English Championship

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

Fowkes demands big effort for Ealing

19 November 2017 1 comment

Preview Nottingham v Ealing T’finders Today, Kick-off 3pm. Lady Bay NOTTINGHAM forwards coach Neil Fowkes insists no-one is patting themselves on the back at Lady […]

Carnegie caned as new-style Bristol take on Lam philosophy

19 November 2017 1 comment

By COLIN NEWBOULT EVENat this stage of the season, Bristol appear a certainty for promotion. And the concerning thing for their rivals is that they […]

Rotherham facing upto titanic fight for survival

19 November 2017 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS ROTHERHAM’S hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a massive blow when the league’s bottom club lost a must-win game at Clifton Lane where […]

Exiles back to winning ways with Atkinson double

19 November 2017 1 comment

By LUKE JARMYN SCOTTISHNo.8 Joe Atkinson scored two tries and put in a man of the match display as Exiles showed they were anything but […]

Burns turns up the heat to deny 14-man Knights victory

19 November 2017 1 comment

By STEVE HOSSACK SECONDrower Matt Challinor joined Doncaster’s exclusive 200 Club – but unlike when prop Richard List reached the same milestone this season, Knights […]

Kirby holds nerve towin kickfest for Richmond

19 November 2017 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM THIS was not a game that will linger in the memory, although that will not concern Richmond who battled to their fifth […]

Pirates braced for Hartpury backlash

12 November 2017 0 comments

Cornish Pirates v Hartpury College Preview Today. Kick-off 2.30pm PIRATES coach Gavin Cattle is expecting another fierce battle with Hartpury after seeing them off 35-19 […]

Hill’s heroic amateurs take another huge scalp

12 November 2017 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN A BATTLING try in the dying minutes by Richmond replacement prop William Goodrick-Clarke secured the win in a tantalisingly tight encounter on […]

We can still beat Bristol to title insist Trailfinders

12 November 2017 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY RAYN SMID bagged two tries and laid on an impressive all-action display as Ealing maintained pressure on leaders Bristol with a hard-fought […]

Free-scoring Bristol extend lead with 8-try rout

12 November 2017 0 comments

By WILL CARPENTER UNBEATEN league leaders Bristol racked up 50 points for the second time this season as they brushed aside winless Rotherham in an […]

Reds ride out the storm as Exiles pay for ill-discipline

12 November 2017 0 comments

By TOM INNES JERSEY claimed a valuable win in the battle between the league’s 10th and 11th-placed sides. The Reds came back from a six-point […]

Welsh flyer Czekaj hits first treble in a decade

12 November 2017 1 comment

By MATT WRIGHT CHRISCzekaj had a Friday night to remember as the former Wales international full-back scored a hat-trick in Bedford’s comprehensive win over Nottingham […]

Crack down on the card happy refs – Griffiths

29 October 2017 0 comments

PREVIEW… Doncaster v Cornish Pirates Today. Kick-off 3pm, Castle Park By JON NEWCOMBE Double ton: Richard List CLIVE GRIFFITHS has renewed his calls for the […]

Authority up front key for Carnegie

29 October 2017 0 comments

Preview York’ Carnegie v Bedford Blues Today, Kick-off 3pm, Headingley CARNEGIE prop Marc Thomas says his side must cut Bedford off at source if they […]

Porter steals the show as Titans prove fighting spirit

29 October 2017 1 comment

Rotherham 18pts Tries: Porter 14, 59 Conversions: Ryan 14 Penalties: Ryan 10, 37 Ealing 23pts Tries: Casson 6, Bright 33, Harries 40 Conversions: O’Leary 6 […]

Rhodri’s six-minute hat-trick routs Reds

29 October 2017 2 comments

Jersey Reds 17pts Tries: Pincus 38, Selway 46, Dudley 55 Conversions: Pincus 55 Bristol 36pts Tries: Luatua 18, 65, R Williams 21, 25, 27 Conversions: […]

