2021–22 RFU Championship Cup
{{Short description|Annual rugby union Championship Cup}}
{{Infobox European Cup Rugby season
| name = 2021–22 RFU Championship Cup
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| countries = {{ENG}} {{flagicon|JER}} Jersey
| tournament format = Knockout
| date = 9 April – 21 May 2022
| teams = 11
| matches =
| highest attendance =
| attendance = {{#expr:
}}
| lowest attendance =
| tries = {{#expr:
}}
| top point scorer =
| top try scorer =
| venue =
| attendance2 =
| champions = Ealing Trailfinders
| count = 2
| runner-up = Coventry
| website =
| previous year = 2019–20
| next year = 2022–23
}}
The 2021–22 RFU Championship Cup was the third season of the annual rugby union Championship Cup competition for second tier, professional English clubs playing in the RFU Championship.{{cite web |title=Fixture update & Championship Cup |url=https://cornish-pirates.com/rugby/fixture-update-championship-cup/?cn-reloaded=1 |website=Cornish Pirates |access-date=4 April 2022}} The competition returned after a 14-month hiatus, following the cancellation of the previous year's tournament and the mid season cancellation of the 2019–20 tournament.
{{horizontal TOC|nonum=yes}}
Competition format
The competition format is two-legged knockout ties with a first round of five matches, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. The Championship winners, Ealing Trailfinders received a bye to the quarter-finals. The first round matches took place on 9 April, following the final round of Championship fixtures. In the competition's inaugural season, the RFU had set out the pool matches in a regional format to encourage derby games, but this year's competition format is more loosely structured.
Participating teams and locations
{{col-begin|width=100%}}
{{col-break|width=70%}}
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Club
! Stadium ! Capacity ! Area |
|---|
| Ampthill
| Dillingham Park | 3,000 |
| Bedford Blues
| 5,000 (1,700 seats) |
| Cornish Pirates
| 4,000 (2,200 seats) |
| Coventry
| 4,000 (3,000 seats) |
| Doncaster Knights
| 5,183{{cite news |title=A right mess entirely of the RFU's making |work=The RugbyPaper |issue=703 |date=6 March 2022 |page=11}} (1,650 seats) |
| Ealing Trailfinders
| 4,000 (2,200 seats) |
| Hartpury University
| ALPAS Arena | 2,000 |
| Jersey Reds
| Stade Santander International | 4,000 |
| London Scottish
| 4,500 (1,000 seats) |
| Nottingham
| Lady Bay Sports Ground | 3,500 |
| Richmond
| 4,500 (1,000 seats) |
{{col-break|width=30%}}
{{location map+ |England |width=460 |float=right |caption= Locations of the 2021–22 RFU Championship Cup teams |places=
{{location map~ |England |lat=51.5155 |long= -0.0922 |label_size=80|label=London|mark=Blue pog.svg|position=right}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=52.031628 |long=-0.493186 |label={{background color|white|Ampthill}}|position=left|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=52.1337 |long=-0.4577 |label={{background color|white|Bedford}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=50.119 |long=-5.537 |label={{background color|white|{{no break|Cornish Pirates}}}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=52.406111 |long=-1.525833 |label={{background color|white|Coventry}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=53.5157 |long=-1.1327 |label={{background color|white|Doncaster}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=51.909751 |long=-2.308242 |label={{background color|white|Hartpury}}|position=left|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=49.925002 |long=-2.298672 |mark=Arrows 12x12 s.svg |marksize=18|label={{background color|white|Jersey Reds}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |England |lat=52.95 |long=-1.133333 |label={{background color|white|Nottingham}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{Location map~ |England |mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat=55.7 |long=-6.7 |label_size=80|label=London teams:
{{nobreak|London Scottish}}
|position=right}}
}}
{{Location map+|Greater London
|width=300
|float=right
|caption=Greater London RFU Championship Cup teams
|alt=Greater London Premier League football clubs
|places =
{{location map~ |London |lat=51.46647 |long=-0.30334 |label={{background color|white|L. Scottish}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |Greater London|lat=51.46647 |long=-0.30334 |label={{background color|white|Richmond}}|position=left|label_size=90}}
{{location map~ |Greater London|lat=51.524491 |long=-0.326302 |label={{background color|white|Ealing}}|position=right|label_size=90}}
}}
{{col-end}}
First round
=First leg=
{{rugbybox
|date = 8 April 2022
|time = 19:30
|home = Richmond
|score = 26 – 61
|report =
|away = Hartpury University
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Athletic Ground
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 8 April 2022
|time = 19:45
|home = Nottingham
|score = 14 – 38
|report =
|away = Bedford Blues
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Lady Bay
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 9 April 2022
|time = 14:30
|home = Doncaster Knights
|score = 24 – 26
|report =
|away = Cornish Pirates
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Castle Park
