2013–14 RFU Championship

The 2013–14 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, was the fifth 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 was held between 14 September 2013 and 4 June 2014. It was contested by eleven English clubs and one from Jersey in the Channel Islands. It was also the first Championship season with a title sponsor, as the Rugby Football Union and Greene King Brewery reached a deal by which the brewery would become the competition's main sponsor from 2013–14 through to 2016–17.^[3]

After being promoted after an appeal in the previous season, London Welsh were relegated back into the RFU Championship after finishing last in the 2012-13 English Premiership.^[4] As a result of relegation, they remained at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford instead of returning to their home ground of Old Deer Park in London in order to strengthen their support base.^[5] London Welsh replaced Newcastle Falcons who were promoted into the English Premiership after winning the play-off final against Bedford Blues.^[6] Doncaster Knights were relegated to the 2013–14 National League 1^[7] and were replaced by the champions of National League 1, Ealing Trailfinders who played in the RFU Championship for the first time.^[8]

The twelve clubs in the 2013–14 RFU Championship also participated in the 2013–14 edition of the British and Irish Cup along with clubs from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.^[9] Matches in the RFU Championship were broadcast on Sky Sports.^[10]

Structure

The Championship's structure had all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. In a change to previous years, this season commenced with an extra round of games in the "Greene King IPA Big Rugby Weekend". Matches were played on the weekend of 14 and 15 September with three double headers at neutral grounds: Saracens' Allianz Park, Doncaster's Castle Park and Exeter's Sandy Park.^[11]

The play–off structure remained the same as the previous year.^[12] The top four teams at the end of the home–and–away season qualified for the promotion play–offs, which followed a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. The winners had to meet the RFU's Minimum Standards Criteria in order to be promoted to the Premiership. If they had failed to meet the criteria, then there would have been no promotion from the RFU Championship.^[13] However, on 9 May 2014, the RFU announced that all four play-off participants had met the Minimum Standards Criteria, assuring that the champion would indeed be promoted to the 2014–15 Premiership.^[14] There was no relegation play–off; the bottom team was automatically relegated.^[12] Following an agreement with the RFU in 2012, each RFU Championship club received £355,000 in funding from the RFU for the season.^[15]

Participating teams

Locations of the 2013–14 RFU Championship teams

Notes

^
Despite being relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2012–13 season, London Welsh remained at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford instead of returning to their home ground of Old Deer Park in London in order to strengthen their support base.^[5] However, they played two matches at their traditional home:^[16]
- against Moseley in Round 18 on 9 March 2014
- against Nottingham in Round 23 on 26 April 2014
^ Rotherham would have to play their final league game and any playoff games at Abbeydale Park in Sheffield due to a dispute with Rotherham Cricket Club over ground sharing at Clifton Lane.^[17]^[18]

League table

Updated to match(es) played on 5 June 2014. Source: RFU
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
Notes:

^ Bristol were deducted 1 competition point for failing to reduce to 14 men when going to uncontested scrums against Bedford on 6 October.^[19]
^ Jersey were deducted 2 competition points for fielding an ineligible player.^[20]

Regular season

The 2013–14 RFU Championship kicked off on the weekend of 14 and 15 September with the "Greene King IPA Big Rugby Weekend", an extra round of matches played as three double headers at neutral grounds.^[11] Thereafter, each team played the other twice on a home and away basis with the top four qualifying for the promotion phase.

Round 1 (Big Rugby Weekend)

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

This match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[21]^[22] It was rescheduled to 23 February.^[23]

Round 14

Round 15

This match was postponed, as the surface of many parts of the pitch is under water.^[24] It has been rescheduled to 21 February.^[25]

Round 16

This match was postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable. It has been rescheduled to 22 February.^[26]

This match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[27]

This match was postponed after a pitch inspection at The Mennaye.^[28] It has been rescheduled to 16 March.^[29]

Postponed matches

This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 15 on 7 February 2014 – was postponed as many parts of the pitch was under water.^[24]

This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 14 February 2014 – was postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable.^[30] The match was again postponed due to an unplayable pitch.^[26] It will now be played on 15 March.^[31]

This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 13 on 26 January 2014 – was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[21]^[22]

Round 17

Round 18

Postponed matches (2)

This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 14 February 2014 – was postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable.^[30] The pitch was again found to be unplayable on the new date of 22 February, and the match was postponed for the second time.^[26]

This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 15 February 2014 – was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.^[27]

This match – originally scheduled to be played in Round 16 on 16 February 2014 – was postponed after a pitch inspection at The Mennaye.^[28]

Round 19

Round 20

This result means that London Welsh will finish in the top four and therefore are into the playoffs.

