2011–12 RFU Championship

2011–12 RFU Championship
Countries  England
Champions London Welsh
Runners-up Cornish Pirates
Relegated Esher
Matches played 174
Attendance 343,138 (average 1,972 per match)
Top point scorer EnglandRob Cook
(Cornish Pirates) 310 pts
Top try scorer EnglandJosh Bassett
(Bedford Blues) 17 tries

The 2011–12 RFU Championship was the third season (of the professionalised format) of the second tier of the English domestic rugby union competition, played between August 2011 and May 2012. New teams to the division included Leeds Carnegie who were relegated from the Aviva Premiership 2010-11 and London Scottish who were promoted from National League 1. The competition was reorganized from three stages to two (the promotion/relegation pools from the previous season were scrapped). The first stage was won by Bristol and the final by London Welsh who, after an appeal, won promotion to the Aviva Premiership 2012-13. Esher were relegated to National League 1 2012-13.

On 8 May 2012 it was announced that only Bristol was eligible for promotion under the RFU's minimum standards criteria.[1] They were subsequently beaten by the Cornish Pirates in the semi–finals who in turn lost to the eventual champions, London Welsh.[2] London Welsh had announced on 14 May that they would meet the RFU's eligibility test to play in the Premiership if they win promotion and two days later announced they would play in the Kassam Stadium in Oxford if successful. On 23 May, the day of the first leg of the final, the RFU announced that London Welsh would not be eligible for promotion due to "various failures". The appeal by London Welsh was heard by an Independent Panel on 29 June which ruled ″... that the Exiles should be promoted on the basis that they play their home games at Oxford's Kassam Stadium and that the club meet the minimum entry criteria to the league as imposed by the Professional Game Board.″ Chief Executive Officer of the RFU, Ian Richie, subsequently announced that there would be a full review of the Minimum Standard Criteria.[3][4][5]

Participating teams

This season will see Leeds Carnegie back in the Championship following relegation from the Aviva Premiership during the 2010-11 season, as well as London Scottish, who won promotion to the Championship from the National League 1 during the same season.

Team Stadium Capacity City/Area
Bedford Blues Goldington Road 6,000 Bedford, Bedfordshire
Bristol Memorial Stadium 12,100 Bristol, Avon
Cornish Pirates Mennaye Field 3,500 Penzance, Cornwall
Doncaster Knights Castle Park 3,075 Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Esher Molesey Road 3,000 Hersham, Surrey
Leeds Carnegie Headingley Carnegie Stadium 20,250 Leeds, West Yorkshire
London Scottish Athletic Ground, Richmond 4,500 Richmond, London
London Welsh Old Deer Park 5,850 Richmond, London
Moseley Billesley Common 3,000 Birmingham, West Midlands
Nottingham Meadow Lane 19,588 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Plymouth Albion The Brickfields 8,500 Plymouth, Devon
Rotherham Titans Clifton Lane 2,500 Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Stage one

League table

2011–12 RFU Championship Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Bonus Points Points
1 Bristol 22 17 0 5 615 386 229 13 81
2 Bedford Blues 22 14 1 7 640 476 164 16 74
3 Cornish Pirates 22 14 3 5 606 464 142 12 74
4 London Welsh (C) 22 13 2 7 528 432 96 11 67
5 Nottingham 22 12 2 8 599 465 134 10 62
6 Leeds Carnegie 22 13 1 8 470 505 –35 6 60
7 Rotherham Titans 22 11 1 10 469 431 38 11 57
8 Doncaster Knights 22 9 2 11 467 524 –57 10 50
9 London Scottish 22 6 0 16 422 543 –121 10 34
10 Moseley 22 6 1 15 445 634 –189 7 33
11 Plymouth Albion 22 6 0 16 362 528 –166 6 30
12 Esher (R) 22 4 1 17 376 611 –235 5 23
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion play-off places. Pink background are relegation play-off places.

League results

The Home Team is listed on the left column.

Clubs BED BRI PIR DON ESH LEE SCO WEL MOS NOT PLY ROT
Bedford Blues 15-17 32-13 18-18 41-13 28-45 43-10 22-18 37-24 40-26 29-17 24-23
Bristol 26-6 37-33 52-26 27-7 33-19 32-13 35-33 48-13 18-16 39-22 37-3
Cornish Pirates 24-34 18-17 39-32 34-18 52-10 42-10 27-6 32-17 26-24 33-12 30-13
Doncaster Knights 33-12 12-38 36-21 41-24 9-9 37-28 10-21 29-21 15-32 12-3 14-15
Esher 6-55 6-20 30-36 20-29 15-20 24-14 3-37 14-29 22-34 41-17 24-12
Leeds Carnegie 21-17 12-11 14-13 16-30 22-24 19-17 13-26 22-21 22-19 28-23 25-19
London Scottish 15-41 6-20 23-25 20-25 32-17 16-23 22-29 37-21 6-21 21-17 16-11
London Welsh 25-24 23-17 17-17 37-24 13-13 29-39 18-16 7-10 34-23 34-23 25-33
Moseley 15-24 33-27 27-27 17-15 35-21 32-42 16-29 16-41 10-20 9-3 8-36
Nottingham 26-28 24-35 25-25 40-14 29-20 24-11 33-21 26-10 62-20 34-10 30-30
Plymouth Albion 21-38 3-23 16-20 18-6 22-11 25-20 29-25 9-24 21-20 19-21 24-20
Rotherham Titans 40-32 44-6 14-19 23-10 12-3 22-18 0-15 20-21 40-31 19-11 20-8


Home Win Draw Away Win

[6]