Hartpury’s last-minute dash denies 14-man Exiles

29 October 2017 2 comments

London Scottish 13pts Tries: Hoadley 43 Conversions: Sharp 44 Penalties: Sharp 30, 40+2 Hartpury 15pts Tries: Eves 3, Wilcox 80+2 Conversions: Perry 4 Penalties: Perry […]

Relentless Nottingham in cruise to bonus point

29 October 2017 0 comments

Nottingham 34pts Tries: Veenendaal 6, Evans 24, Cobden 38, Buckley 42, Robinson 73 Conversions: Eden 6, 24, 42 Penalties: Eden 12 Richmond 17pts Tries: Simpson-Hefft […]

Paver tells Pirates to take their chances

8 October 2017 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Nottingham Today, Kick-off 2.30pm AFTER seeing his side come up just short 28-26 at Carnegie last Sunday, head coach Alan Paver […]

Bristol stay top but Lam knows work to be done

8 October 2017 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON TOM Varndell scored a hat-trick as Bristol ran in seven tries against London Scottish to stay clear at the top. Alapati Leiua, […]

Randall hits hat-trick as Hartpury come of age

8 October 2017 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM THIS felt like the day when Hartpury finally arrived as a Championship side. In a pulsating encounter, they got their reward for […]

Lydon’s late score brings up bonus for Ealing

8 October 2017 0 comments

By TOM RILEY EALING Trailfinders scored four tries in a comprehensive victory over Jersey Reds at Vallis Way. The hosts dominated the match but lacked […]

Sheppard guides his Blues flock to bonus win

8 October 2017 0 comments

By MATT WRIGHT DEANAdamson continued his prolific start to the season with another two tries as Bedford ran out comfortable winners against bottom club Rotherham […]

Richmond prove they belong in second tier

8 October 2017 1 comment

By JOE BYRNE YORKSHIRE Carnegie travelled south looking to banish the ghosts of the Athletic Ground having lost to London Scottish on the opening day […]

Big defence cuts powerful Jersey boys down to size

24 September 2017 1 comment

By LUKE JARMYN AN interception from Richmond wing Jonathan Woodward freed replacement Jordan Simpson-Hefft to score a second try that was pivotal as the south-west […]

Bristol take the honours in 15-try supershow

24 September 2017 1 comment

By MATT WRIGHT JORDAN Williams’ hat-trick against Bedford was almost lost in the deluge of tries at Goldington Road as Bristol kept their 100 per […]

Nottingham caught out by Knights fightback

24 September 2017 1 comment

By GUY WILLIAMS DONCASTER continue to impress with their third win in four after a dogged fightback at Castle Park. They trailed Nottingham by ten […]

Perry rescues Hartpury as Yorkshire grunt almost prevails

24 September 2017 1 comment

By ANDREW BEACHAM JACOBPerry’s late penalty salvaged a draw for Hartpury, although having wrapped up a bonus point before half time, Carnegie’s second half revival […]

Calladine confident new boys will bed in

24 September 2017 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… ROTHERHAM head to Cornish Pirates today looking to end a 10-game losing streak dating back to January this year. Following on […]

Lydon out to impress against his old mates

24 September 2017 0 comments

Ealing T’finders v London Scottish Preview Today. Kick-off 3pm PETER Lydon is relishing the opportunity of facing his former club as Ealing Trailfinders host London […]

Carnegie scrum-half banned for stamping

21 September 2017 0 comments

Yorkshire Carnegie scrum-half Max Green has received a three-week ban for stamping. The player pleaded guilty to the charge for an incident that occurred in […]

Foley has a plan to upset Carnegie

17 September 2017 2 comments

Preview Y’kshire Carnegie u Doncaster Today, Kick-off 3pm CHARLIE Foley is hoping Doncaster can continue their winning start to the season with a second derby […]

