goldington Road on Friday night. There were […]

Browne out to give Scottish an extra edge

3 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Upon his return from England U20s camp, London Scottish loanee Harry Browne is determined to help his side stop the rot and […]

Houston in control to take Caldy to cleaners

3 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Caldy ……………… 14pts Tries: Penalty 50, Sproston 79 Conversions: Barker 80 Cornish P ……….32pts Tries: Stevens 7, Trewin 22, Johnson 29, Georgiou […]

Cornish hits treble top to keep Ealing top of the pile

3 March 2024 0 comments

By EDDIE McATEER Ealing T ………….52pts Tries: Twelvetrees 4, Cornish 29, 38 58; Penalty 44, Alo 53, Kernohan 63, Holmes 70 Nottingham……26pts Conversions: Twelvetrees 5, […]

Smith’s masterclass has Hartpury firing on all cylinders

3 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury………… 61pts Tries: Adderly-Jones 4, R Smith 12, 24, 73, Morgan 19, Hillman-Cooper 35, Austin 42, Short 59, JJ Williams 76 Conversions: […]

Coventry show McGeechan there’s a lot of work to do

3 March 2024 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster…………………….. 12pts Tries: McBryde 66, Greenwood 78 Conversion: Bennett 66 Coventry ……………………….27pts Tries: Ball 38, Penalty 61, Hitchcock 80 Conversions: Pellegrini 38, […]

Mob weather early storm for first win in four months

3 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN WHITE Ampthill …………35pts Tries: Jackson 9, Elliott 25, Adejimi 53, Strong 70, Hallett 80 L Scottish ……… 12pts Tries: Lloyd-Seed 2, Marshall 4 […]

McHenry grabs his lifeline from Dax

3 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Alex McHenry scored Jersey’s third try against Exeter in September, yet eight days later was selling nearly all his possessions and left […]

McGeechan named Doncaster director of rugby

29 February 2024 0 comments

Coaching legend Sir Ian McGeechan has taken up the position of consultant director of rugby at Doncaster Knights. The Yorkshire-born ex-Scotland international boasts a CV […]

Boden quits Knights over lack of funding

25 February 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Fatigued by the ongoing uncertainty over funding and the direction of the Championship, Steve Boden has explained that the need to explore […]

Yet again, Ealing prove they have what it takes

25 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Ealing Trailfinders’ narrow defeat by Leicester in the Premiership Cup semi-final last weekend has blown most of […]

Merit on the pitch should be decisive

25 February 2024 0 comments

There has been a long-standing tradition in rugby union that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and when Ealing Trailfinders hosted Leicester last weekend TV […]

Ealing showed they are worthy

25 February 2024 0 comments

Ealing Trailfinders knew it was a big day and they gave it a proper lash. A single point behind Leicester with 90 seconds left on […]

Doncaster keep their mind on the job in hand

25 February 2024 0 comments

■By LUKE JARMYN Nottingham…… 14pts Tries: Graham 7, Sylvester 17 Conversions: Arden 8, 18 Doncaster……… 20pts Tries: Wilson 3, Metcalf 13, Brown 20 Conversions: Bennett […]

Martin leads the way for Coventry to take control

25 February 2024 0 comments

■By PAUL SMITH Coventry ………. 34pts Tries: Wilson 2, Martin 41, 62; Poole 46, Wand 70 Conversions: Pellegrini 41, 46, 70 Penalties: Pellegrini 50 Ampthill […]

Hartpury leave it late to snatch it from Bedford

25 February 2024 0 comments

■By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury……………………….. 41pts Tries: Short 6, 55; Adderly-Jones 11, Morgan 25, Hillman-Cooper 79 Conversions: Bazalgette 7, 12, 26, 56, 80 Penalties: Bazalgette 40+1, […]

Clinical Twelvetrees calls the shots for Ealing

25 February 2024 0 comments

■By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge ……… 7pts E Trailfinders ..57pts Tries: Conversions: Asiedu 2 James 3 Conversions: Twelvetrees 13, 30, 36, 45, 60, 71 Tries: Alo […]

Hearn steps up to pluck draw from the jaws of defeat

25 February 2024 0 comments

■By MO SHER L Scottish ………33pts Tries: Davies 19, Nutton 24, Sheppard 34 Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 20, 25, 35 Penalties: Lloyd-Seed 16, 48, 50, 66 Caldy […]

Dugmore and King star for Pirates

25 February 2024 0 comments

■By PHIL WESTREN C Pirates ……….33 Royal Navy…….. 0 PIRATES ran five tries past the Royal Navy with a number of players making their mark […]

A new spirit of unity is in the air

18 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN For the moment it is jaw-jaw rather than war-war in the Championship’s dispute with the RFU over their right to be part of […]

Long breaks do us no favours – Rayer

18 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Bedford Blues have made a promising start to this season’s truncated Championship but director of rugby Mike Rayer says the lengthy breaks […]

University rugby should be part of RFU pathway

18 February 2024 0 comments

Coach to Coach Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to John Barnes, below, director of rugby at Hartpury RFC Why did […]

High five as Nottingham put on show at Lady Bay

11 February 2024 0 comments

FRIENDLIES By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham……27pts Tries: Dickinson 8, Graham 47, Shine 65, J Olowofela 70, Green 75 Conversion: Annand 75 Leicester ………… 0pts A TRIUMPHANT […]

Quins get in the mood for Munster challenge

11 February 2024 0 comments

FRIENDLIES By MO SHER L Scottish ………12pts Tries: Nutton 35, Mehson 69 Conversion: Sheppard 70 Harlequins …….22pts Tries: Jibulu 5, 38; Anyanwu 21, Lawday 40 […]