Round 1

3rd September 2011
14:00
Doncaster Knights 13-38 Bristol
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,098
Referee: Ian Tempest
3rd September 2011
14:00
Moseley 27-27 Cornish Pirates
Billesley
Attendance: 806
Referee: Terry Hall
3rd September 2011
14:00
Plymouth Albion 22-11 Esher
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,330
Referee: Ross Campbell
4 September 2011
14:00
Leeds Carnegie 13-26 London Welsh
Headingley
Attendance: 2,343
Referee: Darren Gamage
4 September 2011
14:00
London Scottish 16-11 Rotherham Titans
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,375
Referee: Matt Carley
4 September 2011
14:00
Nottingham 26-28 Bedford Blues
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,733
Referee: Sean Davey

Round 2

10 September 2011
14:00
Esher 6-55 Bedford Blues
Molesey Road
Attendance: 986
Referee: Paul Knowles
10 September 2011
14:00
London Welsh 34-23 Plymouth Albion
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 798
Referee: Martin Fox
10 September 2011
14:00
Moseley 10-20 Nottingham
Billesley
Attendance: 738
Referee: Ross Campbell
11 September 2011
14:00
Bristol 32-13 London Scottish
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 4,670
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
11 September 2011
14:00
Cornish Pirates 39-32 Doncaster Knights
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,990
Referee: Steve Lee
11 September 2011
14:00
Rotherham Titans 22-18 Leeds Carnegie
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,750
Referee: Steve Lee

Round 3

16 September 2011
18:45
Nottingham 29-20 Esher
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,105
Referee: Chris White
16 September 2011
18:45
Plymouth Albion 24-20 Rotherham Titans
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,675
Referee: Terry Hall
17 September 2011
13:00
London Scottish 23-25 Cornish Pirates
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,187
Referee: Andrew
17 September 2011
13:30
Doncaster Knights 29-21 Moseley
Castle Park
Attendance: 707
Referee: Steve Lee
17 September 2011
14:00
Bedford Blues 22-18 London Welsh
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,703
Referee: Michael Tutty
18 September 2011
12:00
Leeds Carnegie 12-11 Bristol
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 2,599
Referee: Sean Davey

Round 4

24 September 2011
14:00
Doncaster Knights 37-28 London Scottish
Castle Park
Attendance: 752
Referee: Michael Tutty
24 September 2011
14:00
London Welsh 34-23 Nottingham
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 830
Referee: Terry Hall
24 September 2011
14:00
Moseley 35-21 Esher
Billesley
Attendance: 682
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
24 September 2011
14:00
Rotherham Titans 40-32 Bedford Blues
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,487
Referee: Andrew
24 September 2011
15:15
Cornish Pirates 52-10 Leeds Carnegie
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,007
Referee: Luke Pearce
25 September 2011
14:00
Bristol 39-22 Plymouth Albion
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 4,054
Referee: Steve Lee

Round 5

30 September 2011
18:45
Esher 3-37 London Welsh
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,216
Referee: Luke Pearce
30 September 2011
18:45
Nottingham 30-30 Rotherham Titans
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,038
Referee: Darren Gamage
1 October 2011
14:00
Bedford Blues 15-17 Bristol
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,831
Referee: Michael Tutty
1 October 2011
14:00
Plymouth Albion 16-20 Cornish Pirates
Brickfields
Attendance: 2,850
Referee: Matt Carley
2 October 2011
13:00
London Scottish 37-21 Moseley
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 740
Referee: Ross Campbell
2 October 2011
14:00
Leeds Carnegie 16-30 Doncaster Knights
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 2,368
Referee: Andrew

Round 6

7 October 2011
18:45
Bristol 18-15 Nottingham
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 4,023
Referee: Andrew
8 October 2011
13:30
Doncaster Knights 12-3 Plymouth Albion
Castle Park
Attendance: 859
Referee: Ross Campbell
8 October 2011
14:00
London Scottish 16-23 Leeds Carnegie
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,285
Referee: Matt Carley
8 October 2011
14:00
Moseley 16-41 London Welsh
Billesley
Attendance: 767
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
8 October 2011
14:00
Rotherham Titans 12-3 Esher
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 861
Referee: Ian Tempest
9 October 2011
14:00
Cornish Pirates 24-34 Bedford Blues
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,092
Referee: Terry Hall

Round 7

Friday 14 October 2011
18:45
Nottingham 25-25 Cornish Pirates
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,363
Referee: Steve Lee
Saturday 15 October 2011
13:30
Esher 6-20 Bristol
Molesey Road
Attendance: 832
Referee: Darren Gamage
Saturday 15 October 2011
14:00
London Welsh 25-33 Rotherham Titans
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,072
Referee: Andrew
Saturday 15 October 2011
14:00
Plymouth Albion 29-25 London Scottish
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,455
Referee: Terry Hall
Saturday 15 October 2011
14:00
Bedford Blues 18-18 Doncaster Knights
Goldington Road
Attendance: 3,573
Referee: Martin Fox
Saturday 16 October 2011
14:00
Leeds Carnegie 22-21 Moseley
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 1,724
Referee: Michael Tutty

Round 8

21 October 2011
18:45
Bristol 35-33 London Welsh
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,046
Referee: JP Doyle
22 October 2011
13:30
Doncaster Knights 15-32 Nottingham
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,071
Referee: Ian Tempest
22 October 2011
14:00
London Scottish 15-41 Bedford Blues
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,381
Referee: Steve Lee
22 October 2011
14:00
Moseley 8-36 Rotherham Titans
Billesley
Attendance: 915
Referee: J Matthews
23 October 2011
14:00
Cornish Pirates 34-18 Esher
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,965
Referee: Michael Tutty
23 October 2011
14:00
Leeds Carnegie 28-23 Plymouth Albion
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 1,805
Referee: Darren Gamage

