Champ Rugby
Second level of English rugby union
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Champ Rugby (formerly the RFU Championship) is an English rugby union competition among fourteen clubs. It is the second level of men's English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players.[3][4] The competition has existed since 1987, when English clubs were first organised into leagues.[5] Historically the competition provided automatic promotion to the top-flight PREM Rugby, but following a vote by the RFU Council on 27 February 2026, automatic promotion and relegation between the two tiers was abolished from the 2026–27 season.[1][2] Champ Rugby remains a required pathway to the PREM under the new criteria-based expansion model, under which any club seeking admission to the PREM must first have played at least one season in the Champ.
Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 Champ Rugby | |
 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Administrator | RFU |
| No. of teams | 14 |
| Countries |  England |
| Most recent champion | Ealing Trailfinders (3rd title) (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Bristol Bears (4 titles) |
| Level on pyramid | Level 2 |
| Promotion to | PREM Rugby (via expansion process from 2026–27[a] |
| Relegation to | National League 1 |
| Official website | champrugby.com |
Format
The fourteen teams each play one another twice (once at home and once away), the results of the matches contribute points to the league table with points awarded as follows: 4 for a win, 2 for a draw, and 0 for a loss, although a team can earn 1 bonus point for losing by 7 points or fewer and another for scoring 4 or more tries in a match. The top six teams enter the play-offs to determine the league champion, with 1st and 2nd earning home semi-finals and 3rd to 6th contesting quarter-finals; the winner, if eligible for promotion, then faces the bottom team in the 2025–26 Premiership for a chance at promotion.[b][6] The teams finishing 12th and 13th play a one-leg match, with the loser then facing the National League 1 runner-up to decide who remains in the Championship.[6] The 14th-placed team is automatically relegated to National League 1 and replaced by that league's champion.[6]
Current league table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ealing Trailfinders | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 827 | 303 | +524 | 17 | 0 | 93 | Play-off semi-finals |
| 2 | Bedford Blues | 19 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 582 | 469 | +113 | 15 | 2 | 71 | |
| 3 | Worcester Warriors | 19 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 661 | 448 | +213 | 15 | 5 | 68 | Play-off quarter-finals |
| 4 | Coventry | 19 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 695 | 554 | +141 | 16 | 5 | 65 | |
| 5 | Hartpury | 19 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 509 | 484 | +25 | 9 | 1 | 58 | |
| 6 | Cornish Pirates | 19 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 552 | 477 | +75 | 12 | 3 | 57 | |
| 7 | Nottingham | 19 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 461 | 408 | +53 | 11 | 7 | 56 | |
| 8 | Chinnor | 19 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 471 | 445 | +26 | 6 | 5 | 55 | |
| 9 | Doncaster Knights | 19 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 497 | 451 | +46 | 9 | 4 | 47 | |
| 10 | Caldy | 19 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 441 | 539 | −98 | 10 | 3 | 45 | |
| 11 | Ampthill | 19 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 462 | 738 | −276 | 11 | 4 | 39 | |
| 12 | Richmond | 19 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 388 | 525 | −137 | 4 | 4 | 34 | Relegation play-off |
| 13 | London Scottish | 19 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 360 | 632 | −272 | 7 | 2 | 29 | |
| 14 | Cambridge | 19 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 336 | 769 | −433 | 6 | 4 | 12 | Relegated |
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Number of matches won
- Number of matches drawn
- Difference between points for and against
- Total number of points for
- Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
- Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Current teams
Fourteen teams will complete in the league – the twelve teams from last season, the champions of National League One and Worcester Warriors. No team was promoted to the Premiership. Last season the RFU's Tier 2 Board ran a tender process for any club, college or university to join this league, if they could meet a growth strategy and minimum operating standards. On 3 April 2025 the RFU announced that Worcester Warriors will return to professional rugby, two and half years after going into administration.[7][8]
History
Precursor competitions (1987–2009)
The governing body for rugby union in England, the RFU, first allowed league hierarchies in 1987. This came nearly a century after leagues were first established in football and cricket, England's other two principal team sports.[17][18]
The RFU's reluctance to allow leagues was based on a perceived threat to the sport's amateurism regulations: competitive leagues were seen as making clubs more likely to use incentives to attract and retain the best players.[19]
When formalised leagues were finally permitted in the 1987–88 season, the second level was known as 'Courage League National Division Two'. The league has since had several different names before becoming the RFU Championship in the 2009–10 season.
