Promotion on the agenda as Chinnor moves to next level

CHINNOR’S promotion to the Championship brings an end to the uneven number of teams in the division meaning each side will be in action during every round.

Nick Easter’s side made their second tier debut at familiar side Cambridge, who were promoted from National One a year before Chinnor.

Champions Ealing Trailfinders, who have lifted two of the last three Championships, begin their title defense at home to a Hartpury University side that will be full of confidence having secured a club record finish of fifth.

The action kicks off under the Friday night lights as London Scottish, who have flirted with relegation the past few seasons, host Alex Rae’s Coventry that finished third last term. At the same time, eighth-placed Nottingham hosted last year’s runners-up Cornish Pirates. Doncaster Knights were the only team to meet the RFU’s promotion credentials last season but could only muster a sixth-place finish and they host Ampthill, who finished one place below. Caldy finished 10th and they visit a Bedford Blues side which finished fourth.

There are plenty of derbies for fans to get excited about across London, the north, the south and Midlands. Round two sees Coventry host Bedford Blues in a fiery derby before the reverse fixture in round 12; Newcomers Chinnor can reignite their rivalry at Ampthill in round two with Kingsley Road set to be lively for the home fixture in round 12. Doncaster and Caldy will bid for northern supremacy in rounds eight and 18. The London derby of Ealing and London Scottish has been fairly contested in recent years despite the sides’ contrasting campaigns. They meet in rounds six and 16.

Chinnor head coach Easter, below, said: “Pre-season has been good, the guys are grafting hard as you’d expect, but we’re further into our development than I thought we would be after three and a half weeks. This is a jump to playing against semi professional and professional sides. We need to make as much ground as possible with four teams in the league being professional and four having close links with Premiership sides, that load them up with senior academy players or U23s.

“I’m happy with how our recruitment is going, players have fallen into our lap which has never happened before because of Premiership sides dropping players down. Curtis Langdon is coming in once a week from Northampton Saints as a lineout coach and will give a flavor of what’s happening around the top flight.”

Saracens were the last team to win promotion to the top flight from the Premiership in 2019/20 with recent winners Ealing and now the defunct Jersey Reds failing to meet the entry requirements that include a capacity of up to 10,000 seats.

However, promotion has been reinstated providing teams match the RFU’s criteria, which has been relaxed to the stadium policy being a ground of over 5,000 seats with a long-term plan to extend up to 10,000. The mechanism for promotion/relegation will be a two-match home and away playoff between the bottom-placed Premiership club and winner of the Championship.

(All matches 3pm kick offs unless stated)

Round 1Fri Sep 20

London Scottish v Coventry (7.45pm) Nottingham v Cornish Pirates (7.45pm)

Sat Sep 21

Doncaster Knights v Ampthill (2.30pm) Bedford Blues v Caldy Cambridge v Chinnor Ealing Trailfinders v Hartpury University

Round 2Fri Sep 27

Cornish Pirates v Ealing Trailfinders (7.30pm)

Sat Sep 28

Doncaster Knights v Nottingham (2.30pm)

Hartpury University v London Scottish (2.30pm)

Coventry v Bedford Blues Ampthill v Chinnor Caldy v Cambridge

Round 3Fri Oct 4 London Scottish v Cornish Pirates (7.45pm)

Nottingham v Ampthill (7.45pm)

Sat Oct 5

Bedford Blues v Hartpury University Cambridge v Coventry Chinnor v Caldy Ealing Trailfinders v Doncaster Knights

Round 4Fri Oct 11

Hartpury University v Cambridge (7.45pm)

Nottingham v Ealing Trailfinders (7.45pm)

Sat Oct 12

Ampthill v Caldy (2pm)

Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues (2.30pm)

Doncaster Knights v London Scottish (2.30pm)

Coventry v Chinnor

Round 5Fri Oct 18 London Scottish v Nottingham (7.45pm)