Round 9

28 October 2011
18:45
Plymouth Albion 21-20 Moseley
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,725
Referee: Michael Tutty
29 October 2011
14:00
Bedford Blues 28-45 Leeds Carnegie
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,763
Referee: Ross Campbell
29 October 2011
14:00
Esher 20-29 Doncaster Knights
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,019
Referee: Dean Richards
29 October 2011
14:00
London Welsh 17-17 Cornish Pirates
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,749
Referee: Cedric Marchat
29 October 2011
14:00
Rotherham Titans 44-6 Bristol
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 2,007
Referee: Terry Hall
30 October 2011
14:00
Nottingham 33-31 London Scottish
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,636
Referee: Darren Gamage

Round 10

5 November 2011
14:30
Doncaster Knights 10-21 London Welsh
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,042
Referee: Ross Campbell
5 November 2011
15:00
London Scottish 32-17 Esher
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,413
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
5 November 2011
15:00
Moseley 33-27 Bristol
Billesley
Attendance: 897
Referee: Matt Carley
5 November 2011
15:00
Plymouth Albion 21-38 Bedford Blues
Goldington Road
Attendance: 1,455
Referee: Paul Knowles
6 November 2011
14:15
Cornish Pirates 30-13 Rotherham Titans
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,506
Referee: Darren Gamage
6 November 2011
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 22-19 Nottingham
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 2,083
Referee: Terry Hall

Round 11

18 November 2011
19:45
Nottingham 34-10 Plymouth Albion
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,078
Referee: Steve Lee
19 November 2011
14:00
Rotherham Titans 23-10 Doncaster Knights
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 2,467
Referee: Dean Richards
19 November 2011
14:30
London Welsh 18-16 London Scottish
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 2,290
Referee: Matt Carley
19 November 2011
15:00
Bedford Blues 37-24 Moseley
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,429
Referee: Michael Tutty
19 November 2011
15:00
Esher 15-20 Leeds Carnegie
Molesey Road
Attendance: 844
Referee: Cemmy Rudkin
20 November 2011
15:00
Bristol 37-33 Cornish Pirates
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,044
Referee: David Rose

Round 12

25 November 2011
20:00
Leeds Carnegie 25-19 Rotherham Titans
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 3,167
Referee: Ian Tempest
26 November 2011
15:00
Bedford Blues 41-13 Esher
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,104
Referee: Andrew
26 November 2011
15:00
Doncaster Knights 36-21 Cornish Pirates
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,188
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
26 November 2011
15:00
Plymouth Albion 9-24 London Welsh
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,853
Referee: Terry Hall
27 November 2011
15:00
London Scottish 6-20 Bristol
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,333
Referee: Michael Tutty
27 November 2011
15:00
Nottingham 62-20 Moseley
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,371
Referee: Dean Richards

Round 13

2 December 2011
19:45
Esher 22-34 Nottingham
Molesey Road
Attendance: 766
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
3 December 2011
15:00
Rotherham Titans 20-8 Plymouth Albion
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,437
Referee: Paul Knowles
3 December 2011
15:00
Moseley 17-15 Doncaster Knights
Billesley
Attendance: 757
Referee: Darren Gamage
3 December 2011
15:00
London Welsh 25-24 Bedford Blues
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,078
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
4 December 2011
15:00
Bristol 33-19 Leeds Carnegie
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,107
Referee: Matt Carley
4 December 2011
15:00
Cornish Pirates 42-10 London Scottish
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,168

Round 14

9 December 2011
19:45
Nottingham 26-10 London Welsh
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,187
Referee: Ross Campbell
10 December 2011
15:00
Bedford Blues 24-23 Rotherham Titans
Goldington Road
Attendance: 1,964
Referee: Matt Carley
10 December 2011
15:00
Esher 14-29 Moseley
Molesey Road
Attendance: 789
Referee: Steve Lee
10 December 2011
15:00
London Scottish 20-25 Doncaster Knights
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 892
Referee: Paul Knowles
10 December 2011
15:00
Plymouth Albion 3-23 Bristol
Brickfields
Attendance: 2,011
Referee: Geraint Roberts
11 December 2011
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 14-13 Cornish Pirates
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 2,568
Referee: Dean Richards

Round 15

23 December 2011
18:00
Bristol 26-6 Bedford Blues
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 8,607
Referee: Martin Fox
24 December 2011
14:00
Cornish Pirates 33-12 Plymouth Albion
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 3,214
Referee: Luke Pearce
24 December 2011
14:00
Rotherham Titans 19-11 Nottingham
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,881
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
26 December 2011
14:00
London Welsh 13-13 Esher
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,150
Referee: Paul Knowles
26 December 2011
15:30
Doncaster Knights 9-9 Leeds Carnegie
Castle Park
Attendance: 2,107
Referee: Darren Gamage
26 December 2011
16:00
Moseley 16-29 London Scottish
Billesley
Attendance: 905
Referee: Alan Campbell

Round 16

30 December 2011
19:45
Nottingham 24-35 Bristol
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 2,102
Referee: Ian Tempest
30 December 2011
19:45
Plymouth Albion 18-6 Doncaster Knights
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,801
Referee: Matt Carley
31 December 2011
14:00
London Welsh 7-10 Moseley
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 908
31 December 2011
15:00
Esher 24-12 Rotherham Titans
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,066
1 January 2012
15:00
Bedford Blues 32-13 Cornish Pirates
Goldington Road
Attendance: 4,396
Referee: Steve Lee
1 January 2012
19:45
Leeds Carnegie 19-17 London Scottish
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 2,306
Referee: Michael Tutty