Origins (2008)
In November 2008, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) published a plan for a new professional tier below the Premiership. The 12-team Championship replaced the 16-team National Division One.
| Level of men's rugby | Name of competition in 2008–09 | Name of competition in 2009–10 | Number of teams in 2008–09 | Number of teams in 2009–10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guinness Premiership | Guinness Premiership | 12 | 12 |
| Level 2 | National Division One | RFU Championship | 16 | 12 |
| Level 3 | National Division 2 | National League 1 | 14 | 16 |
To enable Level 2 to transition from 16 teams to 12, the RFU proposal called for five teams to be relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season. The relegated teams would play in the third level of rugby, known as 'National Division 2' in 2008–09 and to be known as 'National League 1' in 2009–10.
Additionally, one team would be relegated from the Premiership (Level 1 to Level 2), one team would be promoted to the Premiership (Level 2 to Level 1), and one team would be promoted from National Division 2 (Level 3 to Level 2).
The RFU Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new proposal, and the first Championship season started the following year, in 2009.
RFU Championship (2009–2025)
Promotion to the Premiership
Automatic promotion to the Premiership was not a consistent feature of the RFU Championship. A playoff tournament was used to decide promotion between the 2009–10 and 2016–17 seasons, as well as in the 2020–21 season.
In seasons without a promotion playoff (2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20), the team at the top of the league was automatically promoted to the Premiership.[20]
On 27 February 2026, the RFU Council voted overwhelmingly to abolish automatic promotion and relegation between Champ Rugby and the PREM with effect from the 2026–27 season.[1][2] Entry to an expanded PREM will instead be determined by a criteria-based process overseen by a newly established Expansion Review Group, assessing clubs on on-field standards, financial sustainability, commercial strength, stadium infrastructure and geographical reach. Any club seeking admission must first have played at least one season in Champ Rugby, meaning the competition retains its role as the essential gateway to the top flight.[1]
COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2019–20 season to be prematurely ended. Final standings were based on a "best playing record formula" and promotion and relegation remained for the 1st and 12th placed clubs respectively.[21]
The 2020–21 season was impacted by the aforementioned pandemic and as a consequence, a shorter season kicked off in spring 2021. The reduced season saw each team play each other once only with the top two teams entering a two-legged promotion playoff. There was no relegation due to cancellation of National League 1.[22]
In February 2021, a moratorium on relegation from the Premiership into the Championship was approved and it was confirmed that the RFU were working on a review of the minimum standards criteria for promotion and the league structure from 2021–22.[23] The moratorium was extended for a further two years in June 2021 and also could include promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2022–23 season if there was promotion in the previous season. There was also no relegation from the Championship in 2021–22.
Champ Rugby (2025–)
On 15 May 2025, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced a new format and structure for the competition under the brand of Champ Rugby. The new format and structure saw a return of relegation to National League 1 and a potential route to the PREM, which Tier 2 board chair Simon Gillham said would create "aspiration and jeopardy". The competition was expanded to 14 teams from the 2025–26 season onwards. The new structure sees the top six sides, after the regular season, enter into a play-off phase to determine the league champions. Teams placed 12th and 13th in the table face each other in a single-leg play-off, the loser playing the runner-up in 2025–26 National League 1. The eventual winner will be in Champ Rugby for the 2026–27 season. The bottom placed side is automatically relegated to National League 1 and replaced by the National League 1 champions.[6][24]
On 27 February 2026, the RFU Council voted to abolish automatic promotion and relegation between the Champ and the PREM, replacing it with a criteria-based expansion model taking effect from the 2026–27 season.[1][2] The 2025–26 season will be the last in which the Champ Rugby champions could contest a promotion play-off against the bottom PREM club under the traditional system. Any club seeking admission to the PREM from the 2026–27 season, they must first have played at least one season in the competition.[25]
Competition funding
The RFU Championship clubs were in dispute with the RFU over funding for the competition and claimed that each club was owed £77,000 for the past three seasons, and will be owed a further £120,000 over the next four seasons. The clubs believed they should have received £295,000 in 2009–10, rising to £400,000 by 2015–16 and further believe there was a breach of contract on the part of the RFU. The RFU stated that the original funding was an estimate and by 2015–16 the figure will be £359,400.[26] When the RFU announced the hiatus of promotion play-offs, it also announced funding increases from both itself and the Premiership, including a new system which ties some of the new funding to each Championship side's performance in the league season.[20] The extra funding provided prior to 2016–17 was removed prior to the 2020–21 season.[27][28]
