English Championship

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

stdClass Object ( [id] => 11 [league_id] => 11 [season_name] => English Championship Regular Season [season_slug] => english-championship-regular-season [season_start] => 2022 [season_end] => 2023 [wp_league_id] => 65 [status] => 1 )

Hat-trick man Nelson puts Pirates on the right course

26 November 2023 0 comments

■By BEN WHITE Ampthill ……….. 24pts Tries: Adejemi 6, Strong 18, Bracken 55 Conversions: Parks 7, 19, 56 Tries: Nowell 11, Nelson 36, 51, 59; […]

Hardwick power has Ealing storming past Coventry

26 November 2023 0 comments

■By PAUL SMITH Ealing Trailfinders……… 31pts Tries: Collins 19, Goodrick-Clark 44, Bird-Tulloch 51, Hardwick 73 Conversions: Willis 19, 44, 51, 73 Penalties: Willis 65 Coventry […]

Scottish go so close but Digby snatches it for Doncaster

26 November 2023 0 comments

■By GUY Doncaster K …..29pts Tries: Conversions: Morris 21, Simpson 60, 72, Digby 79 Olver 21, 60, Bennett 79 Penalties: Olver 30 London Scots . […]

Blues hit 50 again as they overwhelm Cambridge

26 November 2023 0 comments

■By IAN ROBSON Bedford Blues .59pts Bedford Blues .59pts Cambridge ……. 19pts Tries: French 9, 67, 79; King 28, Le Bourgeois 41, Conway 48, Maisey […]

Sweeney’s PGP plan facing big obstacles

19 November 2023 0 comments

By NICK CAIN The Championship’s unanimous rejection of the RFU’s plans to turn it into a ‘Premiership 2’ franchise league is a serious obstacle to […]

Welfare of rugby in England is at stake

19 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The Championship clubs are standing up to be counted by sticking an iron bar through the spokes […]

Cambridge set to make up for tough opening

19 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Cambridge have had a difficult start to their first season in the Championship and but director of rugby Richie Williams believes they […]

Williams shines but Ealing take the spoils

19 November 2023 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham……26pts Tries: Williams 18, 39, 58, 80 Conversions: Bunting 18, 39, Hollingsworth 58 E Trailfinders ..38pts Tries: Willemse 21, Goodrick-Clarke 28, Hardwick […]

Hartpury’s early has Cambridge

19 November 2023 0 comments

By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge ………………… 22pts Tries: Ellwood 32, Veness 41, Caven 62, 70 Conversion: Benson 33 Hartpury University…. 40pts Conversion: Tries: Benson 33 Smith […]

Rigg and Wilson combine to lead Cov in eight-try romp

19 November 2023 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH Coventry ……….. 51pts Tries: Rigg 2, 42; Wand 11, Tyas 23, Martin 53, Wilson 60, Hutler 66, Titherington 80 Conversions: Pellegrini 11, […]

Five-star Ampthill claim first away win

19 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN CONEYBEARE L Scottish ……… 10pts Tries: Trenholm 10, Talbot-Davies 27 Ampthill …………36pts Tries: Jackson-Richards 3, 53; Eliot 34, Pifeleti 64, Chapman 80 Conversions: […]

No problem for Houston as Pirates take control

19 November 2023 0 comments

By MIKE Cornish P ……… 49pts Tries: Bokenham 3, McNab 6, Penalty 18, Schwarz 22, Evans 47, 65; Houston 61 Conversions: Houston 3, 6, 22, […]

Anderson aims to be a starter

19 November 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Harlequins full-back Cameron Anderson believes doing the hard yards in London Scottish’s survival fight last season will help him in his hunt […]

Lack of jeopardy is costing us, says Davies

12 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Caldy director of rugby Gareth Davies says the sting has been taken from this season’s Championship due to a lack of jeopardy […]

Hat-trick for Adamson as Blues find rhythm

12 November 2023 0 comments

■By LUKE JARMYN Bedford ………….53pts Tries: Day 21, French 31, Adamson 34, 56, 69; Onojaife 43, Conway 60, 79 Conversions: Grimoldby 32, 35, Maisey 57, […]