Round 17

7 January 2012
14:00
Rotherham Titans 20-21 London Welsh
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,362
Referee: Michael Tutty
7 January 2012
14:30
Doncaster Knights 33-12 Bedford Blues
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,201
Referee: Terry Hall
7 January 2012
15:00
London Scottish 21-17 Plymouth Albion
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,189
Referee: Dean Richards
7 January 2012
15:00
Moseley 32-42 Leeds Carnegie
Billesley
Attendance: 775
Referee: Sean Davey
8 January 2012
14:00
Bristol 27-7 Esher
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 4,608
8 January 2012
14:00
Cornish Pirates 26-24 Nottingham
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,026
Referee: Ross Campbell

Round 18

14 January 2012
13:00
Rotherham Titans 40-31 Moseley
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,236
Referee: Steve Lee
14 January 2012
14:00
London Welsh 23-17 Bristol
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 2,100
Referee: Dean Richards
14 January 2012
15:00
Bedford Blues 43-10 London Scottish
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,553
Referee: Darren Gamage
14 January 2012
15:00
Esher 30-36 Cornish Pirates
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,216
Referee: Michael Tutty
14 January 2012
15:00
Plymouth Albion 25-20 Leeds Carnegie
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,732
Referee: Paul Knowles
14 January 2012
Nottingham P – P Doncaster Knights


Round 19

27 January 2012
19:00
Moseley 9-3 Plymouth Albion
Billesley
Attendance: 879
Referee: Michael Tutty
28 January 2012
15:00
Doncaster Knights 41-24 Esher
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,273
Referee: Steve Lee
29 January 2012
14:00
Cornish Pirates 27-6 London Welsh
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,802
Referee: JP Doyle
29 January 2012
14:00
London Scottish 6-21 Nottingham
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,105
Referee: Matt Carley
29 January 2012
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 21-17 Bedford Blues
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 2,514
Referee: David Pearson
29 January 2012
15:00
Bristol 37-3 Rotherham Titans
Memorial Ground
Attendance: 4,822
Referee: Darren Gamage

Round 20

11 February 2012
15:00
Bedford Blues 29-17 Plymouth Albion
Goldington Road
Attendance: 1,407
Referee: Greg MacDonald
11 February 2012
15:00
Esher 24-14 London Scottish
Molesey Road
Attendance: 743
Referee: Steve Lee
11 February 2012
London Welsh P - P Doncaster Knights

11 February 2012
Nottingham P - P Leeds Carnegie

12 February 2012
14:00
Bristol 48-13 Moseley
Memorial Ground
Attendance: 4,322
Referee: Ross Campbell
13 February 2012
14:00
Rotherham Titans 14-19 Cornish Pirates
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 465
Referee: Michael Tutty

Round 18 (Rescheduled Game)

15 February 2012
19:45
Nottingham 40-14 Doncaster Knights
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 837
Referee: Paul Knowles

Round 21

18 February 2012
12:05
Doncaster Knights 14-15 Rotherham Titans
Castle Park
Attendance: 4,021
Referee: Steve Lee
18 February 2012
15:00
Moseley 15-24 Bedford Blues
Billesley
Attendance: 879
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
18 February 2012
15:00
Plymouth Albion 19-21 Nottingham
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,496
Referee: Darren Gamage
19 February 2012
14:00
Cornish Pirates 18-17 Bristol
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 3,115
Referee: Dave Ward
19 February 2012
14:00
London Scottish 22-29 London Welsh
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 2,103
Referee: Dean Richards
19 February 2012
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 22-24 Esher
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 1,983
Referee: Grey MacDonald

Round 20 (Rescheduled Games)

22 February 2012
14:00
London Welsh 37-14 Doncaster Knights
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 365
22 February 2012
15:00
Nottingham 24-11 Leeds Carnegie
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 487
Referee: Steve Lee

Round 22

24 February 2012
19:45
Bristol 52-26 Doncaster Knights
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 4,631
Referee: Michael Tutty
25 February 2012
13:00
London Welsh 29-39 Leeds Carnegie
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 4,400
Referee: Martin Fox
25 February 2012
14:00
Bedford Blues 40-26 Nottingham
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,336
Referee: Steve Lee
25 February 2012
14:00
Cornish Pirates 32-17 Moseley
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,844
25 February 2012
14:00
Esher 41-17 Plymouth Albion
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,066
Referee: Terry Hall
25 February 2012
14:00
Rotherham Titans 0-15 London Scottish
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 935
Referee: Ross Campbell

Attendances

A total of 251,542 people watched the 132 matches stage one matches to give an average of 1,903 per match. The highest attendance was 8,067 on Sunday, 8 January 2012 at the match between Bristol and Bedford Blues which Bristol won 26–6.