Langley gets the new boys over the line with a bonus

17 September 2017 1 comment

By GUY WILLIAMS FLANKER Rob Langley inspired the Championship new boys to their first league win after an impressive performance at Clifton Lane. They earned […]

Big power surge puts Ealing on trail to top

17 September 2017 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY EALING roared to the top of the Championship with a scintillating secondhalf display that maintained their 100 per cent record and left […]

Nottingham survive bizarre drama at the death

17 September 2017 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN NOTTINGHAMheld on for the narrowest of wins after an unclear grounding of the ball denied Scottish a try at the death. It […]

Reds jump in as Pirates lineout goes walkabout

17 September 2017 0 comments

By TOM INNES JERSEY Reds held out in the face of sustained late pressure to claim a second consecutive Championship win. Visitors Cornish Pirates overcame […]

Crane: It’s time we put in 80 minutes

17 September 2017 0 comments

Target: Jordan Crane By NICK VERDIER. JORDAN Crane has revealed how his experience at Leicester is proving handy in more ways than one as Bristol […]

Titan Maddison banned but Henry is cleared

14 September 2017 0 comments

Rotherham Titan Charlie Maddison received a three week suspension for verbally abusing the match officials in the second half of the Yorkshire derby against Doncaster […]

Be perfect Bristol or expect a Lam slam

10 September 2017 0 comments

Preview Cornish Pirates v Bristol BRISTOL are expecting another ‘Cup final’ today and head coach Pat Lam has called for big improvements on the back […]

Bedford in fast Lane to give Exiles a beating

10 September 2017 0 comments

By MATT WRIGHT CENTRE Rich Lane is enjoying his long-awaited return to Bedford after being among the try-scorers in their entertaining victory over London Scottish […]

Derby day demolition for hapless Rotherham

10 September 2017 0 comments

By STEVE HOSSACK Stepper: Jake Henry tests the Doncaster cover DONCASTER Knights put Rotherham Titans to the sword to underline that they and not the […]

Durutalo adds a rescue act to bonus point try

10 September 2017 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN A CRUCIAL try-saving tackle by Ealing openside Andrew Durutalo on Richmond replacement Harrison Edwards in the 71st minute gave the away-side their […]

Fast-starting Hartpury can’t escape Reds’ driving finish

10 September 2017 0 comments

By ANDREW BEACHAM HARTPURY’S first Championship home game ended in disappointment, as a strong second half from the Jersey Reds was enough to edge this […]

Irvine jinks his way into Geech’s good books

10 September 2017 2 comments

By ROB WILDMAN SIR IAN McGeechan summed it up best. “Great to see the sidestep is still part of the game,” said the former Lions […]

Championship better than A-League – Melville

6 September 2017 0 comments

Nigel Melville has cast doubt on Premiership proposals to create a fully blown A-League competition from season 2018-19. The RFU’s director of professional rugby declares […]

Richmond are left reeling by quickfire Bedford

3 September 2017 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Richmond 7pts Try: Phipps 42 Conversion: Gabbitass 42 Bedford 36pts Tries: Williams 6, Adamson 14, 31, Packman 18 Lindsay 40 Conversions: Hooley […]

Durutalo at the double as May lets off Ealing

3 September 2017 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Ealing T’finders 9pts Tries: Harries 3, Durutalo 22, 42, Stegmann 27 Conversions: Lydon 4, 23, 43 Penalties: Lydon 35 Cornish Pirates 8pts […]

Bristol roll out the big guns

3 September 2017 0 comments

Preview Bristol v Hartpury College Today, Kick-off 3pm BRISTOL will begin their quest for Premiership promotion against new boys Hartpury College and head coach Pat […]

Scanlon hopes for a birthday bonus

3 September 2017 1 comment

Preview Rotherham v Nottingham Today, Kick-off 2pm SEAN Scanlon hopes to celebrate his birthday weekend with an opening day win for Nottingham against his former […]