2016–17 RFU Championship

The 2016–17 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, is the eighth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English rugby union league system run by the Rugby Football Union. It is contested by eleven English clubs and one from Jersey in the Channel Islands. This will be the fourth year of the competition's sponsorship with Greene King Brewery.[1] The twelve teams in the RFU Championship also compete in the British and Irish Cup, along with clubs from Ireland and Wales. Some matches in the RFU Championship are broadcast on Sky Sports.

2016–17 RFU Championship
Countries England
 Jersey
Date3 September 2016 – 24 May 2017
ChampionsLondon Irish (1st title)
Runners-upYorkshire Carnegie
Relegatednone
Matches played129
Attendance229,202
(average 1,777 per match)
Highest attendance11,671
London Irish v Cornish Pirates (18 March 2017)
Lowest attendance438
Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey Reds (17 September 2016)
Tries scored742
(average 5.8 per match)
Top point scorerEngland Tommy Bell
(London Irish) 253
Top try scorerEngland Jonah Holmes
(Yorkshire Carnegie) 16

On 24 January 2017 London Welsh were expelled from the championship after failing to meet the conditions required by the RFU to extend a temporary licence granted after their liquidation. The club's record for the season was expunged. The RFU announced that no team would be relegated from the Championship at the end of the season.[2]

Structure

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The Championship's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The play-off structure will remain the same as the previous year.[3] The top four teams at the end of the home-and-away season qualify for the promotion play-offs which follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. The winners have to meet the RFU's Minimum Standards Criteria in order to be promoted to the English Premiership. There is no promotion if a ground fails to meet the criteria.[4] Unlike previous seasons there will be no relegation from the league this year.

In 2015 the RFU increased annual funding to over £500,000 per club, an agreement which will last until 2020.[5] Despite this, Cornish Pirates stated more money was needed in RFU grants to support a fully professional second tier.[6]

The 2016–17 season was also the last for play-offs in the Championship for three seasons. Starting with the 2017–18 season, the play-offs will be replaced by automatic promotion for the team that finishes first in the home-and-away season, provided said team meets the Minimum Standards Criteria.[7]

Teams

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London
 
London teams
Locations of the 2016–17 RFU Championship teams

After ten seasons in the Championship Birmingham Moseley were relegated following their last place finish in 2016. They are replaced by Richmond, who won the National League 1 and return to the second tier for the first time since 1997.[8] Richmond subsequently entered administration and dropped eight tiers following two seasons in the premiership between 1997 and 1999.[8] As a result, Richmond stated that they would remain semi-professional and not sign any professional players despite the RFU Championship being fully professional.[8] London Irish, an original founder of the professional English Premiership, join the league after relegation from the 2015–16 Aviva Premiership, finishing bottom of the table.[9]

On 7 December 2016 London Welsh RFC went into liquidation. They were deducted 20 points but allowed to continue in the Championship until January when the RFU would decide on their future.[10] On 24 January 2017 London Welsh were expelled from the championship after failing to meet the conditions required by the RFU to extend the temporary licence. The club's record for the season was expunged and there would be no relegation from the Championship at the end of season.[2]

Greater London RFU Championship teams clubs
Club Stadium Capacity Area Captain DOR/Head Coach[a]
Bedford Blues Goldington Road 6,000 Bedford, Bedfordshire   Michael Le Bourgeois   Mike Rayer
Cornish Pirates Mennaye Field 4,000 (2,200 Seats) Penzance, Cornwall   Chris Morgan   Gavin Cattle
  Alan Paver
Doncaster Knights Castle Park 5,000 Doncaster, South Yorkshire   Michael Hills   Clive Griffiths
Ealing Trailfinders Trailfinders Sports Ground 3,020 (1,020 seats) West Ealing, London   Danny Kenny   Ben Ward
Jersey Reds St Peter 4,000 Saint Peter, Jersey   Pierce Philips   Harvey Biljon
London Irish Madejski Stadium 24,161[b] Reading, Berkshire   Luke Narraway   Nick Kennedy
London Scottish Athletic Ground, Richmond 4,500 Richmond, London   Rory Bartle   Sean Lineen
London Welsh[c] Old Deer Park 5,850 (1,000 seats) Richmond, London   Matt Corker   James Buckland
Nottingham Lady Bay Sports Ground 3,000 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire   Matt Everard Ian Costello
Richmond Athletic Ground, Richmond 4,500 Richmond, London   Will Warden   Steve Hill
Rotherham Titans Clifton Lane 2,500 Rotherham, South Yorkshire   Tom Holmes   Justin Burnell
Yorkshire Carnegie Headingley Carnegie Stadium 21,062 Leeds, West Yorkshire   Ryan Burrows   Ian McGeechan
Notes
  1. ^ The Director of Rugby/Head Coach list updated 2 September 2016[11]
  2. ^ Although Madejski's full capacity is 24,161, for most matches only the West Stand will be open with capacity of 7,579.
  3. ^ London Welsh started the season but were expelled from the league on 24 January 2017 [2]