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Bristol 57,394 5,217 8,067 4,023
Bedford Blues 29,049 2,640 4,396 1,407
Leeds Carnegie 25,460 2,314 3,167 1,724
Cornish Pirates 24,729 2,248 3,214 1,802
Plymouth Albion 19,374 1,761 2,850 1,330
London Welsh 16,740 1,521 4,400 365
Rotherham Titans 15,874 1,443 2,467 463
Donscaster Knights 15,314 1,392 4,021 707
London Scottish 14,003 1,273 2,103 740
Nottingham 13,930 1,266 2,102 487
Esher 10,590 962 1,263 743
Moseley 9,085 825 995 682

[7]

Stage two Play–offs

Group A (promotion)

Pos Team P W D L F A +/– BP PTS Adj
1 Bristol 6 4 2 0 185 83 102 2 25 3
2 London Welsh 6 4 1 1 171 127 44 3 23 2
3 Nottingham 6 2 1 3 152 118 34 2 13 1
4 Doncaster Knights 6 0 0 6 66 246 –180 1 1 0

Round 1

9 March 2012
19:45
Doncaster Knights 3-65 Bristol
Castle Park
Attendance: 1,113
Referee: Ross Campbell
10 March 2012
12:30
London Welsh 32-21 Nottingham
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 654
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint

Round 2

18 March 2012
15:00
Bristol 12-12 London Welsh
Memorial Ground
Attendance: 4,721
Referee: Dean Richards
18 March 2012
15:00
Nottingham 30-3 Doncaster Knights
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,079
Referee: Steve Lee

Round 3

24 March 2012
14:30
London Welsh 34-24 Doncaster Knights
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,048
Referee: Matt Carley
25 March 2012
15:00
Nottingham 19-24 Bristol
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,511

Round 4

30 March 2012
19:45
Bristol 19-19 Nottingham
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 7,021
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint
31 March 2012
14:30
Doncaster Knights 19-40 London Welsh
Castle Park
Attendance: 898
Referee: Steve Lee

Round 5

14 April 2012
13:00
Doncaster Knights 7-38 Nottingham
Castle Park
Attendance: 974
Referee: Ross Campbell
15 April 2012
14:15
London Welsh 20-26 Bristol
Old Deer Park
Attendance: 1,725
Referee: David Rose

Round 6

21 April 2012
14:00
Bristol 39-10 Doncaster Knights
Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 5,102
Referee: Ian Tempest
21 April 2012
14:00
Nottingham 25-33 London Welsh
Meadow Lane
Attendance: 1,471
Referee: Greg MacDonald

Group A Attendances

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Bristol 16,754 5,584 7,021 4,721
London Welsh 4,359 1,453 1,725 1,048
Nottingham 4,061 1,353 1,511 1,079
Doncaster Knights 2,985 995 1,113 898

[8]

Group B (promotion)

Pos Team P W D L F A +/– BP PTS Adj
1 Bedford Blues 6 4 1 1 155 109 46 3 24 3
2 Cornish Pirates 6 3 1 2 127 133 –6 2 18 2
3 Leeds Carnegie 6 2 2 2 124 127 –3 2 15 1
4 Rotherham Titans 6 1 0 5 88 125 –37 2 6 0

Round 1

10 March 2012
14:00
Rotherham Titans 19-32 Bedford Blues
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,586
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
10 March 2012
14:30
Cornish Pirates 14-14 Leeds Carnegie
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,953
Referee: Paul Knowles

Round 2

16 March 2012
19:45
Bedford Blues 26-25 Cornish Pirates
Goldington Road
Attendance: 3,377
Referee: Michael Tutty
18 March 2012
12:15
Leeds Carnegie 3-20 Rotherham Titans
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 1,057
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint

Round 3

25 March 2012
15:00
Cornish Pirates 25-17 Rotherham Titans
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 1,923
Referee: Darren Gamage
25 March 2012
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 24-24 Bedford Blues
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 1,782
Referee: David Pearson

Round 4

31 March 2012
14:00
Rotherham Titans 14-17 Cornish Pirates
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,222
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
31 March 2012
15:00
Bedford Blues 26-20 Leeds Carnegie
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,977
Referee: Matthew Carley

Round 5

14 April 2012
14:00
Rotherham Titans 18-21 Leeds Carnegie
Clifton Lane
Attendance: 1,062
Referee: Steve Lee
15 April 2012
14:00
Cornish Pirates 21-20 Bedford Blues
Mennaye Field
Attendance: 2,139
Referee: Luke Pearce

Round 6

21 April 2012
14:00
Bedford Blues 27-0 Rotherham Titans
Goldington Road
Attendance: 2,942
Referee: Darren Gamage
21 April 2012
14:00
Leeds Carnegie 42-25 Cornish Pirates
Headingley Stadium
Attendance: 1,588
Referee: Ross Campbell

Group B Attendances

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Bedford Blues 9,296 3,098 3,377 2,942
Cornish Pirates 6,015 2,005 2,319 1,923
Leeds Carnegie 4,427 1,475 1,782 1,057
Rotherham Titans 3,870 1,290 1,586 1,062

[9]

Group C (relegation)

Pos Team P W D L F A +/– BP PTS Adj
1 Moseley 6 4 0 2 147 142 5 3 25 6
2 Plymouth Albion 6 4 0 2 152 115 37 2 24 6
3 London Scottish 6 2 0 4 102 139 –37 4 18 6
4 Esher 6 2 0 4 128 133 –5 4 16 4

Round 1

9 March 2012
19:30
Moseley 25-17 Plymouth Albion
Billesley
Attendance: 783
Referee: Matt Carley
10 March 2012
15:00
Esher 16-20 London Scottish
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,267
Referee: Wayne Barnes

Round 2

16 March 2012
19:45
Plymouth Albion 18-11 Esher
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,433
18 March 2012
14:00
London Scottish 23-20 Moseley
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 915
Referee: Paul Knowles

Round 3

23 March 2012
19:45
Plymouth Albion 35-7 London Scottish
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,564
24 March 2012
14:00
Moseley 27-15 Esher
Billesley
Attendance: 1,117
Referee: Ross Campbell

