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. 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.

Structure

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. 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. 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. Despite this, Cornish Pirates stated more money was needed in RFU grants to support a fully professional second tier.
The 2016–17 season was also the last for play-offs in the Championship for at least 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.

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. Richmond subsequently entered administration and dropped eight tiers following two seasons in the premiership between 1997 and 1999. As a result, Richmond stated that they would remain semi-professional and not sign any professional players despite the RFU Championship being fully professional. 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.
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. 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.
ClubStadiumCapacityAreaCaptainDOR/Head Coach
Bedford BluesGoldington Road6,000Bedford, Bedfordshire Michael Le Bourgeois Mike Rayer
Cornish PiratesMennaye Field4,000 Penzance, Cornwall Chris Morgan Gavin Cattle
Alan Paver
Doncaster KnightsCastle Park5,000Doncaster, South Yorkshire Michael Hills Clive Griffiths
Ealing TrailfindersTrailfinders Sports Ground3,020 West Ealing, London Danny Kenny Ben Ward
Jersey RedsSt Peter4,000Saint Peter, Jersey Pierce Philips Harvey Biljon
London IrishMadejski Stadium24,161Reading, Berkshire Luke Narraway Nick Kennedy
London ScottishAthletic Ground, Richmond4,500Richmond, London Rory Bartle Sean Lineen
London WelshOld Deer Park5,850 Richmond, London Matt Corker James Buckland
NottinghamLady Bay Sports Ground3,000Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Matt EverardIan Costello
RichmondAthletic Ground, Richmond4,500Richmond, London Will Warden Steve Hill
Rotherham TitansClifton Lane2,500Rotherham, South Yorkshire Tom Holmes Justin Burnell
Yorkshire CarnegieHeadingley Carnegie Stadium21,062Leeds, West Yorkshire Ryan Burrows Ian McGeechan

;Notes

Current standings

Fixtures

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

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

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Round 15

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Round 16

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Round 21

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Round 22

Play-offs

Semi-finals

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. London Irish and Yorkshire finished 1st and 2nd respectively and have both chosen to play the second leg at home. 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.

First leg

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Second leg

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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

Second leg

ClubHome
Games		TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Bedford Blues1025,1522,5154,6211,90142%
Cornish Pirates1116,1321,4672,0431,05637%
Doncaster Knights1119,1101,7372,7481,07935%
Ealing Trailfinders1210,9739142,63043830%
Jersey Reds1017,6871,7693,3171,23544%
London Irish1357,149 4,39611,6711,78618%
London Scottish1114,4141,3102,33995129%
London Welsh65,8279711,68353117%
Nottingham1011,1441,1141,53892437%
Richmond1112,2751,1162,89162425%
Rotherham Titans1112,4081,1281,87277345%
Yorkshire Carnegie1326,9312,0724,1261,16410%

;Notes

Individual statistics

Top try scorers

Season records

;Largest home win — 79 pts
82 – 3 London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
;Largest away win — 50 pts
62 – 12 London Irish away to London Scottish on 30 October 2016
;Most points scored — 82 pts
82 – 3 London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
;Most tries in a match — 12
London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
;Most conversions in a match — 11
London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
;Most penalties in a match — 7
London Scottish at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 2 December 2016
;Most drop goals in a match — 1
N/A - multiple teams

Player

;Most points in a match — 32
Tommy Bell for London Irish away to London Scottish on 30 October 2016
;Most tries in a match — 3
Tyson Lewis for Doncaster Knights away to Richmond on 17 September 2016
Patrick Tapley for Bedford Blues at home to Richmond on 1 October 2016
Jason Harries for London Scottish away to Doncaster Knights on 5 November 2016
TJ Harris for Nottingham at home to Yorkshire Carnegie on 26 December 2016
Ben West for Yorkshire Carnegie at home to Richmond on 26 March 2017
Ryan Burrows for Yorkshire Carnegie away to Bedford Blues on 8 April 2017
Alex Lewington for London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
Tom Duncan for Cornish Pirates at home to Bedford Blues on 15 April 2017
James Stephenson for Nottingham away to London Scottish on 15 April 2017
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Tommy Bell for London Irish away to London Scottish on 30 October 2016
Joe Ford for Yorkshire Carnegie at home to Rotherham Titans on 5 February 2017
;Most penalties in a match — 7
Peter Lydon for London Scottish at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 2 December 2016
;Most drop goals in a match — 1
N/A - multiple players

Attendances

;Highest — 11,671
London Irish at home to Cornish Pirates on 18 March 2017
;Lowest — 438
Ealing Trailfinders at home to Jersey Reds on 17 September 2016
;Highest Average Attendance — 4,110
London Irish
;Lowest Average Attendance — 914
Ealing Trailfinders