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Rugby union competition in England
2024–25 RFU Championship Countries England Date 20 September 2024 – May 2025 Matches played 52 Attendance 71,888 Highest attendance 4,523 – Coventry v Ealing, 21 December 2024 Lowest attendance 324 – Caldy v Cornish Pirates, 7 December 2024 Tries scored 375 Top point scorer 79 – Harry Bazalgette (Hartpury) Top try scorer 10 – Kehinde Olowofela (Doncaster)
The 2024–25 RFU Championship is the sixteenth season of the RFU Championship , the professional second tier of rugby union in England. It features twelve English teams. Ealing Trailfinders are the reigning champions, having been refused promotion to the Premiership due to failing to meet minimum standards.
The twelve teams will play each of the other teams twice.
The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
4 points are awarded for a win
2 points are awarded for a draw
0 points are awarded for a loss, however
1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match. Subject to meeting the minimum standards criteria the team finishing top of the league will qualify for a promotion playoff against the bottom side in Premiership Rugby while the team that finishes bottom will be relegated to National League 1 .
Locations of the 2024–25 RFU Championship teams
Eleven of the twelve teams played in last season's competition. Chinnor were promoted as the champions of the 2023–24 National League 1 with no side being relegated the opposite way due to Jersey Reds going into liquidation in September 2023 and there only being eleven sides.[ 1] [ 2]
Club
Stadium
Capacity
Area
Previous season
Ampthill
Dillingham Park
3,000
Ampthill , Bedfordshire
7th
Bedford Blues
Goldington Road
5,000 (1,700 seats)
Bedford , Bedfordshire
4th
Caldy
Paton Field
4,000
Thurstaston , Wirral , Merseyside
10th
Cambridge
Grantchester Road
2,200 (200 seats)
Cambridge , Cambridgeshire
11th
Chinnor
Kingsey Road
2,500
Thame , Oxfordshire
Promoted from National League 1 (champions)
Cornish Pirates
Mennaye Field
4,000 (2,200 seats)
Penzance , Cornwall
Runners up
Coventry
Butts Park Arena
5,200 (3,000 seats)
Coventry , West Midlands
3rd
Doncaster Knights
Castle Park
5,183[ 3]
Doncaster , South Yorkshire
6th
Ealing Trailfinders
Trailfinders Sports Ground
5,000 (2,115 seats)
West Ealing , London
Champions (not promoted)
Hartpury University
4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone[ 4]
2,000
Hartpury , Gloucestershire
5th
London Scottish
Athletic Ground
4,500 (1,000 seats)
Richmond , London
9th
Nottingham
Lady Bay Sports Ground
3,700[ a]
Nottingham , Nottinghamshire
8th
Updated to match(es) played on 21 December 2024. Source: Source: RFU Championship
[ 5] Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
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 London Scottish 19 – 45 Coventry (1 BP)
Athletic Ground Hamish Grant
(1 BP) Nottingham 18 – 24 Cornish Pirates (1 BP)
Lady Bay Sports Ground Jack Makepeace
(1 BP) Doncaster Knights 45 – 31 Ampthill (1 BP)
Castle Park Mike Hudson
(1 BP) Bedford Blues 45 – 19 Caldy
Goldington Road Harry Walbaum
(1 BP) Cambridge 24 – 57 Chinnor (1 BP)
Grantchester Road Richard Gordon
(1 BP) Ealing Trailfinders 55 – 21 Hartpury University
Trailfinders Sports Ground Alex Thomas
[ 6]
(1 BP) Cornish Pirates 24 – 29 Ealing Trailfinders (1 BP)
Mennaye Field George Selwood