Round 4

31 March 2012
15:00
Esher 13-25 Moseley
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,418
Referee: Darren Gamage
1 April 2012
13:00
London Scottish 6-11 Plymouth Albion
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 1,122
Referee: Ian Tempest

Round 5

14 April 2012
14:00
Esher 42-17 Plymouth Albion
Molesey Road
Attendance: 1,121
Referee: Matt Carley
14 April 2012
14:00
Moseley 26-20 London Scottish
Billesley
Attendance: 1,349
Referee: Darren Gamage

Round 6

21 April 2012
14:00
London Scottish 26-31 Esher
Richmond Athletic Ground
Attendance: 2,027
Referee: Luke Pearce
21 April 2012
14:00
Plymouth Albion 54-24 Moseley
Brickfields
Attendance: 1,728
Referee: John Meredith

Group C Attendances

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Plymouth Albion 4,725 1,575 1,728 1,433
London Scottish 3,964 1,321 2,027 815
Esher 3,806 1,268 1,418 1,121
Moseley 3,249 1,083 1,349 783

[10]

Stage three

Going into the final stage, only one of the four semi–finalists Bristol, reportedly met the RFU's standards for promotion to the Premiership. According to some reports, London Welsh were also pursuing promotion, and announced on 14 May they would attempt a legal challenge to the Premiership's entry criteria if they won the play–offs. The Cornish Pirates could not meet the criteria due to deficiencies at their home ground at the Mennaye Field.[11]

Semi–finals

4 May 2012
19:45
Bedford Blues England 3 – 13 England London Welsh
Pen: Pritchard 63' (1)
Report Try: Tonga'uiha 22'c
Con: Davies (1/1)
Pen: Davies 27', 40' (2)
Goldington Road, Bedford
Attendance: 4,075
Referee: Sean Davey (England)
FB 15Canada James Pritchard (c)
RW 14England Ollie Dodge
OC 13Ireland Brendan Burke
IC 12England Henry Staff
LW 11England Josh Bassett
FH 10England Jake Sharp
SH 9 England Luke Baldwin
N8 8 England Donald Barrell
OF 7 England Darren Fox
BF 6 England Alex Rae
RL 5 England Mike Howard
LL 4 Samoa Paul Tupai
TP 3 England Ben Cooper
HK 2 England Chris Locke
LP 1 England Ricky Reeves
Replacements:
HK 16Scotland Neil Cochrane
PR 17England Sam Walsh
PR 18England Phil Boulton
N8 19England Jon Fisher
FL 20England Sacha Harding
SH 21South Africa Darryl Veenendaal
FH 22England Jamie Lennard
Coach: Wales Mike Rayer
FB 15England Alex Davies
RW 14Nigeria Joe Ajuwa
OC 13Wales James Lewis
IC 12Tonga Hudson Tonga'uiha
LW 11England Nick Scott
FH 10Scotland Gordon Ross
SH 9 Wales Jack Moates
N8 8 England Ed Jackson
OF 7 England Mike Denbee
BF 6 Wales Jonathan Mills (c)
RL 5 England Matt Corker
LL 4 Wales Adam Brown
TP 3 England James Tideswell
HK 2 Wales Dan George
LP 1 England Billy Moss
Replacements:
HK 16Tonga Viliami Ma'asi
PR 17United States Shawn Pittman
PR 18England Greg Bateman
LK 19England Gary Johnson
FL 20England Lee Beach
SH 21Wales Robert Lewis
CE 22England Seb Jewell
Coach: Wales Lyn Jones

Touch judges:
England Barry Dalby
England Martin Buck


7 May 2012
12:05
Cornish Pirates England 45 – 24 England Bristol
Try: Cook 48'c, Rimmer 58'c, 76'm,
Doherty 66'c, Pointer 72'c
Con: Cook (4/5)
Pen: Cook 15', 22', 26', 52' (4)
Report Try: Merriman 6'c, Helu 10'c, 55'c
Con: Jones (3/3)
Pen: Jones 20' (1)
Mennaye Field, Penzance
Attendance: 2,983
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
FB 15England Rob Cook
RW 14England Grant Pointer
OC 13United States Andrew Suniula
IC 12England Sam Hill
LW 11England David Doherty
FH 10Wales Ceiron Thomas
SH 9 Wales Gavin Cattle (c)
N8 8 England Ben Maidment
OF 7 England Phil Burgess
BF 6 England Chris Morgan
RL 5 Scotland Ian Nimmo
LL 4 New Zealand Laurie McGlone
TP 3 England Alan Paver
HK 2 England Dave Ward
LP 1 England Carl Rimmer
Replacements:
PR 16England Ryan Storer
HK 17Germany Rob Elloway
PR 18South Africa Rudi Brits
FL 19Zimbabwe Dave Ewers
N8 20England Kyle Marriott
SH 21England Tom Kessell
WG 22Canada Matt Evans
Coach: Wales Ian Davies
FB 15England Jon Goodridge
RW 14Ireland Jack Tovey
OC 13Samoa Fautua Otto
IC 12England Luke Eves
LW 11Tonga William Helu
FH 10Wales Matthew Jones
SH 9 New Zealand Ruki Tipuna
N8 8 Australia Dan Montagu
OF 7 Wales James Merriman
BF 6 England Iain Grieve (c)
RL 5 England Roy Winters
LL 4 England Glen Townson
TP 3 England Jason Hobson
HK 2 Ireland Jason Harris-Wright
LP 1 England Mark Irish
Replacements:
HK 16England Tom Channon
PR 17England Mark Lilley
PR 18England Wayne Thompson
LK 19England Ben Glynn
FL 20Australia Henry Vanderglas
FH 21England Tom Slater
FB 22New Zealand Matty James
Coach: Zimbabwe Liam Middleton