Table

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2016–17 RFU Championship table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts Qualification
1 London Irish (C) 20 19 0 1 712 290 +422 14 1 91 Promotion play-off
2 Yorkshire Carnegie (F) 20 15 0 5 619 461 +158 12 3 75
3 Ealing Trailfinders (SF)[a] 20 12 1 7 584 427 +157 7 3 60
4 Doncaster Knights (SF)[a] 20 12 0 8 514 424 +90 9 1 58
5 Jersey Reds 20 11 0 9 459 451 +8 7 7 58
6 Cornish Pirates 20 9 2 9 559 497 +62 8 7 55
7 Bedford Blues 20 6 1 13 496 569 −73 10 5 41
8 London Scottish 20 7 0 13 465 605 −140 7 5 40
9 Nottingham Rugby 20 7 1 12 419 542 −123 4 5 39
10 Richmond 20 5 0 15 347 585 −238 4 2 26
11 Rotherham Titans 20 4 1 15 333 656 −323 2 2 22
Updated to match(es) played on 15 April 2017. Source: "Greene King IPA Championship". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
    Notes:
  1. ^ a b Had either Ealing or Doncaster won the play-offs, they would not have accepted promotion, causing no side to be promoted and the bottom Premiership club retaining their place. This did not happen, as London Irish and Yorkshire Carnegie (both of which met the Premiership's minimum standards) won the play-off semi-finals.

Fixtures

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Fixtures for the season were announced by the RFU on 8 July 2016.

[3]

Round 1

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3 September 2016
14:00
Richmond16 – 41Jersey Reds (BP)
Richmond
Jersey
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 893
Referee: Dean Richards
3 September 2016
15:00
Bedford Blues17 – 26Cornish Pirates
Bedford
Pirates
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,033
Referee: Simon Harding
3 September 2016
15:00
Ealing Trailfinders13 – 30Yorkshire Carnegie (BP)
Ealing
Carnegie[usurped]
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 635
Referee: Darren Gamage
3 September 2016
15:00
London Irish19 – 0Doncaster Knights
Irish
Doncaster
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 3,503
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
4 September 2016
14:00
(BP) Rotherham Titans33 – 32London Welsh (2BP)
Rotherham
Welsh
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,382
Referee: Christophe Ridley
4 September 2016
15:00
Nottingham25 – 22London Scottish (BP)
Nottingham
Scottish
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 924
Referee: Andrew Jackson

[12]


Round 2

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10 September 2016
14:30
Doncaster Knights25 – 13Rotherham Titans
Doncaster
Rotherham
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,831
Referee: Matt O'Grady
10 September 2016
15:00
Jersey Reds14 – 9Bedford Blues (BP)
Jersey
Bedford
St Peter
Attendance: 1,630
Referee: Andrew Jackson
10 September 2016
15:00
(BP) London Irish36 – 12Richmond
Irish
Richmond
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 3,303
Referee: Tim Baker
10 September 2016
15:00
London Scottish9 – 36London Welsh
Scottish
Welsh
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,146
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
11 September 2016
14:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates31 – 31Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
Pirates
Ealing
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,347
Referee: Christophe Ridley
11 September 2016
15:00
Yorkshire Carnegie26 – 24Nottingham (2BP)
Carnegie[usurped]
Nottingham
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,378
Referee: Greg Macdonald

[13]