Redpath: We could support top two tiers

5 November 2023 0 comments

By NICK POWELL London Scottish director of rugby Bryan Redpath believes that with a fairer funding model across the top two tiers of English rugby, […]

White working hard to put Doncaster on the map

5 November 2023 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Doncaster Knights took an encouraging first step towards new MD Emma White’s goal of making them the talk of the town with […]

Doubles all round as Ealing keep up pressure

5 November 2023 0 comments

By WILLIAM THURTLE Ealing T ………… 64pts Tries: Davidson 4, Smid 14, Montgomery 18, 79, Hardwick 25, 77, Cornish 32, Uzokwe 57, 62, Willemse 65 […]

Knights recover from slow start to serve up a treble

5 November 2023 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster Knights .. 30pts Tries: Edwards 23, Wilson 40, Tait 48, Olver 53 Conversions: Olver 40, 53 Penalties: Olver 15, 34 Nottingham……………..19pts […]

Caldy’s pack make the most of poor weather to tame Scots

5 November 2023 0 comments

By JOHN LYON Caldy ………………29pts Tries: Booth 10, Gallagher 20, Wilkinson 57, Hearn 70 Conversions: Rogers 11, 21 Barker 71 Penalties: Barker 80 London Scots […]

Ampthill take control to keep Cov at arm’s length

5 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN WHITE Ampthill ……….. 34pts Tries: Hartley 31, Elliott 38, Michelow 67, Adejemi 78 Conversions: Parks 32, 39: Vunipola 68, 79 Penalties: Parks 45, […]

Joussain on a mission to speak out at Nottingham

5 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Frenchman Come Joussain is relishing the environment at Nottingham and the ethos of encouraging every player to speak their mind, irrespective of […]

Campbell training with Fury

29 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Glasgow Warriors and Jersey Reds lock Nick Campbell, the current Scottish heavyweight boxing champion, has been in a […]

Caldy aiming to be best of part-timers

29 October 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Having comfortably held their own as newcomers in the Championship last season, Caldy have set high aspirations of finishing as the highest […]

£2m on wages? That’s not us, says Cattle

29 October 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Cornish Pirates’ Gavin Cattle has called it “dangerous” for the Championship after a government minister quoted unsubstantiated figures around player salaries at […]

Coventry show how it should be done…

29 October 2023 0 comments

Paul Smith takes a look at rugby values…and which club in particular is walking the walk while England talk the talk To those for whom […]

Battling Blues cling on to find a way to win

29 October 2023 0 comments

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish P ………. 18pts Tries: Nelson 61, Dugmore 79 Conversions: Jenkins 61 Penalties: Jenkins 16, 67 Bedford B ……….20pts Tries: Day 36, […]

Twelvetrees shows his class to put Ealing on top

29 October 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury Uni ….26pts Tries: Short 32, Austin 61, 74 Conversions: Bazalgette 62 Penalties: Bazalgette 5, 21, 27 Ealing T ………….36pts Tries: Smid […]

Kvesic the star as Coventry take Caldy to the cleaners

29 October 2023 0 comments

By PAUL SMITH Coventry ……………………… 45pts Tries: Hutler 16, 75, Kvesic 40, Smith 43, 80, James 48, Ball 51 Conversions: Mitchell 16, 40, Pellegrini 43, […]

Hat-trick man Dolly leads the charge to floor Cambridge

29 October 2023 0 comments

By STEVEJACKSON Cambridge …….14pts Tries Conversions Caven 47, Collins 80 Benson 48, 80 Doncaster K ….. 61pts Tries: Dolly 3, 21, 43, McBryde 9, Metcalfe […]

Nottingham fight back to snatch the honours

29 October 2023 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham……41pts Tries: Woodward 8, Graham 29, Bunting 37, Ramage 38, 70, Clayton 76, Joussain 80 Conversions: Bunting 29, 37, 40 Ampthill …………28pts […]

Webber still hurting

29 October 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Former Jersey Reds head coach Rob Webber says the circumstances around the collapse of the Championship champions is still very raw to […]