This result means that Bristol will finish in the top four and therefore are into the playoffs.

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

Play–offs

Semi–finals

The semi–finals followed a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system - with the games being played over two legs and the higher placed team deciding who played at home in the first leg.^[3]

First leg

Second leg

Bristol won 39 — 25 on aggregate

London Welsh won 60 — 58 on aggregate

Final

London Welsh won 48–28 on aggregate and were promoted to Premiership Rugby

Total attendances

Note attendance statistics include 1st round with each team playing at the neutral venue considered the 'home team' as well as playoff games

^[32]^[33]

Top scorers

Season records

References

^ a b "RFU Championship Statistics - Top Point Scorers". Rugby Round Up. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
^ a b "RFU Championship Statistics - Top Try Scorers". Rugby Round Up. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
^ a b "Greene King IPA to sponsor RFU Championship" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 26 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
^ Mick Cleary (16 April 2013). "London Welsh's agony proves that relegation is a must in the Aviva Premiership". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ a b Ed Mezzetti (31 May 2013). "Most fans want London Welsh to stay in Oxford, says chairman". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ Matt Newsum (29 May 2013). "Newcastle beat Bedford to seal promotion to Premiership". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ "FT Bedford 38 Knights 26 - Doncaster Knights relegated to National One". Doncaster Free Press. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ John Wilkinson (29 April 2013). "Ealing Trailfinders 41 Coventry 17". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ "Rugby Football Union to fund travel for Cup games". BBC Sport. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
^ "RaboDirect Pro12 games to be shown on Sky Sports from 2014". Sky Sports. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ a b "Tickets on sale for Greene King IPA Big Rugby Weekend". Rugby Football Union. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
^ a b "Championship: RFU to abolish play-off pool stages". BBC Sport. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
^ Jonathan Reilly (13 March 2011). "Premiership is no go for now admits chief Irvine". Bedfordshire News. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ "Minimum Standards Criteria audit results" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^ Pilnick, Brent (22 August 2012). "RFU unveils new funding deal for Championship clubs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
^ "Rugby - Fixtures & Results". London Welsh RFC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
^ "Rugby Union: Damage fears for Abbeydale outfield". thestar.co.uk. 10 April 2014.
^ "Titans secure Abbeydale for massive semi final against Bristol". rotherhamrugby.co.uk. 30 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
^ "Bristol Rugby deducted one point for breach of regulations". BBC Sport. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
^ "Championship: Jersey docked two points and fined £5,000". BBC Sport. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
^ a b "POSTPONED: Bristol Rugby Vs Plymouth Albion". Bristol. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
^ a b "Bristol v Plymouth Albion Postponed". Plymouth Albion. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
^ "Bristol Match Rearranged". Plymouth Albion. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
^ a b "Moseley POSTPONED". Cornish Pirates. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
^ "1st XV Team Fixtures for 2013 - 2014". Moseley Rugby Football Club. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
^ a b c "ETRFC v Bedford Blues – Rescheduled for Saturday 22 Feb". Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club. 14 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
^ a b "Plymouth Albion v Jersey match Postponed". Plymouth Albion. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
^ a b "Welsh Home". Cornish Pirates. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
^ "Welsh Home : New Match Date". Cornish Pirates. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
^ a b "EALING TRAILFINDERS RESCHEDULED". Bedford Blues. 13 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
^ "Bedford visit rescheduled for 15 March". Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
^ a b "Championship 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ a b "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.
^ "Championship 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
^ "Championship Playoffs 13/14 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 4 June 2014.

External links

RFU Championship news