Round 3

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17 September 2016
14:00
Ealing Trailfinders20 – 15Jersey Reds (BP)
Ealing
Jersey
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 438
Referee: Dean Richards
17 September 2016
14:00
(BP) London Welsh22 – 23Yorkshire Carnegie
Welsh
Carnegie[usurped]
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,012
Referee: John Meredith
17 September 2016
15:00
(BP) Bedford Blues25 – 30London Irish (BP)
Bedford
Irish
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,585
Referee: Greg MacDonald
17 September 2016
15:00
Richmond16 – 57Doncaster Knights (BP)
Richmond
Doncaster
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 654
Referee: Andrew Jackson
17 September 2016
15:00
(BP) Rotherham Titans30 – 31London Scottish (BP)
Rotherham
Scottish
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,154
Referee: Michael Hudson
18 September 2016
15:00
Nottingham19 – 35Cornish Pirates (BP)
Nottingham
Pirates
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,005[14]
Referee: Steve Lee

[15]


Round 4

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23 September 2016
19:45
(BP) Jersey Reds21 – 22Nottingham
Jersey
Nottingham
St Peter
Attendance: 1,723
Referee: Ian Tempest
24 September 2016
14:30
(BP) Doncaster Knights30 – 22Bedford Blues (BP)
Doncaster
Bedford
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,079
Referee: John Meredith
24 September 2016
15:00
Richmond8 – 18Rotherham Titans
Richmond
Rotherham
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 658
Referee: Fergus Kirby
25 September 2016
14:00
Cornish Pirates16 – 10London Welsh (BP)
Pirates
Welsh
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,495
Referee: Paul Andrew
25 September 2016
15:00
(BP) London Irish32 – 12Ealing Trailfinders
Irish
Ealing
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 3,357
Referee: Matthew O’Grady
25 September 2016
15:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie39 – 29London Scottish (BP)
Carnegie[usurped]
Scottish
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,807
Referee: Christopher Ridley

[16]


Round 5

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30 September 2016
19:45
Nottingham7 – 29London Irish (BP)
Nottingham
Irish
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,538
Referee: Andrew Jackson
1 October 2016
14:00
London Welsh23 – 18Jersey Reds (BP)
Welsh
Jersey
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 789
Referee: Darren Gamage
1 October 2016
15:00
(BP) Bedford Blues34 – 14Richmond
Bedford
Richmond
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,009
Referee: Matthew O'Grady
1 October 2016
15:00
Ealing Trailfinders27 – 14Doncaster Knights
Ealing
Doncaster
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 629
Referee: Fergus Kirby
1 October 2016
15:00
London Scottish25 – 24Cornish Pirates (BP)
Scottish
Pirates
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 955
Referee: Simon Harding
1 October 2016
15:00
Rotherham Titans21 – 37Yorkshire Carnegie (BP)
Rotherham
Carnegie[usurped]
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,237
Referee: Steve Lee

[17]


Round 6

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7 October 2016
19:45
Bedford Blues17 – 16Rotherham Titans (BP)
Bedford
Rotherham
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,398
Referee: Greg McDonald
8 October 2016
14:30
Doncaster Knights26 – 21Nottingham (BP)
Doncaster
Nottingham
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,368
Referee: Darren Gamage
8 October 2016
15:00
Jersey Reds10 – 36London Scottish (BP)
Jersey
Scottish
St Peter
Attendance: 1,702
Referee: John Meredith
8 October 2016
15:00
(BP) London Irish35 – 12London Welsh
Irish
Welsh
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 4,025
Referee: Christophe Ridley
9 October 2016
15:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates28 – 35Yorkshire Carnegie (BP)
Pirates
Carnegie[usurped]
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,477
Referee: Luke Pearce
9 October 2016
15:00
Richmond12 – 38Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
Richmond
Ealing
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,108
Referee: Andrew Jackson

[18]


Round 7

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28 October 2016
20:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie35 – 29Jersey Reds (2BP)
Yorkshire Carnegie[usurped]
Jersey
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,914
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
29 October 2016
14:00
London Welsh14 – 10Doncaster Knights (BP)
Welsh
Doncaster
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,025
Referee: Andrew Jackson
29 October 2016
15:00
Ealing Trailfinders24 – 23Bedford Blues (BP)
Ealing
Bedford
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 789
Referee: Jack Makepeace
29 October 2016
15:00
Rotherham Titans26 – 24Cornish Pirates (BP)
Rotherham
Pirates
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,021
Referee: Matthew O'Grady
30 October 2016
15:00
London Scottish12 – 62London Irish (BP)
Irish
Report
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 2,339
Referee: Christophe Ridley
30 October 2016
15:00
Nottingham20 – 8Richmond
Nottingham
Richmond
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,015[19]
Referee: Mike Hudson

