Contents

2016–17 RFU Championship

2016–17 RFU Championship
Countries	England  Jersey
Date	3 September 2016 – 24 May 2017
Champions	London Irish (1st title)
Runners-up	Yorkshire Carnegie
Relegated	none
Matches played	129
Attendance	229,202 (average 1,777 per match)
Highest attendance	11,671 London Irish v Cornish Pirates (18 March 2017)
Lowest attendance	438 Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey Reds (17 September 2016)
Tries scored	742 (average 5.8 per match)
Top point scorer	Tommy Bell (London Irish) 253
Top try scorer	Jonah Holmes (Yorkshire Carnegie) 16
← 2015–16 2017–18 →

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.

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[edit]

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[edit]

Bedford

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]

Ealing

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

Table[edit]

Fixtures[edit]

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

^[3]

Round 1[edit]

^[12]

Round 2[edit]

^[13]

Round 3[edit]

^[15]

Round 4[edit]

^[16]

Round 5[edit]

^[17]

Round 6[edit]

^[18]

Round 7[edit]

^[20]

Round 8[edit]

^[21]

Round 9[edit]

^[22]

Round 10[edit]

^[23]

Round 11[edit]

^[24]

Round 12[edit]

^[25]

Round 13[edit]

^[26]

Round 14[edit]

^[27]

Round 15[edit]

^[30]

Round 16[edit]

^[31]

Round 17[edit]

^[32]

Round 18[edit]

^[34]

Round 19[edit]

^[36]

Round 20[edit]

^[37]

Round 21[edit]

^[38]

Round 22[edit]

^[39]

Play-offs[edit]

Semi-finals[edit]

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[edit]

^[43]

Second leg[edit]

• Yorkshire Carnegie won 52 – 36 on aggregate

^[44]

• London Irish won 74 – 25 on aggregate

^[44]

Final[edit]

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

First leg[edit]

Second leg[edit]

• London Irish won 84 – 66 on aggregate and are promoted to the Premiership

Attendances[edit]

• Includes playoff games.