Man of the Match:
Wales Gavin Cattle

Touch judges:
England James Minards
England Richard Parker-Sedgemore
Television Match Official:
England Geoff Warren


13 May 2012
12:45
Bristol England 29 – 18 England Cornish Pirates
Try: Goodridge 6'c, 53'c, Watkins 70'm, Helu 77'c
Con: Roberts (2/3), James (1/1)
Pen: Roberts 41' (1)
Report Try: Cook 27'c, Burgess 65'm
Con: Cook (1/1), Thomas (0/1)
Pen: Cook 4', 79' (2)
Memorial Stadium, Bristol
Attendance: 7,356
Referee: Sean Davey (England)
FB 15England Jon Goodridge
RW 14Tonga William Helu
OC 13Samoa Fautua Otto
IC 12England Luke Eves
LW 11Scotland George Watkins
FH 10England Tristan Roberts
SH 9 New Zealand Ruki Tipuna
N8 8 England Iain Grieve (c)
OF 7 Wales James Merriman
BF 6 England Josh Ovens
RL 5 England Roy Winters
LL 4 Argentina Mariano Sambucetti
TP 3 England Jason Hobson
HK 2 Ireland Jason Harris-Wright
LP 1 England Mark Irish
Replacements:
HK 16Wales Ross Johnstone
PR 17England Mark Lilley
PR 18England Wayne Thompson
LK 19England Ben Glynn
FL 20Australia Henry Vanderglas
SH 21England Tom Slater
FH 22New Zealand Matty James
Coach: Zimbabwe Liam Middleton
FB 15England Rob Cook
RW 14England Grant Pointer
OC 13United States Andrew Suniula
IC 12England Sam Hill
LW 11England David Doherty
FH 10Wales Ceiron Thomas
SH 9 Wales Gavin Cattle (c)
N8 8 England Kyle Marriott
OF 7 England Phil Burgess
BF 6 England Chris Morgan
RL 5 Scotland Ian Nimmo
LL 4 New Zealand Laurie McGlone
TP 3 England Alan Paver
HK 2 England Dave Ward
LP 1 England Carl Rimmer
Replacements:
PR 16England Ryan Storer
HK 17Germany Rob Elloway
PR 18South Africa Rudi Brits
LK 19England Matt Smith
FL 20Zimbabwe Dave Ewers
WG 21Canada Matt Evans
SH 22England Tom Kessell
Coach: Wales Ian Davies


Man of the Match:
England Phil Burgess
Touch judges:
England Roger Baileff
England Chris Sharp
Television Match Official:
England Steve Savage



13 May 2012
15:00
London Welsh England 17 – 24 England Bedford Blues
Try: Scott 48'm
Con: Davies (0/1)
Pen: Davies 3', 19', 24', 54' (4)
Try: Dodge 40'c, Barrell 73'c, Cochrane 80'c
Con: Pritchard (3/3)
Pen: Pritchard 42' (1)
Old Deer Park, London
Attendance: 3010
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint-Roberts (England)
FB 15England Alex Davies
RW 14Nigeria Joe Ajuwa
OC 13Wales James Lewis
IC 12Tonga Hudson Tonga'uiha
LW 11England Nick Scott
FH 10Scotland Gordon Ross
SH 9 Wales Robert Lewis
N8 8 England Ed Jackson
OF 7 England Mike Denbee
BF 6 Wales Jonathan Mills (c)
RL 5 England Matt Corker
LL 4 Wales Adam Brown
TP 3 England James Tideswell
HK 2 Wales Dan George
LP 1 England Max Lahiff
Replacements:
PR 16England Billy Moss
PR 17England Greg Bateman
LK 18England Gary Johnson
FL 19England Lee Beach
SH 20Wales Jack Moates
FH 21England Seb Jewell
WG 22England Ashley Smith
Coach: Wales Lyn Jones
FB 15Canada James Pritchard (c)
RW 14England Ollie Dodge
OC 13Ireland Brendan Burke
IC 12England Henry Staff
LW 11England Josh Bassett
FH 10England Jamie Lennard
SH 9 England Luke Baldwin
N8 8 England Jon Fisher
OF 7 England Sacha Harding
BF 6 England Gregor Gillanders
RL 5 England Mike Howard
LL 4 Samoa Paul Tupai
TP 3 England Phil Boulton
HK 2 Scotland Neil Cochrane
LP 1 England Ricky Reeves
Replacements:
HK 16England Chris Locke
PR 17England Sam Walsh
LK 18England Alex Rae
N8 19England Donald Barrell
FL 20England Darren Fox
SH 21South Africa Darryl Veenendaal
CE 22England Ian Vass
Coach: Wales Mike Rayer