[20]


Round 8

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5 November 2016
14:30
(BP) Doncaster Knights29 – 23London Scottish (BP)
Doncaster
Scottish
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,339
Referee: Darren Gamage
5 November 2016
15:00
(2BP) Bedford Blues34 – 36Nottingham (BP)
Bedford
Nottingham
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,487
Referee: Tom Foley
5 November 2016
15:00
(BP) Ealing Trailfinders50 – 24Rotherham Titans (BP)
Ealing
Rotherham
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 638
Referee: Simon Harding
5 November 2016
15:00
Jersey Reds27 – 24Cornish Pirates (BP)
Jersey
Pirates
St Peter
Attendance: 1,504
Referee: Steve Lee
5 November 2016
15:00
(BP) London Irish41 – 17Yorkshire Carnegie
Irish
Carnegie[usurped]
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 4,067
Referee: Ian Tempest
5 November 2016
15:00
Richmond5 – 33London Welsh (BP)
Richmond
Welsh
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 961
Referee: Wayne Barnes

[21]


Round 9

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18 November 2016
19:00
(BP) London Scottish16 – 17Richmond
Scottish
Richmond
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,684
Referee: Simon Harding
18 November 2016
19:45
Nottingham17 – 13Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
Nottingham
Ealing
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,050
Referee: Matt O'Grady
18 November 2016
20:00
Yorkshire Carnegie24 – 6Doncaster Knights
Carnegie[usurped]
Doncaster
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 2,617
Referee: Steve Lee
19 November 2016
12:00
London Welsh25 – 38Bedford Blues (BP)
Welsh
Bedford
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 787
Referee: Christophe Ridley
19 November 2016
13:00
Cornish Pirates24 – 35London Irish (BP)
Pirates
Irish
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,043
Referee: Fergus Kirby
19 November 2016
14:00
Rotherham Titans23 – 16Jersey Reds (BP)
Rotherham
Jersey
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 918
Referee: Mike Hudson

[22]


Round 10

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25 November 2016
19:45
(BP) Bedford Blues10 – 13London Scottish
Bedford
Scottish
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,339
Referee: Fergus Kirby
25 November 2016
19:45
(BP) Richmond31 – 39Yorkshire Carnegie (BP)
Richmond
Carnegie[usurped]
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 701
Referee: Darren Gamage
26 November 2016
15:00
Ealing Trailfinders19 – 11London Welsh
Ealing
Welsh
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 792
Referee: Michael Hudson
27 November 2016
14:00
(BP) Doncaster Knights26 – 35Cornish Pirates
Doncaster
Pirates
Castle Park
Attendance: 2,748
Referee: Jack Makepeace
27 November 2016
14:00
(BP) London Irish42 – 29Jersey Reds (BP)
Irish
Jersey
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 3,460
Referee: John Meredith
27 November 2016
15:00
Nottingham19 – 19Rotherham Titans
Nottingham
Rotherham
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,037
Referee: Christophe Ridley

[23]


Round 11

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2 December 2016
19:00
London Scottish28 – 12Ealing Trailfinders
Scottish
Ealing
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 951
Referee: John Meredith
2 December 2016
20:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie28 – 15Bedford Blues

Bedford
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,894
Referee: Andrew Jackson
3 December 2016
14:00
(BP) London Welsh26 – 20Nottingham (2BP)
Welsh
Nottingham
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 531
Referee: Jack Makepeace
3 December 2016
14:00
Rotherham Titans10 – 38London Irish (BP)
Rotherham
Irish
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,342
Referee: Andrew Jackson
3 December 2016
14:30
(BP) Jersey Reds35 – 29Doncaster Knights (2BP)
Jersey
St Peters
Attendance: 1,277
Referee: Tom Foley
4 December 2016
14:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates23 – 26Richmond (BP)
Pirates
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,292
Referee: Matthew O’Grady

[24]


