2023–24 RFU Championship


The 2023–24 RFU Championship is the fifteen season of the RFU Championship, the professional second tier of rugby union in England. It features eleven English teams, with the 12th team, and reigning champions, Jersey Reds, withdrawing from the competition at the start of the season after going into liquidation.
Ealing Trailfinders were crowned champions on 11 May 2024 with a game still to play, despite losing away to Doncaster Knights, thanks to Cornish Pirates defeating Coventry on the same day. It would be Ealing's second Championship title in three years, but once again they would be denied promotion to the Premiership due to the minimum standard criteria. No teams would be relegated this season due to Jersey's liquidation.

Structure

The eleven 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 point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
  • 1 additional point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.

Promotion and relegation

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. Due to Jersey Reds dropping out of the league, and there being only eleven teams, there will be no relegation to National League 1, although the champions of National League will be promoted to become the twelfth team for the 2024–25 season.

Teams

Ten of the eleven teams played in last season's competition. Cambridge were promoted into the division as the champions of 2022–23 National League 1, replacing bottom placed Richmond who dropped down to the 2023–24 National League 1.
ClubStadiumCapacityAreaPrevious season
AmpthillDillingham Park3,000Ampthill, Bedfordshire8th
Bedford BluesGoldington Road5,000 Bedford, Bedfordshire4th
CaldyPaton Field4,000Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside10th
CambridgeGrantchester Road2,200 Cambridge, CambridgeshirePromoted from National League 1
Cornish PiratesMennaye Field4,000 Penzance, Cornwall5th
CoventryButts Park Arena5,200 Coventry, West Midlands3rd
Doncaster KnightsCastle Park5,183 Doncaster, South Yorkshire6th
Ealing TrailfindersTrailfinders Sports Ground5,000 West Ealing, London2nd
Hartpury UniversityALPAS Arena2,000Hartpury, Gloucestershire7th
London ScottishAthletic Ground4,500 Richmond, London11th
NottinghamLady Bay Sports Ground3,500Nottingham, Nottinghamshire9th

Fixtures & results

Fixtures for the season was announced by the RFU on 29 June 2023.

Round 6

  • Postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 10 February 2024.

Round 7

  • Abandoned due to player suffering serious injury. Game to be rescheduled for 10 February 2024.

Round 9

  • Postponed due to severe flooding causing Lady Bay Sports Ground to be closed for the foreseeable future. Game to be rescheduled for 15 March 2024.

Round 10

  • Game postponed due to frozen pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 30 March 2024.

Rounds 6 & 7 (rescheduled games)

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Round 9 (rescheduled game)

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Round 10 (rescheduled game)

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Round 21

  • Ealing Trailfinders are champions.

Leading scorers

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.

Most points

Source:
RankPlayerClubPoints
1

Most tries

Source:
RankPlayerClubTries
1