Woollett gets his chance at Leicester

22 October 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN New Leicester Tigers recruit Ben Woollett is ‘buzzing to play footy’ with Handré Pollard and Freddie Steward and make the most of […]

Premiership Cup a great success, says Matson

22 October 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Harlequins’ Tabai Matson is calling on English rugby’s ‘powers that be’ to recognise how the new format Premiership Cup has been healthy […]

Gutsy Scots make Pirates work hard for victory

22 October 2023 0 comments

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish P ………. 21pts Tries: Nelson 29, John 74, Williams 80 Conversions: Jenkins 29, 74, 80 London Scots …. 0pts TWO late […]

Warren wins it late to get Ampthill up and running

22 October 2023 0 comments

By BEN WHITE Ampthill …………28pts Cambridge …….26pts Tries: Harris 9, Strong 44, Chapman 55, Warren 80 Conversions: Parks 10, 45, 56, 80 Tries: Duffin 34, […]

Ealing hit six to run rings around battling Bedford

22 October 2023 0 comments

By CONOR O’HARA Bedford Blues ……………… 21pts Tries: French 4, Curran 33, Grayson 63 Conversions: Maisey 5, 34, 64 Ealing Trailfinders………41pts Tries: Kelleher 18, 30; […]

Nottingham hit back to edge out Caldy in 12-try thriller

22 October 2023 0 comments

By MOSHER SHER Caldy ……………… 31pts Tries: Robinson 7, 61, J Dickinson 51, Barker 53, Gallagher 79 Conversions: Jones 52, Barker 62, Rogers 80 Nottingham….. […]

Doncaster win despite Hartpury’s gritty display

22 October 2023 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster K …..20pts Hartpury Uni …. 18pts Tries: Fox 25, Simpson 44 Conversions: Olver 25, 44 Penalties: Olver 63 Drop goals: Olver […]

Ealing will still be team to beat

15 October 2023 0 comments

With the sudden demise of champions Jersey Reds, the race for the Championship is more open than ever, Ben Jaycock reports Many have suggested that […]

Sweeney backing for a strong second tier

8 October 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Bill Sweeney has pledged Twickenham’s support for the Championship but said the level of funding for the second tier, which will be […]

Championship clubs raise RFU concerns

8 October 2023 0 comments

The Championship clubs held an emergency session on Wednesday to discuss the way ahead in the context of both the progress of the Professional Game […]

Banking analysis causes uproar

8 October 2023 0 comments

Santander, the Spanish-owned British banking giants, has caused fury among leading Championship clubs after producing a report to attract investment for stricken Jersey Reds. According […]

Championship clubs look to Cohen to raise profile

8 October 2023 0 comments

Championship clubs have asked former Leicester Tigers chief executive, players agent and legal eagle Simon Cohen to help them maximise their commercial and broadcast rights […]

Dream Team with Alex Dolly

8 October 2023 0 comments

Alex Dolly, the Doncaster Knights and former Fylde, Rotherham, Jersey & Nottingham scrum-half, chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. Connor […]

Pellegrini shows the depth of talent

8 October 2023 0 comments

Pat Pellegrini’s beautifully taken chip-and-chase try for Tonga against South Africa in last weekend’s World Cup clash in Marseille was a great showcase not just […]

Saracens go on rampage to cut down Hartpury

8 October 2023 0 comments

By MO SHER Saracens ……….68pts Tries: Segun 16, 32; Hartley 47, Adejimi 51, 58, Davies 54, Knight 61, 78; Stonham 73, Parton 80 Conversions: Lozowski […]

Anderson hits the heights to steer Quins home

8 October 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Nottingham…… 21pts Tries: Valentine 26, Tiueti 38, Stronge 41 Conversions: Hollingsworth 27, 39, 42 Harlequins …… 45pts Tries: Browne 2, White 11, […]

Blues tame the Tigers for first time in over 40 years

8 October 2023 0 comments

By DAVID THOMPSON Bedford ………… 47pts Tries: Litchfield 3, Howard 13, Adamson 47, Worley 49, King 60, Conway 70, French 80 Conversions: Maisey 4, 48, […]