Round 12

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24 December 2016
13:15
(BP) London Welsh37 – 5London Scottish
Welsh
Scottish
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,683
Referee: Dean Richards
24 December 2016
14:00
(BP) Ealing Trailfinders16 – 22Cornish Pirates
Ealing
Pirates
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 856
Referee: Michael Hudson
24 December 2016
15:00
(BP) Richmond20 – 26London Irish
Richmond
Irish
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 2,891
Referee: Karl Dickson
26 December 2016
14:00
(BP) Nottingham17 – 24Yorkshire Carnegie
Nottingham
Carnegie[usurped]
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,208
Referee: Fergus Kirby
26 December 2016
14:00
Rotherham Titans12 – 23Doncaster Knights
Rotherham
Doncaster
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,872
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
26 December 2016
15:00
(BP) Bedford Blues39 – 37Jersey (2BP)
Bedford
Jersey
Goldington Road
Attendance: 4,621
Referee: Andrew Jackson

[25]


Round 13

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31 December 2016
12:30
(BP) Cornish Pirates41 – 20Nottingham
Pirates
Nottingham
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,635
Referee: Jack Makepeace
31 December 2016
14:00
(BP) London Irish36 – 21Bedford Blues
Irish
Bedford
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 4,345
Referee: John Meredith
31 December 2016
14:30
(BP) Doncaster Knights34 – 3Richmond
Doncaster
Richmond
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,337
Referee: Steve Lee
1 January 2017
14:00
(BP) Jersey Reds13 – 19Ealing Trailfinders
Jersey
Ealing
St Peters
Attendance: 1,596
Referee: Christophe Ridley
1 January 2017
14:00
(BP) London Scottish36 – 15Rotherham Titans
Scottish
Rotherham
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,126
Referee: Simon Harding
1 January 2017
15:00
Yorkshire Carnegie20 – 13London Welsh (BP)

Welsh
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 2,117
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

[26]


Round 14

edit
28 January 2017
14:30
London Scottish14 – 26Yorkshire Carnegie
Scottish
Carnegie[usurped]
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,175
Referee: Dean Richards
28 January 2017
14:00
Rotherham Titans23 – 10Richmond
Rotherham
Richmond
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 913
Referee: Tom Foley
28 January 2017
15:00
(BP) Bedford Blues22 – 40Doncaster Knights (BP)
Bedford
Doncaster
Goldington Road
Attendance: 1,901
Referee: Ian Tempest
28 January 2017
15:00
(BP) Ealing Trailfinders22 – 23London Irish
Ealing
Irish
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 2,630
Referee: JP Doyle
29 January 2017
15:00
(BP) Nottingham19 – 24Jersey Reds
Nottingham
Jersey
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 939
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

[27]


Round 15

edit
4 February 2017
14:00
(BP) Richmond49 – 26Bedford Blues (BP)
Richmond
Bedford
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,019
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
4 February 2017
14:30
Doncaster Knights21 – 29Ealing Trailfinders
Doncaster
Ealing
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,452
Referee: Matt Carley
5 February 2017
14:30
Cornish Pirates25 – 24London Scottish (BP)
Pirates
Scottish
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,301
Referee: Fergus Kirby
5 February 2017
15:00
(BP) London Irish60 – 14Nottingham
Irish
Nottingham
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 2,586[28]
Referee: Simon Harding[29]
5 February 2017
15:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie56 – 26Rotherham Titans (BP)
Carnegie[usurped]
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,846
Referee: Andrew Jackson

[30]


Round 16

edit
17 February 2017
19:45
Nottingham7 – 29Doncaster Knights (BP)
Nottingham
Doncaster
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,275
Referee: Luke Pearce
18 February 2017
14:00
(2BP) London Scottish33 – 37Jersey Reds (BP)
Scottish
Jersey
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,371
Referee: Greg McDonald
18 February 2017
14:00
Rotherham Titans21 – 36Bedford Blues (BP)
Rotherham
Bedford
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 859
Referee: Ben Blain
18 February 2017
15:00
(BP) Ealing Trailfinders27 – 20Richmond (BP)
Ealing
Richmond
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,022
Referee: Steve Lee
18 February 2017
15:00
Yorkshire Carnegie27 – 42Cornish Pirates (BP)
Carnegie[usurped]
Pirates
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,354
Referee: Matthew O'Grady

[31]