Touch judges:
England Darryl Chapman
England Steve Leyshon

Finals

23 May 2012
19:45
Cornish Pirates England 21 – 37 England London Welsh
Mennaye Field, Penzance
Attendance: 3,205
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
FB 15England Rob Cook
RW 14England Grant Pointer
OC 13United States Andrew Suniula
IC 12England Sam Hill
LW 11England David Doherty
FH 10Wales Ceiron Thomas
SH 9 Wales Gavin Cattle (c)
N8 8 England Kyle Marriott
OF 7 England Phil Burgess
BF 6 Zimbabwe Dave Ewers
RL 5 Scotland Ian Nimmo
LL 4 New Zealand Laurie McGlone
TP 3 England Alan Paver
HK 2 England Dave Ward
LP 1 England Carl Rimmer
Replacements:
PR 16England Ryan Storer
HK 17Germany Rob Elloway
PR 18South Africa Rudi Brits
LK 19England Matt Smith
N8 20England Ben Maidment
SH 21England Tom Kessell
WG 22Canada Matt Evans
Coach: Wales Ian Davies
FB 15England Alex Davies
RW 14Nigeria Joe Ajuwa
OC 13Wales James Lewis
IC 12Tonga Hudson Tonga'uiha
LW 11England Nick Scott
FH 10Scotland Gordon Ross
SH 9 Wales Jack Moates
N8 8 England Ed Jackson
OF 7 England Mike Denbee
BF 6 Wales Jonathan Mills (c)
RL 5 England Matt Corker
LL 4 Wales Adam Brown
TP 3 England James Tideswell
HK 2 Wales Dan George
LP 1 England Billy Moss
Replacements:
HK 16Tonga Viliami Ma'asi
PR 17United States Shawn Pittman
PR 18England Greg Bateman
LK 19England Gary Johnson
FL 20England Lee Beach
SH 21Wales Robert Lewis
FH 22England Seb Jewell
Coach: Wales Lyn Jones

Touch judges:
England Luke Pearce
England Chris Sharp
Television Match Official:
England TBC


30 May 2012
19:45
London Welsh England 29 – 20 England Cornish Pirates
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Attendance: 3,456

Total attendances

Club Total Average Highest Lowest % Capacity Home Matches
Bedford Blues 42,420 2,828 4,396 1,407 47% 15
Bristol 81,504 5,434 8,067 4,023 45% 15
Cornish Pirates 36,932 2,308 3,214 1,802 66% 16
Doncaster Knights 18,299 1,307 4,021 707 40% 14
Esher 14,396 1,028 1,418 743 34% 14
Leeds Carnegie 29,887 2,135 3,167 1,057 11% 14
London Scottish 17,967 1,283 2,103 740 29% 14
London Welsh 27,565 1,723 4,400 365 26% 16
Moseley 12,334 881 1,349 682 29% 14
Nottingham 17,991 1,285 2,102 487 7% 14
Plymouth Albion 24,099 1,721 2,850 1,330 20% 14
Rotherham Titans 19,744 1,410 2,467 463 56% 14

Individual statistics

Top points scorers[12][13]

Player Team Appearances Points
England Rob Cook Cornish Pirates 30 310
Scotland Garry Law Rotherham Titans 23 255
England James Love Plymouth Albion 27 250
England Alex Davies London Welsh 28 250
England Tommy Bell Leeds Carnegie 20 232
Canada James Pritchard Bedford Blues 21 218
England Daniel Mugford London Scottish 19 215
Japan James Arlidge Nottingham 20 213
England Tristan Roberts Bristol 18 204
England Ollie Thomas Moseley 20 162

Top try scorers[14][15]

Player Team Appearances Tries
England Josh Bassett Bedford Blues 23 17
England David Doherty Cornish Pirates 23 14
Ireland Robin Copeland Rotherham Titans 26 13
Canada Phil Mackenzie Esher 18 12
Scotland George Watkins Bristol 21 12
Tonga Hudson Tonga'uiha London Welsh 27 12
England Ed Jackson London Welsh 29 12
Ireland Shane Monahan Rotherham Titans 26 11
Tonga William Helu Bristol 14 10
Samoa Fautua Otto Bristol 19 10
Canada James Pritchard Bedford Blues 21 10
England Jack Tovey Bristol 25 10
Argentina Juan Pablo Socino Nottingham 28 10

RFU Dream Team XV

The RFU Dream Team is picked by the coaches of the twelve championship teams with Robin Copeland (Rotherham Titans) voted in by seven of the twelve teams. The Cornish Pirates and Bristol both have four players in the team, whilst Gavin Cattle and Dave Ward (both Cornish Pirates) are in the team for the third season in a row. Mark Irish, James Merriman (both Bristol), Juan Pablo Socino (Nottingham) and Rob Cook (Cornish Pirates) are in the team for a second season.[16]

See also

References

  1. GMT. "Newcastle Falcons half-back Chris Pilgrim extends contract". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  2. "London Welsh 17-24 Bedford Blues (agg 30-27)". BBC Sport. 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  3. Straughan, Dick (5 July 2012). "Falcons relegated as Welsh win RFU promotion appleal". The Cornishman. p. 80.
  4. "London Welsh win Premiership promotion, Newcastle relegated". BBC Sport. 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  5. GMT (2012-05-05). "Wasps 10–14 Newcastle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  6. "Match Matrix". Microcomms. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  7. "RFU Championship Season 2011/2012 Home Attendance Records". Rugby round up. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  8. "Pool A – Promotion Season 2011/2012 Home Attendance Records". rugby roundup. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  9. "Pool B – Promotion Season 2011/2012 Home Attendance Records". rugby roundup. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  10. "Pool C – Relegation Season 2011/2012 Home Attendance Records". rugby roundup. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  11. "Pirates dent Bristol's promotion hopes". ESPN Scrum. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  12. http://rugby.statbunker.com/competitions/LeadingTopScorers?comp_id=388
  13. http://rugby.statbunker.com/competitions/LeadingTopScorers?comp_id=401&section_id=513
  14. http://rugby.statbunker.com/competitions/LeadingTryScorers?comp_id=388
  15. http://rugby.statbunker.com/competitions/LeadingTryScorers?comp_id=401&section_id=513
  16. "RFU Championship Dream XV revealed". RFU. Retrieved 13 July 2012.