Sponsorship
Historic results
Courage League National Division Two (1987–1997)
| Season | Matches | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | Rosslyn Park | Liverpool St Helens | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | Saracens | Bedford | London Scottish and London Welsh | ||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | Northampton Saints | Liverpool St Helens | No relegation[a 1] | ||||||||||
| 1990–91 | 12 | Rugby | London Irish | Richmond and Headingley | ||||||||||
| 1991–92 | 12 | London Scottish | West Hartlepool | Plymouth Albion, Liverpool St Helens | ||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 12 | Newcastle Gosforth | Waterloo | Bedford, Rosslyn Park, Richmond, Blackheath, Coventry, Fylde, Morley | ||||||||||
| 1993–94 | 18 | Sale | West Hartlepool | Rugby, Otley | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 18 | Saracens | Wakefield | Fylde, Coventry | ||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 18 | Northampton Saints | London Irish | No relegation[a 2] | ||||||||||
| 1996–97 | 22 | Richmond | Newcastle | Rugby, Nottingham | ||||||||||
| Green background are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Allied Dunbar Premiership Two (1997–2000)
| Season | Matches | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 22 | Bedford | West Hartlepool[a 3] | No relegation[a 4] | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 26 | Bristol | Rotherham | Blackheath and Fylde | ||||||||||
| 1999–00 | 26 | Rotherham | Leeds Tykes | Rugby and West Hartlepool | ||||||||||
| Green background are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
National Division One (2000–2009)
| Season | Matches | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 26 | Leeds Tykes | Worcester | Orrell and Waterloo | ||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 26 | Rotherham | Worcester | Henley and Bracknell | ||||||||||
| 2002–03 | 26 | Rotherham | Worcester | Moseley, Rugby Lions | ||||||||||
| 2003–04 | 26 | Worcester | Orrell | Wakefield, Manchester | ||||||||||
| 2004–05 | 26 | Bristol | Exeter | Orrell, Henley | ||||||||||
| 2005–06 | 26 | Harlequins | Bedford Blues | No relegation[a 5] | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 30 | Leeds Tykes | Earth Titans | Otley, Waterloo | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 30 | Northampton Saints | Exeter Chiefs | Pertemp Bees, Launceston | ||||||||||
| 2008–09 | 30 | Leeds Tykes | Exeter Chiefs | Esher, Sedgley Park, Newbury, Otley, Manchester | ||||||||||
| Green background are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
RFU Championship / Champ Rugby (2009–present)
| Season | Matches | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 22 | Exeter Chiefs | Bristol | Coventry | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 | 22 | Worcester Warriors | Bedford Blues | Doncaster Knights | ||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 22 | London Welsh | Bristol | Ealing Trailfinders | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | 22 | Newcastle Falcons | Bristol | Plymouth Albion | ||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 23 | London Welsh | Doncaster Knights | Moseley | ||||||||||
| 2014–15 | 22 | Worcester Warriors | Yorkshire Carnegie | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 22 | Bristol | Ealing Trailfinders | Rotherham Titans | ||||||||||
| 2016–17 | 22 | London Irish | Ealing Trailfinders | Richmond | ||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 22 | Bristol | Ealing Trailfinders | Yorkshire Carnegie | ||||||||||
| 2018–19 | 22 | London Irish | Ealing Trailfinders | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 15* | Newcastle Falcons | Ealing Trailfinders | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 10** | Saracens | Ealing Trailfinders | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 20 | Ealing Trailfinders | Doncaster Knights | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2022–23 | 22 | Jersey Reds | Ealing Trailfinders | Richmond | ||||||||||
| 2023–24 | 20 | Ealing Trailfinders | Cornish Pirates | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2024–25 | 22 | Ealing Trailfinders | Bedford Blues | No relegation | ||||||||||
| 2025–26 | 26 | Last season under automatic promotion/relegation system[f] | ||||||||||||
| Green background are promotion places. *2019–20 season ended early due to the pandemic. **2020–21 season started late due to the pandemic. | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Bristol (4)
- Ealing Trailfinders (3)
- Leeds Tykes (3)
- Newcastle Falcons (3)
- Northampton Saints (3)
- Rotherham (3)
- Saracens (3)
- Worcester Warriors (3)
- London Irish (2)
- London Welsh (2)
- Bedford (1)
- Exeter Chiefs (1)
- Harlequins (1)
- Jersey Reds (1)
- London Scottish (1)
- Richmond (1)
- Rosslyn Park (1)
- Rugby (1)
- Sale (1)
See also
- Rugby union in England
- PREM Rugby, the top division of English club rugby, to which Champ Rugby serves as the pathway under the expansion model
- List of English rugby union teams
Notes
- 3rd place London Scottish were also promoted.
- Due to storm damage to the Mennaye Field in January 2026, Cornish Pirates would play two home games at the 7,000 capacity Recreation Ground, home of Camborne RFC.[13]
