Supporters of RFU Championship Clubs

Hey any supporters of Clubs looking good in the Championships, I was just wondering how your teams are getting on, in terms of performance not results as any if the top 8 can get promoted, and what talented young players you have coming through at your clubs- especially as teams like Cornish Pirates and Leeds have academies that have produced some very talented young Englishmen in the last few years

I’m soon to be a supporter of a Championship club...

I’m keenly interested in the Championship and I feel it is criminally overlooked; it doesn’t even have a website for crying out loud!

Look at some of the players to come out the Championship over recent years; Nick Easter (Orrell), Tom Johnson (Coventry) , Dan Ward-Smith (Plymouth Albion), Matt Hopper (Cornish Pirates), Ed Slater (Nottingham), Mourittz Botha (Bedford) and Ross Batty (Rotherham) amongst others.

I wish that more Premiership clubs would take chances on Championship players, rather importing squad players.

Players I wish Newcastle would look at (excluding Leeds and Bristol)!:

Jon Fisher (Bedford)- Flanker- ex London Irish
Ed Jackson (London Welsh)- no. 8- Ex Bath
Greg Gillanders (Bedford)- Flanker- Ex Leicester
Phil Burgess (Cornish Pirates)- Flanker

Plus a couple of grizzled props.

I'm a Moseley season ticket holder and since Christmas I've been really encouraged/entertained by the style of rugby we have been playing. Although the results haven't been good enough to get us into the promotion play offs we are set fair to retain our Championship status.

Two players of particular note for us are Michael Ellery and Glyn Hughes. Ellery in his second season with us is 22 and joined us from the Falcons Academy. He was initially brought in by the previous coach as an 8 but mainly appears for us as a 7. He is a really destructive broken field runner with great pace and good feet. Defensively has a few rough edges but definitely one who could make the step up IMHO.

The other is Glyn Hughes a 20 year old stand off who mostly been playing out of position for us at 15 since Christmas. Admittedly not technically "one of ours" as he has come to us via a dual registration agreement with Northampton Saints. He's very quickly taken to Championship rugby and has passed the 40 point mark in only 4 appearances. Got a terrific boot out of hand but has been near faultless from the tee. Came into 10 for the last 20 minutes of the win against Plymouth and effectively closed the game out with some really effective wet weather tactics. Appears to have real maturity for a 20 year old. Talk was that Maggs will try him out at 10 for this weekends game at Bristol. Wouldn't be surprised if he starts at 10 for us in the play offs. Certainly one to watch for the future but hopefully we'll be able to hang onto him for next season.

Thanks so far guys. I think it is a shame that the Championship gets neglected, especially as there are some really good teams down there. Look at Exeter since their promotion and at how good the time down there was for Quins and Saints

Am a season ticket holder at Scottish, but not much point in talking about performances as we languish at 11th in the table. First season up tho, so not too displeased, and we've lost more games by a score in the last couple of minutes than I can remember

AsLongAsBut100ofUs thought you were streets ahead of us over at the Common just before Xmas. Far sharper behind the scrum and more than a match up front. On that showing I think you will be fine.

We have shown a marked improvement since then taking 10 points from an available 20. As I say the Saints lad has been a revelation for us at a time when we badly needed it. Hoping that they don't call him back before the end of the season!

EggChaser, agreed, but don't think we've fielded/been able to field the same XXIII since that game against you guys!

I'd love to see the English championship and the Welsh Premiership merged into a 18 team competition, 8 Welsh and 10 English, the top English club goes into the Premiership the lowest relegated.

AlynDavies wrote:I'd love to see the English championship and the Welsh Premiership merged into a 18 team competition, 8 Welsh and 10 English, the top English club goes into the Premiership the lowest relegated.

Actually sounds like a decent idea, wouldn't be any further to travel than between English Club anyway. A lot of games in their though unless you divide into 2 Divisions of 9 and then have the winners play each other if they are English

who have you's enjoyed the BandI cup?

A distraction, or a good chance of silverware against soem other good teams?

B&I Cup ia an abomination, a purely commercial enterprise that doesn't deliver its commercial aims and scales the heights of disinterest.

An Anglo-Welsh 2nd tier league certainly has more integrity than B&I Cup. 18 teams is too many, though, and I still have hopes that a proper English domestic Cup can be reinstated instead of LV and B&I.

Woos have recruited several Pirates players, but I'm amazed that their hooker Dave Ward hasn't been picked up by a Prem club.

Please excuse my ignorance too, but would the Welsh have the resources to compete? I know they can get up for the B&I cup games but could they cope with the grind of a season? The Championship is a fully professional league and many of the Welsh clubs are semi pros.

What would happen in a Welsh club won it? We'd have to ring fence the Premiership wouldn't we?

Kingshu wrote:who have you's enjoyed the BandI cup?

A distraction, or a good chance of silverware against soem other good teams?

King, it's been a distraction from a London Scottish point of view cos in all honesty we need to concentrate on survival and avoiding relegation - that said, it's been wonderful to play teams like Llanelli and Melrose, to of my favourite clubs from days of yore

B&I Cup a total waste of time (and money). We used it as an opportunity to trial a number of local players. We have a small squad and our Championship status is everything to us. Budgets are stretched to the limit as it is. As with most second tier clubs we need more funding from the RFU.

Would be great to have a second tier Anglo Welsh league and add a bit of spice but it would have to be well funded by the appropriate governing bodies.

Can't work out why some TV channel doesn't sign up the Championship and televise a live midweek game as a regular thing. Sure it wouldn't cost them much and due to the timing wouldn't compete with the Prem. Even a Championshi roundup show with highlights from the games played. I've seen some great open games this season some of which far better quality than that on offer at the top table!

EggChaser wrote:B&I Cup a total waste of time (and money). We used it as an opportunity to trial a number of local players. We have a small squad and our Championship status is everything to us. Budgets are stretched to the limit as it is. As with most second tier clubs we need more funding from the RFU.

Would be great to have a second tier Anglo Welsh league and add a bit of spice but it would have to be well funded by the appropriate governing bodies.

Can't work out why some TV channel doesn't sign up the Championship and televise a live midweek game as a regular thing. Sure it wouldn't cost them much and due to the timing wouldn't compete with the Prem. Even a Championshi roundup show with highlights from the games played. I've seen some great open games this season some of which far better quality than that on offer at the top table!

It's because the RFU own the commercial rights to the Championship and do sweet FA with them, except for giving the TV rights to Sky for free without obtaining a guarantee of plentiful coverage.

B&I cup has no incentive. There is no prize for winning it! Most Championship clubs use it to blood youngsters and fringe players. Nice to play different teams but the old national competition was better. Remember when Bees beat Wasps?

Well im a very casual (1 or 2 matches a year) Esher fan and this seasons not looking at all good!!