Round 17

edit
24 February 2017
19:45
Jersey Reds24 – 19Yorkshire Carnegie (BP)
Jersey
St Peter
Attendance: 1,493
Referee: Christophe Ridley
25 February 2017
15:00
Bedford Blues16 – 29Ealing Trailfinders
Bedford
Ealing
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,094
Referee: Matthew O'Grady
25 February 2017
15:00
(BP) London Irish29 – 20London Scottish
Irish
Scottish
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 2,572
Referee: Michael Hudson
25 February 2017
15:00
Richmond22 – 7Nottingham
Richmond
Nottingham
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 624
Referee: Fergus Kirby
26 February 2017
15:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates34 – 5Rotherham Titans
Pirates
Rotherham
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,056
Referee: John Stevens

[32]


Round 18

edit
4 March 2017
14:00
London Scottish14 – 48Doncaster Knights (BP)
Scottish
Doncaster
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,236
Referee: Christophe Ridley
4 March 2017
14:00
Rotherham Titans12 – 51Ealing Trailfinders (BP)
Rotherham
Ealing
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 773
Referee: Ian Tempest
5 March 2017
14:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates5 – 7Jersey Reds
Pirates
Jersey
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,535
Referee: Simon Harding
5 March 2017
15:00
(BP) Nottingham21 – 24Bedford Blues
Nottingham
Bedford
Lady Bay Sports Ground
Attendance: 1,153
Referee: Greg Macdonald[33]
5 March 2017
15:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie14 – 20London Irish
Carnegie[usurped]
Irish
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 3,136
Referee: Luke Pearce

[34]


Round 19

edit
18 March 2017
14:00
(BP) London Irish39 – 10Cornish Pirates
Irish
Pirates
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 11,671[a 1]
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
18 March 2017
14:30
Richmond8 – 19London Scottish
Richmond
Scottish
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,575
Referee: Ben Blain
18 March 2017
15:00
(BP) Ealing Trailfinders59 – 12Nottingham
Ealing
Nottingham
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 682
Referee: Matthew O'Grady
18 March 2017
15:00
Jersey Reds17 – 9Rotherham Titans
Jersey
Rotherham
St Peter
Attendance: 1,235
Referee: Andrew Jackson
19 March 2017
15:00
Doncaster Knights31 – 26Yorkshire Carnegie (2 BP)
Doncaster
Carnegie[usurped]
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,996
Referee: Dean Richards

[36]

  1. ^ London Irish's attendance of 11,671 was a RFU Championship regular season record. Note this does not include RFU Championship playoff games or games in the old National Division One prior to the Championship's inception in 2009-10.[35]

Round 20

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25 March 2017
14:00
(BP) London Scottish22 – 41Bedford Blues (BP)
Scottish
Bedford
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,301
Referee: Fergus Kirby
25 March 2017
14:00
Rotherham Titans7 – 46Nottingham (BP)
Rotherham
Nottingham
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 937
Referee: John Meredith
25 March 2017
15:00
Jersey Reds15 – 11London Irish (BP)
Irish
Jersey
St Peter
Attendance: 3,317
Referee: Matthew Carley
26 March 2017
15:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates34 – 17Doncaster Knights
Pirates
Doncaster
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,248
Referee: Matthew O'Grady
26 March 2017
15:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie41 – 3Richmond
Carnegie[usurped]
Richmond
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,164
Referee: Mike Hudson

[37]


Round 21

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8 April 2017
14:30
Doncaster Knights24 – 20Jersey Reds (BP)
Doncaster
Jersey
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,698
Referee: Greg McDonald
8 April 2017
15:00
(BP) Bedford Blues27 – 43Yorkshire Carnegie (BP)
Bedford
Carnegie[usurped]
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,685
Referee: Jamie Leahy
8 April 2017
15:00
(BP) Ealing Trailfinders72 – 29London Scottish (BP)
Ealing
Scottish
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 896
Referee: Jack Makepeace
8 April 2017
15:00
(BP) London Irish82 – 3Rotherham Titans
Irish
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 1,786
Referee: Simon Harding
8 April 2017
15:00
(BP) Richmond35 – 32Cornish Pirates (2BP)
Richmond
Pirates
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,191
Referee: John Meredith

[38]


