2011–12 RFU Championship

Participating teams

This season saw 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.

Stage one

League table

League results

The Home Team is listed on the left column.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 February 2012.

Round 19

Round 20

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 2012.

• Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 February 2012.

Round 18 (Rescheduled Game)

Round 21

Round 20 (Rescheduled Games)

Round 22

Attendances

A total of 251,542 people watched the 132 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.

Stage two Play–offs

Group A (promotion)

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Group A Attendances

Group B (promotion)

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Group B Attendances

Group C (relegation)

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Group C Attendances

• (Adj) Refers to adjustment for the number of points awarded before the start of the play-offs.

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.

Semi–finals

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• Cornish Pirates progressed to the Championship final, winning on aggregate 63–53.

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• London Welsh progressed to the Championship final, winning on aggregate 30–27.

Final

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• London Welsh win 66–41 on aggregate.

Total season attendances

• Includes playoff games.

Individual statistics

• Player stats include playoff games as well as regular season games. Also note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Statistics come from Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Championship season.

Top points scorers

Top try scorers

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.

• 15 Rob Cook (Cornish Pirates)
• 14 Jack Tovey (Bristol)
• 13 Ian Thornley (Leeds Carnegie)
• 12 Juan Pablo Socino (Nottingham)
• 11 Josh Bassett (Bedford Blues)
• 10 Garry Law (Rotherham Titans)
• 9 Gavin Cattle (Cornish Pirates)
• 1 Mark Irish (Bristol)
• 2 Dave Ward (Cornish Pirates)
• 3 Aaron Liffchak (London Scottish)
• 4 Roy Winters (Bristol)
• 5 Ian Nimmo (Cornish Pirates)
• 6 Robin Copeland (Rotherham Titans)
• 7 James Merriman (Bristol)
• 8 Semisi Taulava (Rotherham Titans)

Season records

Team

;Largest home win — 42 pts 62 - 20 Nottingham at home to Moseley on 27 November 2011 ;Largest away win — 62 pts 65 - 3 Bristol away to Doncaster Knights on 9 March 2012 ;Most points scored — 65 pts 65 - 3 Bristol away to Doncaster Knights on 9 March 2012 ;Most tries in a match — 8 (x4) Bedford Blues away to Esher on 10 September 2011

Nottingham at home to Moseley on 27 November 2011

Bristol away to Doncaster Knights on 9 March 2012

Plymouth Albion at home to Moseley on 21 April 2012 ;Most conversions in a match — 8 Nottingham at home to Moseley on 27 November 2011 ;Most penalties in a match — 7 (x2) Bristol at home to Leeds Carnegie on 4 December 2011

Leeds Carnegie at home to Bedford Blues on 29 January 2012 ;Most drop goals in a match — 3 Leeds Carnegie at home to Rotherham Titans on 25 November 2011

Player

;Most points in a match — 27 JPN James Arlidge for Nottingham at home to Moseley on 27 November 2011 ;Most tries in a match — 3 (x4) AUS Bradley Hunt for Moseley away to Nottingham on 27 November 2011

ENG Joshua Bassett for Bedford Blues at home to London Scottish on 14 January 2012

ENG George Watkins for Bristol at home to Doncaster Knights on 24 February 2012

ENG Nicholas Scott for London Welsh away to Doncaster Knights on 31 March 2012 ;Most conversions in a match — 8 JPN James Arlidge for Nottingham at home to Moseley on 27 November 2011 ;Most penalties in a match — 7 (x2) ENG Tristan Roberts for Bristol at home to Leeds Carnegie on 4 December 2011

ENG Thomas Bell for Leeds Carnegie at home to Bedford Blues on 29 January 2012 ;Most drop goals in a match — 3 ENG Joe Ford for Leeds Carnegie at home to Rotherham Titans on 25 November 2011

Attendances

;Highest — 12,024 Worcester Warriors at home to Cornish Pirates on 18 May 2011 ;Lowest — 317 Birmingham & Solihull at home to Doncaster Knights on 9 January 2011 ;Highest Average Attendance — 6,524 Worcester Warriors ;Lowest Average Attendance — 590 Birmingham & Solihull

References

References

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2. (30 May 2012). "RFU Championship final: London Welsh 29-20 Cornish Pirates". BBC Sport.
3. (23 April 2012). "Esher RFC relegated despite second successive win". Get Surrey.
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5. (2012-05-13). "London Welsh 17-24 Bedford Blues (agg 30-27)". BBC Sport.
6. Straughan, Dick. (5 July 2012). "Falcons relegated as Welsh win RFU promotion appleal". The Cornishman.
7. (2012-06-29). "London Welsh win Premiership promotion, Newcastle relegated". BBC Sport.
8. GMT. (2012-05-05). "Wasps 10–14 Newcastle". BBC Sport.
9. "Goldington Road". Napit.co.uk.
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