Welcome to The Proving Ground | Rugby Football Union
English rugby’s second tier reveals new competition format and brand as it gears up for the 2025-26 season.
-
Help Support The Rugby Forum :
Champ Rugby, The Proving Ground
- Thread starter Which Tyler
- Start date
English second tier gets Champ Rugby rebrand in new 14-club league
English rugby union’s second tier will be rebranded as Champ Rugby from next season in a move designed to raise standards and add greater aspiration and jeopardy for clubs
Sounds like a good move all round
English rugby’s second tier reveals new competition format and brand as it gears up for the 2025-26 season - Coventry Rugby
New competition structure includes the introduction of both champion and relegation play offs – see competition format video Introduction of a bold new brand identity: Champ Rugby, The Proving Ground –view launch video and brand imagery A transformed competition format for the second tier of...
www.coventryrugby.co.uk
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2015
- Messages
- 8,910
- Reaction score
- 6,948
Awful marketing. Anyway…..
Chair of the Tier 2 board saying that the aim is to create a "seamless" two tier professional game in the next three to five years. All for aspiration and I'll be delighted to eat my hat in 2030 but this is cloud cuckoo land stuff…..not to mention that Prem and RFU don't really seem to agree.
Intended format (for now) is that top 6 teams play off for a spot in (you've guessed it) a play off against the bottom Prem team for a Prem place. So based on this year's table you could hypothetically have Cov with 8 Championship defeats out of 19 playing off - I'd still back Falcons every day of the week. Play off team should be the highest finisher in the 'Champ' regular season who meets whatever criteria are in place (currently I think only Doncaster).
That will come across as Eeyore-ish - hey, play to your strengths - but while I'd love to see a fully pro vibrant second tier with promotion / relegation etc, I just can't envisage it. The current situation can be improved, but for all the brave words I just can't see it getting where they want to go.
Chair of the Tier 2 board saying that the aim is to create a "seamless" two tier professional game in the next three to five years. All for aspiration and I'll be delighted to eat my hat in 2030 but this is cloud cuckoo land stuff…..not to mention that Prem and RFU don't really seem to agree.
Intended format (for now) is that top 6 teams play off for a spot in (you've guessed it) a play off against the bottom Prem team for a Prem place. So based on this year's table you could hypothetically have Cov with 8 Championship defeats out of 19 playing off - I'd still back Falcons every day of the week. Play off team should be the highest finisher in the 'Champ' regular season who meets whatever criteria are in place (currently I think only Doncaster).
That will come across as Eeyore-ish - hey, play to your strengths - but while I'd love to see a fully pro vibrant second tier with promotion / relegation etc, I just can't envisage it. The current situation can be improved, but for all the brave words I just can't see it getting where they want to go.
Last edited:
Good start will have at least one game a weekend live streamed on youtube
https://www.championshiprugby.co.uk/follow/news-media/202526-fixtures-confirmed
Both Worcester Warriors v Coventry Rugby (2pm kick-off) and Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues (4pm kick-off) will be the featured games on the new live streaming service, kicking off the season on Saturday 4 October.
I feel it will work well if they do more Friday live streams. Even going as far as playing Thursday rugby like the Pro D2, Thrusday is the new Friday anyway.
But I would certainly watch a Thursday live stream on YouTube.
https://www.championshiprugby.co.uk/follow/news-media/202526-fixtures-confirmed
Both Worcester Warriors v Coventry Rugby (2pm kick-off) and Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues (4pm kick-off) will be the featured games on the new live streaming service, kicking off the season on Saturday 4 October.
I feel it will work well if they do more Friday live streams. Even going as far as playing Thursday rugby like the Pro D2, Thrusday is the new Friday anyway.
But I would certainly watch a Thursday live stream on YouTube.
Every game to be streamed on YouTube
Big step forward to promoting the league imo
Big step forward to promoting the league imo
Nevermind misread the Nottingham instagram post it's with a company called Clubber
I can't really afford £24.99 a month on Championship rugby and lower GAA
I can't really afford £24.99 a month on Championship rugby and lower GAA
Champ Rugby players left reeling by owner's shock decision
RugbyPass understands that one-time Gallagher PREM hopefuls Doncaster Knights will not be operating as a wholly full-time rugby programme next season.
www.rugbypass.com
Not a good look Champ second highest paying squad (£2 million) to become part time after a very poor season currently 11th in the league.
Yeah, not great at all - but then equally not that surprising, what are attendances like in the Champ? Nowhere near enough for a £2m wage bill plus running costs, that's for sure
Edit: 1500 for the game vs Caldy
Average across the whole Champ this season is 2000, but that's dragged up hugely by Worcester getting 9,500 every home game
A number of sides aren't getting close to cracking 1000 - Ampthill vs Hartpury got 670
No chance we're getting promotion/relegation back in the Prem - they'll pretend it's still on the cards until Worcester and maybe London Irish are back then ringfence it
Not sure what's happening with LI - think they were claiming they'll be back next season, guessing they're going to parachute straight into the Champ? No mention of coaches or players or ground or anything yet, that I've heard though
Edit: 1500 for the game vs Caldy
Average across the whole Champ this season is 2000, but that's dragged up hugely by Worcester getting 9,500 every home game
A number of sides aren't getting close to cracking 1000 - Ampthill vs Hartpury got 670
No chance we're getting promotion/relegation back in the Prem - they'll pretend it's still on the cards until Worcester and maybe London Irish are back then ringfence it
Not sure what's happening with LI - think they were claiming they'll be back next season, guessing they're going to parachute straight into the Champ? No mention of coaches or players or ground or anything yet, that I've heard though
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2017
- Messages
- 1,435
- Reaction score
- 579
Both Donny and Rotherham should set up a joint Pro team in South Yorkshire, while using the clubs as development tools for this team.Champ Rugby players left reeling by owner's shock decision
RugbyPass understands that one-time Gallagher PREM hopefuls Doncaster Knights will not be operating as a wholly full-time rugby programme next season.
Not a good look Champ second highest paying squad (£2 million) to become part time after a very poor season currently 11th in the league.
Combined team, would bring in better revenue, especially if they could work into Sheffield as well.
Similar threads