Doncaster Knights 14 – 30 Nottingham (1 BP)
Castle Park Andrew Wigley
(1 BP) Hartpury University 34 – 33 London Scottish (2 BP)
4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone Richard Gordon
(1 BP) Ampthill 31 – 29 Chinnor (2 BP)
Dillingham Park Harry Walbaum
(1 BP) Coventry 45 – 7 Bedford Blues
Butts Park Arena Hamish Smales
(1 BP) Caldy 21 – 26 Cambridge
Paton Field Joe James
[ 7]
(1 BP) London Scottish 26 – 15 Cornish Pirates
Athletic Ground Harry Walbaum
(1 BP) Nottingham 38 – 14 Ampthill
Lady Bay Sports Ground Jonathan Cook
(1 BP) Bedford Blues 35 – 32 Hartpury University (2 BP)
Goldington Road Hamish Grant
Cambridge 19 – 36 Coventry (1 BP)
Grantchester Road Alex Thomas
(1 BP) Chinnor 31 – 17 Caldy
Kingsey Road Andrew Jackson
(2 BP) Ealing Trailfinders 35 – 36 Doncaster Knights (1 BP)
Trailfinders Sports Ground Tom Foley
[ 8]
(1 BP) Hartpury University 43 – 10 Cambridge
4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone Joe James
Nottingham 21 – 36 Ealing Trailfinders (1 BP)
Lady Bay Sports Ground Mike Hudson
(1 BP) Ampthill 33 – 19 Caldy
Dillingham Park Richard Gordon
(2 BP) Cornish Pirates 24 – 28 Bedford Blues (1 BP)
Mennaye Field Andy Wigley
Doncaster Knights 0 – 12 London Scottish
Castle Park Hamish Smales
(1 BP) Coventry 28 – 14 Chinnor
Butts Park Arena Joe James
[ 9]
London Scottish 14 – 48 Nottingham (1 BP)
Athletic Ground Sara Cox
(1 BP) Bedford Blues 34 – 18 Doncaster Knights
Goldington Road Joe James
(1 BP) Caldy 15 – 17 Coventry
Paton Field Ian Tempest
(1 BP) Cambridge 29 – 22 Cornish Pirates (1 BP)
Grantchester Road Charles Gayther
Chinnor 19 – 34 Hartpury University (1 BP)
Kingsey Road Dan Jones
(1 BP) Ealing Trailfinders 92 – 0 Ampthill
Trailfinders Sports Ground Alex Thomas
[ 10]
Cornish Pirates 15 – 13 Chinnor (1 BP)
Mennaye Field Alexander Thomas
(1 BP) Nottingham 10 – 17 Bedford Blues
Lady Bay Sports Ground Jack Makepeace
(1 BP) Ampthill 21 – 27 Coventry (1 BP)
Dillingham Park Charles Gayther
(1 BP) Doncaster Knights 52 – 17 Cambridge
Castle Park Jonathan Cook
(1 BP) Hartpury University 40 – 24 Caldy (1 BP)
4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone Mike Hudson
(1 BP) Ealing Trailfinders 63 – 28 London Scottish (1 BP)
Trailfinders Sports Ground Ian Tempest
[ 11]
Caldy 3 – 22 Cornish Pirates
Paton Field Jack Makepeace
Cambridge 10 – 43 Nottingham (1 BP)
Grantchester Road Hamish Grant
Bedford Blues 17 – 25 Ealing Trailfinders
Goldington Road Craig Maxwell-Keys
Chinnor 18 – 13 Doncaster Knights (1 BP)
Kingsey Road Mike Hudson
Game abandoned in 68th minute, with Chinnor leading 18–13, due to power cut caused by adverse weather.[ 12] [ 13] RFU would later rule the result a victory for Chinnor subject to appeal.[ 14] Coventry 14 – 13 Hartpury University (1 BP)
Butts Park Arena Sara Cox
(1 BP) London Scottish 14 – 15 Ampthill
Athletic Ground Richard Gordon
[ 15]
Nottingham 19 – 14 Chinnor (1 BP)
Lady Bay Sports Ground Andrew Jackson
Ampthill A – A Hartpury University
Dillingham Park Alex Thomas
Game abandoned due to injury to referee.[ 16] (1 BP) Cornish Pirates 46 – 14 Coventry
Mennaye Field Harry Walbaum
Doncaster Knights 22 – 0 Caldy
Castle Park Craig Maxwell-Keys
(1 BP) Ealing Trailfinders 95 – 7 Cambridge
Trailfinders Sports Ground Andy Wigley
(1 BP) London Scottish 20 – 22 Bedford Blues
Athletic Ground [ b] Jonathan Cook
[ 17]
Caldy 20 – 10 London Scottish
Paton Field Andrew Jackson
Cambridge 13 – 7 Ampthill (1 BP)