Round 22

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15 April 2017
15:00
(BP) Cornish Pirates40 - 40Bedford Blues (2 BP)
Pirates
Bedford
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,703
Referee: Dean Richards
15 April 2017
15:00
Doncaster Knights5 – 22London Irish
Doncaster
Irish
Castle Park
Attendance: 2,089
Referee: Andrew Jackson
15 April 2017
15:00
(BP) Jersey Reds28 - 17Richmond
Jersey
Richmond
St Peter
Attendance: 2,210
Referee: Fergus Kirby
15 April 2017
15:00
London Scottish19 - 46Nottingham (BP)
Scottish
Nottingham
Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,130
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
15 April 2017
15:00
(BP) Yorkshire Carnegie33 – 20Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 1,362
Referee: Matthew O'Grady

[39]

Play-offs

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Semi-finals

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The semi-finals follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system – with the games being played over two-legs and the higher placed team choosing which leg they play at home. The matches are due to be played on 28/30 April 2017 and 5/6 May 2017.[3] London Irish and Yorkshire finished 1st and 2nd respectively and both chose to play the second leg at home.[40][41] It was announced on 27 April that both London Irish and Yorkshire Carnegie were eligible for promotion while Doncaster Knights and Ealing Trailfinders did not apply for audit for minimum standards criteria and therefore will not be promoted should they win the championship.[42]

First leg

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28 April 2017
19:45
Ealing Trailfinders16 – 34Yorkshire Carnegie
Ealing
Yorkshire[usurped]
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Attendance: 966
Referee: Ian Tempest

[43]


30 April 2017
15:00
Doncaster Knights3 – 35London Irish
Irish
Doncaster
Castle Park
Attendance: 2,173
Referee: Luke Pearce

Second leg

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5 May 2017
19:45
Yorkshire Carnegie18 – 20Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 2,216
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
  • Yorkshire Carnegie won 52 – 36 on aggregate

[44]


6 May 2017
13:15
London Irish39 – 22Doncaster Knights
Irish
Doncaster
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 4,644
Referee: Matt O’Grady
  • London Irish won 74 – 25 on aggregate

[44]

Final

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The final is played over two legs – with the higher placed team deciding which leg they play at home.

First leg

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17 May 2017
19:45
Yorkshire Carnegie18 – 29London Irish

Irish
Headingley Carnegie Stadium
Attendance: 4,126
Referee: JP Doyle

Second leg

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24 May 2017
19:45
London Irish55 – 48Yorkshire Carnegie
Irish
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 7,830
Referee: Matthew Carley
  • London Irish won 84 – 66 on aggregate and are promoted to the Premiership

Attendances

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  • Includes playoff games.
Club Home
Games
Total Average Highest Lowest % Capacity
Bedford Blues 10[b 1] 25,152 2,515 4,621 1,901 42%
Cornish Pirates 11 16,132 1,467 2,043 1,056 37%
Doncaster Knights 11[b 2] 19,110 1,737 2,748 1,079 35%
Ealing Trailfinders 12[b 3] 10,973 914 2,630 438 30%
Jersey Reds 10[b 4] 17,687 1,769 3,317 1,235 44%
London Irish 13[b 5] 57,149 4,396 11,671 1,786 18%
London Scottish 11 14,414 1,310 2,339 951 29%
London Welsh 6[b 6] 5,827 971 1,683 531 17%
Nottingham 10[b 7] 11,144 1,114 1,538 924 37%
Richmond 11 12,275 1,116 2,891 624 25%
Rotherham Titans 11 12,408 1,128 1,872 773 45%
Yorkshire Carnegie 13[b 8] 26,931 2,072 4,126 1,164 10%

[45][43][44]

Notes
  1. ^ * Due to London Welsh's expulsion Bedford only played 10 home games.
  2. ^ * Due to London Welsh's expulsion Doncaster only played 10 home games in the league stage. As they reached the promotion playoffs they played 11 homes games overall.
  3. ^ *Ealing Trailfinders played 12 home games as they reached the promotion playoff semi-finals.
  4. ^ * Due to London Welsh's expulsion Jersey only played 10 home games.
  5. ^ * London Irish played 13 home games as they reached the promotion playoff final.
  6. ^ * London Welsh only played 6 home games as they were expelled from the Championship in January 2017 after going into liquidation.[2]
  7. ^ * Due to London Welsh's expulsion Nottingham only played 10 home games.
  8. ^ * Yorkshire Carnegie played 13 home games as they reached the promotion playoff final.

