The 2016âÂÂ17 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, is the eighth 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 is contested by eleven English clubs and one from Jersey in the Channel Islands. This will be the fourth year of the competition's sponsorship with Greene King Brewery. The twelve teams in the RFU Championship also compete in the British and Irish Cup, along with clubs from Ireland and Wales. Some matches in the RFU Championship are broadcast on Sky Sports.
On 24 January 2017 London Welsh were expelled from the championship after failing to meet the conditions required by the RFU to extend a temporary licence granted after their liquidation. The club's record for the season was expunged. The RFU announced that no team would be relegated from the Championship at the end of the season.
The Championship's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The play-off structure will remain the same as the previous year. The top four teams at the end of the home-and-away season qualify for the promotion play-offs which follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. The winners have to meet the RFU's Minimum Standards Criteria in order to be promoted to the English Premiership. There is no promotion if a ground fails to meet the criteria. Unlike previous seasons there will be no relegation from the league this year.
In 2015 the RFU increased annual funding to over ã500,000 per club, an agreement which will last until 2020. Despite this, Cornish Pirates stated more money was needed in RFU grants to support a fully professional second tier.
The 2016âÂÂ17 season was also the last for play-offs in the Championship for three seasons. Starting with the 2017âÂÂ18 season, the play-offs will be replaced by automatic promotion for the team that finishes first in the home-and-away season, provided said team meets the Minimum Standards Criteria.
After ten seasons in the Championship Birmingham Moseley were relegated following their last place finish in 2016. They are replaced by Richmond, who won the National League 1 and return to the second tier for the first time since 1997. Richmond subsequently entered administration and dropped eight tiers following two seasons in the premiership between 1997 and 1999. As a result, Richmond stated that they would remain semi-professional and not sign any professional players despite the RFU Championship being fully professional. London Irish, an original founder of the professional English Premiership, join the league after relegation from the 2015âÂÂ16 Aviva Premiership, finishing bottom of the table.
On 7 December 2016 London Welsh RFC went into liquidation. They were deducted 20 points but allowed to continue in the Championship until January when the RFU would decide on their future. On 24 January 2017 London Welsh were expelled from the championship after failing to meet the conditions required by the RFU to extend the temporary licence. The club's record for the season was expunged and there would be no relegation from the Championship at the end of season.
Fixtures for the season were announced by the RFU on 8 July 2016.
The semi-finals follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system â with the games being played over two-legs and the higher placed team choosing which leg they play at home. The matches are due to be played on 28/30 April 2017 and 5/6 May 2017. London Irish and Yorkshire finished 1st and 2nd respectively and both chose to play the second leg at home. It was announced on 27 April that both London Irish and Yorkshire Carnegie were eligible for promotion while Doncaster Knights and Ealing Trailfinders did not apply for audit for minimum standards criteria and therefore will not be promoted should they win the championship.
The final is played over two legs â with the higher placed team deciding which leg they play at home.
82 â 3 London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
62 â 12 London Irish away to London Scottish on 30 October 2016
82 â 3 London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017
London Scottish at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 2 December 2016
N/A - multiple teams
Tommy Bell for London Irish away to London Scottish on 30 October 2016
Tyson Lewis for Doncaster Knights away to Richmond on 17 September 2016<br> Patrick Tapley for Bedford Blues at home to Richmond on 1 October 2016<br> Jason Harries for London Scottish away to Doncaster Knights on 5 November 2016<br> TJ Harris for Nottingham at home to Yorkshire Carnegie on 26 December 2016<br> Ben West for Yorkshire Carnegie at home to Richmond on 26 March 2017<br> Ryan Burrows for Yorkshire Carnegie away to Bedford Blues on 8 April 2017<br> Alex Lewington for London Irish at home to Rotherham Titans on 8 April 2017<br> Tom Duncan for Cornish Pirates at home to Bedford Blues on 15 April 2017<br> James Stephenson for Nottingham away to London Scottish on 15 April 2017
Tommy Bell for London Irish away to London Scottish on 30 October 2016<br> Joe Ford for Yorkshire Carnegie at home to Rotherham Titans on 5 February 2017
Peter Lydon for London Scottish at home to Ealing Trailfinders on 2 December 2016
N/A - multiple players
London Irish at home to Cornish Pirates on 18 March 2017
Ealing Trailfinders at home to Jersey Reds on 17 September 2016
London Irish
Ealing Trailfinders