Grantchester Road George Selwood
Hartpury University 21 – 7 Nottingham
4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone Jamie Parr
Chinnor 18 – 5 Bedford Blues
Kingsey Road Joe James
Coventry 25 – 35 Ealing Trailfinders (1 BP)
Butts Park Arena Dan Jones
Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights
[ 18]
Ealing Trailfinders v Caldy
Trailfinders Sports Ground
Doncaster Knights v Hartpury University
Club
Home
Total
Average
Highest
Lowest
% Capacity
Ampthill
3
2,396
799
902
742
27%
Bedford Blues
4
8,871
2,218
2,613
1,981
44%
Caldy
4
4,556
1,139
1,735
324
28%
Cambridge
5
7,192
1,438
1,794
847
65%
Chinnor
4
6,424
1,606
2,125
782
64%
Cornish Pirates
4
6,006
1,502
1,639
1,272
38%
Coventry
4
13,462
3,366
4,523
2,707
65%
Doncaster Knights
5
5,899
1,180
1,401
1,058
23%
Ealing Trailfinders
5
5,154
1,031
1,317
850
21%
Hartpury University
4
3,516
879
1,034
670
44%
London Scottish
4[ c]
3,265
816
991
569
18%
Nottingham
5
5,147
1,029
1,157
935
28%
[ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11] [ 15] [ 17] [ 18]
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
^ "Champions! Chinnor celebrate in fine style". The RugbyPaper . No. 813. 14 April 2024. pp. 28–29. ^ "Jersey Reds' financial challenges lead to club ceasing trading" . Jersey Reds. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023 .^ "A right mess entirely of the RFU's making". The RugbyPaper . No. 703. 6 March 2022. p. 11. ^ "Hartpury Stadium renamed as Vodafone and 4Ed Foundation partnership unveiled" . Hartpury University & College. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024 .^ "RFU Championship" . England Rugby .^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 836. 22 September 2024. pp. 18–19, 38. ^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 837. 29 September 2024. pp. 18–19, 38. ^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 838. 6 October 2024. pp. 18–19, 40. ^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 839. 13 October 2024. pp. 18–19, 38. ^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 840. 20 October 2024. pp. 20–21, 38. ^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 846. 1 December 2024. pp. 26–27, 36. ^ "68' Before the play begins, the power has cut out at Kingsey Road!" . X Thame . 7 December 2024.^ "After we are unable to continue. The referee has decided to abandon the game" . X . Chinnor Thame RFC. 7 December 2024.^ "RFU statement regarding the outcome of Chinnor v Doncaster Knights" . Doncaster Knights. 13 December 2024.^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 847. 8 December 2024. pp. 22–23, 38. ^ "1st XV v Hartpury – Game Abandoned" . Ampthill RUFC. 14 December 2024.^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 848. 15 December 2024. pp. 22–23, 38. ^ a b c d "Results". The RugbyPaper . No. 849. 22 December 2024. pp. 20–21, 36.
^ Lady Bay capacity increased from 3,500 to 3,700 for the 2024–25 season.
^ There is no record the London Scottish v Bedford Blues attendance anywhere online or in media - neither London Scottish or Bedford Blues posted an attendance figure on their respective website's and The Rugby Paper did not publish the figure in the following weeks edition.
^ The London Scottish home attendance v Bedford Blues on 15 December 2024 is missing due to extremely poor media reporting.
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