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 9 April 2022
|time = 15:00
|home = Ampthill
|score = 27 – 21
|report =
|away = Coventry
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Dillingham Park
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 9 April 2022
|time = 17:00
|home = Jersey Reds
|score = 57 – 14
|report =
|away = London Scottish
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Stade Santander International
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
=Second leg=
{{rugbybox
|date = 24 April 2022
|time = 14:00
|home = London Scottish
|score = 7 – 54
|report =
|away = Jersey Reds
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Athletic Ground
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Jersey Reds win 111 – 21 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 24 April 2022
|time = 14:30
|home = Cornish Pirates
|score = 20 – 32
|report =
|away = Doncaster Knights
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Mennaye Field
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Doncaster Knights win 56 – 46 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 24 April 2022
|time = 14:30
|home = Hartpury University
|score = 35 – 40
|report =
|away = Richmond
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = ALPAS Arena
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Hartpury University win 96 – 66 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 24 April 2022
|time = 15:00
|home = Coventry
|score = 31 – 22
|report =
|away = Ampthill
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Butts Park Arena
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Coventry win 52 – 49 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 24 April 2022
|time = 15:00
|home = Bedford Blues
|score = 52 – 19
|report =
|away = Nottingham
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Goldington Road
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Bedford Blues win 90 – 33 on aggregate
----
Knock-out stage
The four overall winners from round 1 along with the best two losing teams and Ealing Trailfinders will contest the two-legged quarter-finals. The competition will then be played in a single-leg straight knockout format.
=Quarter-finals=
==1st leg==
{{rugbybox
|date = 29 April
|time = 19:45
|home = Hartpury University
|score = 19 – 19
|report =
|away = Jersey Reds
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = ALPAS Arena
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 30 April
|time = 14:30
|home = Cornish Pirates
|score = 38 – 37
|report =
|away = Bedford Blues
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Mennaye Field
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 30 April
|time = 14:30
|home = Doncaster Knights
|score = 22 – 35
|report =
|away = Coventry
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Castle Park
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 30 April
|time = 15:00
|home = Ampthill
|score = 21 – 31
|report =
|away = Ealing Trailfinders
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Dillingham Park
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
==2nd leg==
{{rugbybox
|date = 6 May
|time = 19:45
|home = Jersey Reds
|score = 30 – 14
|report =
|away = Hartpury University
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Stade Santander International
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Jersey Reds won 49 - 34 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 7 May
|time = 15:00
|home = Bedford Blues
|score = 32 – 33
|report =
|away = Cornish Pirates
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Goldington Road
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Cornish Pirates won 71 – 69 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 7 May
|time = 15:00
|home = Ealing Trailfinders
|score = 56 – 24
|report =
|away = Ampthill
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Trailfinders Sports Ground
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Ealing Trailfinders won 87 – 45 on aggregate
{{rugbybox
|date = 8 May
|time = 15:00
|home = Coventry
|score = 27 – 31
|report =
|away = Doncaster Knights
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Butts Park Arena
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
- Coventry won 62 – 53 on aggregate
----
=Semi-finals=
{{rugbybox
|date = 13 May
|time = 19:00
|home = Jersey Reds
|score = 17 – 20
|report =
|away = Coventry
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Stade Santander International
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{rugbybox
|date = 14 May
|time = 15:00
|home = Ealing Trailfinders
|score = 36 – 26
|report =
|away = Cornish Pirates
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Trailfinders Sports Ground
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
----
=Final=
{{rugbybox
|date = 21 May
|time =
|home = Ealing Trailfinders
|score = 19 – 13
|report =
|away = Coventry
|try1 =
|con1 =
|pen1 =
|try2 =
|con2 =
|pen2 =
|stadium = Trailfinders Sports Ground
|attendance = 1,400
|referee = Michael Hudson
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.englandrugby.com/ RFU]
{{RFU Championship}}
{{Rugby union in England}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2021-22 RFU Championship Cup}}