Note to editors: The 2012-13 structure is subject to the outcome of any appeal by London Welsh. The 2012-13 RFU Championship fixtures have been confirmed, with newcomers Jersey set to face 2011-12 runners up Cornish Pirates in the opening round. Following their promotion from SSE National League One, Jersey will host Pirates at St Peter, with the visitors making a short trip across the English Channel for the start of their new season campaign. Ian Davies' men will then welcome Plymouth Albion to The Mennaye the following week in a classic West Country derby. Having survived their debut season in the RFU Championship, London Scottish will host Rotherham Titans in a repeat of their 2011-12 opening fixture, which saw the hosts narrowly beat the Yorkshire men 16-11. New for the 2012-13 season, a revision to the current structure will see the 12 clubs compete in a league across 22 rounds, with the bottom club relegated to SSE National League 1 and the top four clubs going on to compete in a two-legged semi-final and final. The winners of the semi-finals will go on to play in the RFU Championship final – also two legs. The new structure provides 11 home games for the Championship clubs and a minimum of six games in the revised British & Irish Cup, which will now include financial rewards for RFU Championship clubs who reach the knock-out stages. 2012-13 RFU Championship fixtures Round 1 – September 1
London Scottish v Rotherham Titans Bedford Blues v Moseley Nottingham Rugby v Leeds Carnegie Jersey RFC v Cornish Pirates Plymouth Albion v Doncaster Knights Bristol Rugby v London Welsh (TBC) Round 2 – September 8 Rotherham Titans v Bedford Blues Doncaster Knights v Bristol Rugby Cornish Pirates v Plymouth Albion Leeds Carnegie v Jersey RFC Moseley v Nottingham Rugby London Scottish v London Welsh (TBC)
Round 3 – September 15 Bedford Blues v London Scottish Nottingham Rugby v Rotherham Titans Jersey RFC v Moseley Plymouth Albion v Leeds Carnegie Bristol Rugby v Cornish Pirates London Welsh (TBC) v Doncaster Knights Round 4 – September 22 Rotherham Titans v Jersey RFC Bedford Blues v Nottingham Rugby Cornish Pirates v London Welsh (TBC) Leeds Carnegie v Bristol Rugby Moseley v Plymouth Albion London Scottish v Doncaster Knights Round 5 – September 29
Nottingham Rugby v London Scottish Jersey RFC v Bedford Blues Plymouth Albion v Rotherham Titans Bristol Rugby v Moseley London Welsh (TBC) v Leeds Carnegie Doncaster Knights v Cornish Pirates
Round 6 – October 6
Rotherham Titans v Bristol Rugby Bedford Blues v Plymouth Albion Nottingham Rugby v Jersey RFC Leeds Carnegie v Doncaster Knights Moseley v London Welsh (TBC) London Scottish v Cornish Pirates Round 7 – October 27 Jersey RFC v London Scottish Plymouth Albion v Nottingham Rugby Bristol Rugby v Bedford Blues London Welsh (TBC) v Rotherham Titans Doncaster Knights v Moseley Cornish Pirates v Leeds Carnegie Round 8 – November 3
Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights Bedford Blues v London Welsh (TBC) Nottingham Rugby v Bristol Rugby Jersey RFC v Plymouth Albion Moseley v Cornish Pirates London Scottish v Leeds Carnegie Round 9 – November 10
Plymouth Albion v London Scottish Bristol Rugby v Jersey RFC London Welsh (TBC) v Nottingham RFC Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues Cornish Pirates v Rotherham Titans Leeds Carnegie v Moseley Round 10 – November 24 Rotherham Titans v Leeds Carnegie Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates Nottingham Rugby v Doncaster Knights Jersey RFC v London Welsh (TBC) Plymouth Albion v Bristol Rugby London Scottish v Moseley Round 11 – December 1 Bristol Rugby v London Scottish London Welsh (TBC) v Plymouth Albion Doncaster Knights v Jersey RFC Cornish Pirates v Nottingham Rugby Leeds Carnegie v Bedford Blues Moseley v Rotherham Titans Round 12 – December 22
Bedford Blues v Rotherham Titans Nottingham Rugby v Moseley Jersey RFC v Leeds Carnegie Plymouth Albion v Cornish Pirates Bristol Rugby v Doncaster Knights London Welsh (TBC) v London Scottish
Round 13 – January 5
Rotherham Titans v Nottingham Rugby Doncaster Knights v London Welsh (TBC) Cornish Pirates v Bristol Rugby Leeds Carnegie v Plymouth Albion Moseley v Jersey RFC London Scottish v Bedford Blues Round 14 – January 26
Nottingham Rugby v Bedford Blues Jersey RFC v Rotherham Titans Plymouth Albion v Moseley Bristol Rugby v Leeds Carnegie London Welsh (TBC) v Cornish Pirates Doncaster Knights v London Scottish
Round 15 – February 9 Rotherham Titans v Plymouth Albion Bedford Blues v Jersey RFC Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights Leeds Carnegie v London Welsh (TBC) Moseley v Bristol Rugby London Scottish v Nottingham Round 16 – February 16 Jersey RFC v Nottingham Rugby Plymouth Albion v Bedford Blues Bristol Rugby v Rotherham Titans London Welsh (TBC) v Moseley Doncaster Knights v Leeds Carnegie Cornish Pirates v London Scottish
Round 17 – March 2 Rotherham Titans v London Welsh (TBC) Bedford Blues v Bristol Rugby Nottingham Rugby v Plymouth Albion Leeds Carnegie v Cornish Pirates Moseley v Doncaster Knights London Scottish v Jersey RFC
Round 18 – March 9
Plymouth Albion v Jersey RFC Bristol Rugby v Nottingham Rugby London Welsh (TBC) v Bedford Blues Doncaster Knights v Rotherham Titans Leeds Carnegie v London Scottish Cornish Pirates v Moseley Round 19 – March 23
Rotherham Titans v Cornish Pirates Bedford Blues v Doncaster Knights Nottingham Rugby v London Welsh (TBC) Jersey RFC v Bristol Rugby Moseley v Leeds Carnegie London Scottish v Plymouth Albion Round 20 – March 30
Bristol Rugby v Plymouth Albion London Welsh (TBC) v Jersey RFC Doncaster Knights v Nottingham Rugby Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues Leeds Carnegie v Rotherham Titans Moseley v London Scottish
Round 21 – April 13 Rotherham Titans v Moseley Bedford Blues v Leeds Carnegie Nottingham Rugby v Cornish Pirates Jersey RFC v Doncaster Knights Plymouth Albion v London Welsh (TBC) London Scottish v Bristol Rugby Round 22 – April 20
London Welsh (TBC) v Bristol Rugby Doncaster Knights v Plymouth Albion Cornish Pirates v Jersey RFC Leeds Carnegie v Nottingham Rugby Moseley v Bedford Blues Rotherham Titans v London Scottish
Semi-finals –May 4 & 11 Final – May 23 & 29 The 2012-13 British & Irish Cup (tbc)
Round 1 – October 13 Round 2 –October 20 Round 3 – December 8 Round 4 - December 15 Round 5 – January 12 Round 6 – January 19
Quarter-finals – April 6 Semi-finals – April 27 Final – May 17 |