Individual statistics

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  • Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included). Stats also cover playoff games.

Season records

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  • Updated to 17 May 2017

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Greene King IPA to sponsor RFU Championship" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 26 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d "London Welsh: RFU refuses permission for Exiles to stay in Championship". BBC Sport. 24 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Greene King IPA Championship fixtures confirmed". England Rugby. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Bristol, Yorkshire Carnegie and Doncaster meet Premiership promotion criteria". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Championship: 'Extra RFU funding is not enough', Plymouth chief". BBC Sport. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  6. ^ Pilnick, Brent (21 April 2016). "Championship rugby: Cornish Pirates call for RFU to increase funding for second tier". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Play-off system removed from Greene King IPA Championship from next season" (Press release). Premiership Rugby Limited. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Richmond RFC accept promotion, but without help of professionals". Plymouth Herald. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Williams, Adam (2 May 2016). "London Irish: What next for club following Premiership relegation?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  10. ^ "London Welsh: Championship club to go into liquidation". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  11. ^ Newcombe, Jon (28 August 2016). "Sorry, but it's curtains for Richmond". RugbyPaper. No. 415. pp. 24–25.
  12. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 416. 4 September 2016. pp. 26–27 & 40.
  13. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 417. 11 September 2016. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  14. ^ "Championship 16/17 Match overview Nottingham VS Cornish Pirates". Rugby Statbunker. 18 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 418. 18 September 2016. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  16. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 419. 25 September 2016. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  17. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 420. 2 October 2016. pp. 28–29 & 38.
  18. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 421. 9 October 2016. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  19. ^ "Championship 16/17 Match overview Nottingham VS Richmond". Rugby Statbunker. 30 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 424. 30 October 2016. pp. 28–29 & 38.
  21. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 425. 6 November 2016. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  22. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 427. 20 November 2016. pp. 28–29 & 38.
  23. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 428. 27 November 2016. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  24. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 429. 4 December 2016. pp. 30–31 & 40.
  25. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 432. 27 December 2016. pp. 24–25 & 28.
  26. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 433. 1 January 2017. pp. 24–26.
  27. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 437. 28 January 2017. pp. 14–15 & 40.
  28. ^ "FULL TIME: London Irish 60-14 Nottingham". The Reading Chronicle. 5 February 2017.
  29. ^ "REFEREES TO 6 FEBRUARY 2017". Rugby 365. 31 January 2017.
  30. ^ "Championship". RugbyPaper. No. 438. 5 February 2017. pp. 28–29 & 38.
  31. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 440. 19 February 2017. pp. 18–19 & 38.
  32. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 441. 26 February 2017. pp. 32–33 & 39.
  33. ^ "REFEREES TO 6 MARCH 2017". Rugby 365. 28 February 2017.
  34. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 442. 5 March 2017. pp. 26–37 & 38.
  35. ^ "MATCH REPORT: IRISH GUARANTEE TOP SPOT IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWD". London Irish. 18 March 2017.
  36. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 444. 19 March 2017. pp. 30–31 & 41.
  37. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 445. 26 March 2017. pp. 26–27 & 38.
  38. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 447. 9 April 2017. pp. 28–29 & 38.
  39. ^ a b c "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 448. 16 April 2017. pp. 28–29 & 34.
  40. ^ "Irish Guarantee top spot in front of record crowd". London Irish. London Irish Scottish Richmond Limited. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  41. ^ "Greene King IPA Championship 2016/17 play-offs confirmed". Doncaster Knights. Dncaster Rugby Football Club. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  42. ^ "Championship play-offs: Doncaster Knights and Ealing Trailfinders do not want promotion". BBC Sport. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  43. ^ a b "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 450. 30 April 2017. pp. 26–27 & 36.
  44. ^ a b c "Greene King IPA Championship". The RugbyPaper. No. 450. 30 April 2017. pp. 26–27 & 34.
  45. ^ a b "Championship 16/17 Home attendances". Rugby Statbunker. 25 May 2017.
  46. ^ "Championship 16/17 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 24 May 2017.
  47. ^ "Championship 16/17 Leading try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 24 May 2017.
  48. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  49. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  50. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  51. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  52. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  53. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  54. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  55. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
  56. ^ "Championship 16/17 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 17 May 2017.
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