Rugby - The Championship. WTF?????
Discussion
Can anyone explain the current stages of the Championship???
Of the 12 clubs, one is going to be promoted, and one relegated. This bit I get. I could, at a push, understand having something similar to the GP farce where the top 4 compete for the promotion spot, but why on earth have they got 2 promotion pools with the top 8 teams represented????
From what I can see, this gives 2 promotion pools of 4 teams playing each other home and away, but what happens after that? Do the winners of each pool play each other for the promotion spot? Could we really end up with the team placed 8th after the regular season being promoted, and the one placed 9th being relegated? I'm not bloody surprised the GP clubs are more opposed than ever to relegation if they've got to go through that sort of absurd lottery to make it back up!
Why the hell do they have to make everything so bloody complicated?????
Of the 12 clubs, one is going to be promoted, and one relegated. This bit I get. I could, at a push, understand having something similar to the GP farce where the top 4 compete for the promotion spot, but why on earth have they got 2 promotion pools with the top 8 teams represented????
From what I can see, this gives 2 promotion pools of 4 teams playing each other home and away, but what happens after that? Do the winners of each pool play each other for the promotion spot? Could we really end up with the team placed 8th after the regular season being promoted, and the one placed 9th being relegated? I'm not bloody surprised the GP clubs are more opposed than ever to relegation if they've got to go through that sort of absurd lottery to make it back up!
Why the hell do they have to make everything so bloody complicated?????
I was confused too, and found this:
How the Championship works
12 clubs: Bedford Blues, Birmingham & Solihull, Bristol Rugby, Cornish Pirates, Coventry, Doncaster Knights, Exeter Chiefs, London Welsh, Moseley, Nottingham Rugby, Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans
League programme (22 matches) * all teams playing 22 matches (11 home & 11 away) * 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less * top 8 teams from league progress to promotion play-offs * teams 9-12 from league progress to relegation play-offs
Promotion play-offs (8 matches) * 2 pools of 4 teams playing 6 matches (3 home & 3 away) * 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less * teams ranked 1, 4, 5 & 8 from league play in Pool A * teams ranked 2, 3, 6 & 7 from league play in Pool B * after 6 pool matches, top 2 teams from Pools A & B progress to semi final and then the winners to the final * semi final draw – 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B & 1st Pool B v 2nd Pool A * promotion play-off matches scheduled March 13 – April 17 * semi finals May 1 & final May 8 at Twickenham * winner of Championship final promoted to Guinness Premiership subject to fulfilling entry criteria. Regulations
Update: Following the Management Board’s decision to agree to a 2-leg Championship Final rather than the single Twickenham Final, a draft set of regulations have been prepared for Governance and Council to approve. The changes deal with the format of the Final, which Club plays at Home in each match (Club with Best Playing Record in Stage 2 has the choice), how the winner shall be determined if the aggregate score after BOTH Championship Final matches is equal (try count, then Kicking Comp), the RFU shall appoint a 4th & 5th Official for each Championship Final Match, Financial – Gate Receipts shall belong 100% to the Home Club in the Championship Finals less any Central RFU Cost which shall be deducted from the finalist Clubs’ RFU quarterly payments.
Relegation play-offs (6 matches) * 1 pool of 4 teams playing 6 matches (3 home & 3 away) * 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring * 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less * relegation play-off matches scheduled for March 13 – April 17 * after 6 pool matches played, lowest ranked team is relegated to newly-named National Division One (level three)
How the Championship works
12 clubs: Bedford Blues, Birmingham & Solihull, Bristol Rugby, Cornish Pirates, Coventry, Doncaster Knights, Exeter Chiefs, London Welsh, Moseley, Nottingham Rugby, Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans
League programme (22 matches) * all teams playing 22 matches (11 home & 11 away) * 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less * top 8 teams from league progress to promotion play-offs * teams 9-12 from league progress to relegation play-offs
Promotion play-offs (8 matches) * 2 pools of 4 teams playing 6 matches (3 home & 3 away) * 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less * teams ranked 1, 4, 5 & 8 from league play in Pool A * teams ranked 2, 3, 6 & 7 from league play in Pool B * after 6 pool matches, top 2 teams from Pools A & B progress to semi final and then the winners to the final * semi final draw – 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B & 1st Pool B v 2nd Pool A * promotion play-off matches scheduled March 13 – April 17 * semi finals May 1 & final May 8 at Twickenham * winner of Championship final promoted to Guinness Premiership subject to fulfilling entry criteria. Regulations
Update: Following the Management Board’s decision to agree to a 2-leg Championship Final rather than the single Twickenham Final, a draft set of regulations have been prepared for Governance and Council to approve. The changes deal with the format of the Final, which Club plays at Home in each match (Club with Best Playing Record in Stage 2 has the choice), how the winner shall be determined if the aggregate score after BOTH Championship Final matches is equal (try count, then Kicking Comp), the RFU shall appoint a 4th & 5th Official for each Championship Final Match, Financial – Gate Receipts shall belong 100% to the Home Club in the Championship Finals less any Central RFU Cost which shall be deducted from the finalist Clubs’ RFU quarterly payments.
Relegation play-offs (6 matches) * 1 pool of 4 teams playing 6 matches (3 home & 3 away) * 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring * 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less * relegation play-off matches scheduled for March 13 – April 17 * after 6 pool matches played, lowest ranked team is relegated to newly-named National Division One (level three)
oxford drinker said:
It does seem odd that in the relegation play-off, Moseley could end up going down despite finishing 55 points ahead of Birmingham and Solihull, who won none of their 22 matches. Can't really see the point in the first 22 games if your fate rests solely on what happens afterwards.
Indeed. Surely the most sensible option is to nurse your squad gently, ideally finishing in 8th, and then starting your actual campaign from that point?As things stand, we're looking at the farcical situation of Birmingham finishing the regular season on -9 points, and now sitting on played 2 won 2 out of the 6 matches to decide relegation, and looking pretty safe!
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