Champ Rugby Format Revealed As English Second Tier Overhaul Is Announced

The revamp of English rugby’s second tier has been revealed, with the new-look Champ Rugby format explained.

From next season, the RFU’s second-tier competition is being rebranded from the Championship to Champ Rugby, with an expanded league and new format.

There is no relegation for the current 12 sides. National League One winners Richmond the returning Worcester Warriors to create the 14-team league.

This announcement comes after extensive consultation between stakeholders and the Tier 2 Board.

Headed by Simon Gillham, who is also president of French Pro D2 side Brive, the Tier 2 Board has been working hard to ensure the competitive future of England’s second division.

Gillham has made it clear that “aspiration and jeopardy” were key to this new format.

This RFU is hopeful that the new-look league will become a better proving ground for young players, helping develop future Premiership stars.

New look. New format.

THIS is Champ Rugby 👊 #ChampRugby pic.twitter.com/zUAdALljxz

— Championship Rugby (@Champrugby) May 15, 2025

Champ Rugby Format Explained

The new Champ league will feature 14 teams. The current 12 Championship sides will be ed by Richmond and Worcester.

At the end of the season, the top six sides will enter play-offs to determine the champions.

The winners will then have a play-off against the bottom club in the Premiership for a place in the top flight.

The bottom finishers in the Champ will be automatically relegated to National One.

There will then be a 12th Vs 13th play-off, with the loser facing the second-placed finisher in National One to determine the second promotion/relegation spot.

This structure is similar to the Pro D2 setup in , though not identical.

Following the 26-game league season, teams from 3rd to 6th will enter the play-off quarter-finals.

The winners of those will then enter the semi-finals against the top two finishers, before a final to decide the Champ Rugby winners.

There will be no automatic promotion to the Premiership, with a two-legged play-off against the bottom side in the top flight.

Even then, any Champ Rugby club will need to meet the RFU’s strict minimum operating criteria in order to gain promotion.

Champ Rugby Promotion Still A Contentious Issue

There was no promotion play-off this season, though.

Championship winners Ealing Trailfinders failed to meet the promotion criteria, thanks largely to their small ground capacity.

Coventry, who also harbour ambitions of top-flight rugby, are currently sixth in the table, but they too would not be eligible.

Only Doncaster Knights have been able to satisfy the RFU’s extremely stringent promotion criteria.

But with funding for Champ clubs slashed since the Covid-19 pandemic, the expense of making the necesarry changes for promotion is too much for most clubs.

Before covid, Championship clubs recieved £600,000 per year. That figure is now £160,000, and will remain so for 2025-26.