Sat Oct 19

Bedford Blues v Doncaster Knights Caldy v Coventry Cambridge v Cornish Pirates Chinnor v Hartpury University Ealing Trailfinders v Ampthill

Round 6Sat Nov 30 Ampthill v Coventry Cornish Pirates v Chinnor Doncaster Knights v Cambridge Ealing Trailfinders v London Scottish Hartpury University v Caldy Nottingham v Bedford Blues

Round 7Sat Dec 7

Bedford Blues v Ealing Trailfinders Caldy v Cornish Pirates Cambridge v Nottingham Chinnor v Doncaster Knights Coventry v Hartpury University London Scottish v Ampthill

Round 8Sat Dec 14 Ampthill v Hartpury University Cornish Pirates v Coventry Doncaster Knights v Caldy Ealing Trailfinders v Cambridge London Scottish v Bedford Blues Nottingham v Chinnor

Round 9Sat Dec 21 Caldy v London Scottish Cambridge v Ampthill Chinnor v Bedford Blues Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights Coventry v Ealing Trailfinders Hartpury University v Nottingham

Round 10Sat Dec 28

Ampthill v Cornish Pirates Bedford Blues v Cambridge Doncaster Knights v Hartpury University Ealing Trailfinders v Caldy London Scottish v Chinnor Nottingham v Coventry

Round 11Sat Jan 18 Bedford Blues v Ampthill Caldy v Nottingham Cambridge v London Scottish Chinnor v Ealing Trailfinders Coventry v Doncaster Knights Hartpury University v Cornish Pirates

Round 12Sat Jan 25

Bedford Blues v Coventry Cambridge v Caldy

Chinnor v Ampthill Ealing Trailfinders v Cornish Pirates London Scottish v Hartpury University Nottingham v Doncaster Knights

Round 13Sat Mar 22

Ampthill v Nottingham Caldy v Chinnor Cornish Pirates v London Scottish Coventry v Cambridge Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders Hartpury University v Bedford Blues

Round 14Sat Mar 29

Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates Caldy v Ampthill Cambridge v Hartpury University Chinnor v Coventry Ealing Trailfinders v Nottingham London Scottish v Doncaster Knights

Round 15Sat Apr 5

Ampthill v Ealing Trailfinders Cornish Pirates v Cambridge Coventry v Caldy Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues Hartpury University v Chinnor Nottingham v London Scottish

Round 16Sat Apr 12

Bedford Blues v Nottingham Caldy v Hartpury University Cambridge v Doncaster Knights Chinnor v Cornish Pirates Coventry v Ampthill London Scottish v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 17Sat Apr 19

Ampthill v London Scottish Cornish Pirates v Caldy Doncaster Knights v Chinnor Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues Hartpury University v Coventry Nottingham v Cambridge

Round 18Sat May 3 Bedford Blues v London Scottish Caldy v Doncaster Knights Cambridge v Ealing Trailfinders Chinnor v Nottingham Coventry v Cornish Pirates Hartpury University v Ampthill

Round 19Sat May 10 Ampthill v Bedford Blues Cornish Pirates v Hartpury University Doncaster Knights v Coventry Ealing Trailfinders v Chinnor London Scottish v Cambridge Nottingham v Caldy

Round 20Sat May 17 Caldy v Ealing Trailfinders Cambridge v Bedford Blues Chinnor v London Scottish Cornish Pirates v Ampthill Coventry v Nottingham Hartpury University v Doncaster Knights

Round 21Sat May 24 Ampthill v Cambridge Bedford Blues v Chinnor Doncaster Knights v Cornish Pirates Ealing Trailfinders v Coventry London Scottish v Caldy Nottingham v Hartpury University

Round 22Sat May 31

Ampthill v Doncaster Knights Caldy v Bedford Blues Chinnor v Cambridge Cornish Pirates v Nottingham Coventry v London Scottish Hartpury University v Ealing Trailfinders