2012–13 RFU Championship

The 2012–13 RFU Championship is the fourth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship,[7] the second tier of English domestic rugby union competitions, played between August 2012 and May 2013.

2012–13 RFU Championship
Countries	England  Jersey
Date	31 August 2012 – 29 May 2013
Champions	Newcastle Falcons
Runners-up	Bedford Blues
Relegated	Doncaster Knights
Matches played	138
Attendance	308,320 (average 2,234 per match)
Highest attendance	7,651 Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 May 2013
Lowest attendance	653 London Scottish at home to Moseley on 24 November 2012
Tries scored	691 (average 5 per match)
Top point scorer	Jimmy Gopperth (Newcastle Falcons) 298 points[1][2][3]
Top try scorer	Matt Evans (Cornish Pirates) 14 tries[4][5][6]

After an appeal, last seasons champions, London Welsh were promoted to the Aviva Premiership and subsequently Newcastle Falcons relegated, due to finishing bottom of the Aviva Premiership during the 2011–12 season.[8][9] On 8 May 2012 it was announced that only Bristol and London Welsh (subject to further developments) were eligible for promotion under the RFU's minimum standards criteria;[10] London Welsh advanced to the Championship final,[11] whilst Bristol were defeated in their semi-final by the Cornish Pirates, a club that could not meet the standards criteria.[12] However, on 23 May, the day of the first leg of the final, the RFU announced that London Welsh would not be eligible for promotion due to "various failures". London Welsh's appeal was heard by an Independent Panel on 29 June which ruled ″... that the Exiles should be promoted on the basis that they play their home games at Oxford's Kassam Stadium and that the club meet the minimum entry criteria to the league as imposed by the Professional Game Board.″ Chief Executive Officer of the RFU, Ian Richie, subsequently announced that there would be a full review of the Minimum Standard Criteria.[13] Esher dropped out of the Championship after being relegated to the 2013–14 National League 1 and they will be replaced by a club from the Channel Islands, Jersey who won National League 1 last season and will compete in the Championship for the first time after three consecutive promotions.[14][15][16]

The twelve clubs in the 2012–13 Championship will also participate in the 2012–13 edition of the British and Irish Cup along with clubs from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.[17]

On 30 August the RFU announced that, for the first time, a team coached by Mike Rayer of Bedford Blues and consisting of English Qualified Players from RFU Championship teams will play a touring team. The match took place on 17 November at Castle Park, Doncaster against the Māori All Blacks with the New Zealand team winning 52 – 21.

Structure

The Championship's structure has all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis. The play–off structure has been changed dramatically for the 2012–13 season. Previously, the top eight teams entered into a complex mixture of pool and knockout play to determine promotion to the Premiership, whilst the bottom four entered into a pool whose last–placed team was relegated to National League 1.[18] The play–off pools have been abolished beginning with this season. On the promotion side, the knockout stage, involving two–legged semi–finals followed by a two–legged final, will remain in place. Now, the top four teams at the end of the home–and–away season qualify for the promotion play–offs which follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system. There will be no relegation play–offs; the bottom team will now be automatically relegated.[18]

Competition funding

The RFU Championship clubs were in dispute with the RFU over funding for the competition and claimed that each club was owed £77,000 for the past three seasons and will be owed a further £120,000 over the next four seasons. The clubs also believed they should have receive £295,000 in 2009–10, rising to £400,000 by 2015–16 and further believed there was a breach of contract on the part of the RFU. The RFU stated that the original funding was an estimate and by 2015–16 the figure will be £359,400.[13] On 21 August the RFU unveiled the Championship funding structure for the next four seasons to 2015–16. The funding is based on the continuation of the "English Qualified Players scheme", where clubs are required to field fifteen English qualified players in the 22-man squad on each matchday. (In previous seasons teams were required to field fourteen.) Although the amount is not given in the press release, the RFU also stated they will "increase its financial underwritings in relation to a title sponsorship while efforts continue to secure a partner".

Participating teams

Bedford

Bristol

Cornish Pirates

Doncaster

Jersey

Leeds

London Scottish

Moseley

Newcastle

Nottingham

Plymouth

Rotherham

Locations of the 2012–13 RFU Championship teams

Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area
Bedford Blues	Goldington Road	6,000	Bedford, Bedfordshire
Bristol	Memorial Stadium	12,100	Bristol
Cornish Pirates	Mennaye Field	4,000 (2,200 Seats)	Penzance, Cornwall
Doncaster Knights	Castle Park	3,075	Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Jersey	St. Peter	5,000	Saint Peter, Jersey
Leeds Carnegie	Headingley Rugby Stadium	20,250	Leeds, West Yorkshire[n 1]
London Scottish	Athletic Ground, Richmond	4,500	Richmond, London
Moseley	Billesley Common	3,000+	Birmingham, West Midlands
Newcastle Falcons	Kingston Park	10,200	Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Nottingham	Meadow Lane	19,588	Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Plymouth Albion	The Brickfields	8,500	Plymouth, Devon
Rotherham Titans	Clifton Lane	2,500	Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Notes

1. Leeds will play a number of their matches away from Headingley Stadium as part of a "strategy to grow our business by developing a closer partnership with all clubs in Yorkshire".[19]
   • the match against Jersey (in the British and Irish Cup, Sunday 21 October) at York R.U.F.C.
   • the match against Moseley (Sunday 11 November) at Wharfedale R.U.F.C.
   • the match against Bedford Blues (Sunday 2 December) at Otley R.U.F.C.
   • the match against Pontypridd (in the British and Irish Cup, Sunday 9 December) at West Park Leeds R.U.F.C.
   • the match against London Scottish (Sunday 10 March) at Hull Ionians R.U.F.C.
   Following problems with the newly re-laid pitch at Headingley, Leeds decided to play some more games "on the road"[20]
   • the replayed match against Plymouth Albion (Sunday 3 February) at West Park Leeds R.U.F.C.
   • the match against Newcastle Falcons (Sunday 10 February) at Otley R.U.F.C.
   • the match against Cornish Pirates (Sunday 3 March) at Otley R.U.F.C.

League table

2012–13 RFU Championship Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Difference	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
1	Newcastle Falcons (CH)	22	21	0	1	677	252	425	13	1	98
2	Nottingham (SF)	22	15	0	7	624	409	215	10	4	74
3	Bedford Blues (RU)	22	14	1	7	664	485	179	11	2	71
4	Leeds Carnegie (SF)	22	13	0	9	585	480	105	9	6	67
5	Bristol	22	14	0	8	524	481	43	6	3	65
6	Cornish Pirates	22	10	2	10	435	480	–45	5	3	52
7	Rotherham Titans	22	10	1	11	503	569	–66	6	3	51
8	London Scottish	22	10	0	12	456	610	–154	4	4	45[n 1]
9	Plymouth Albion	22	7	0	15	419	518	–99	4	8	40
10	Moseley	22	6	1	15	377	542	–165	1	6	33
11	Jersey	22	6	0	16	385	595	–210	2	5	31
12	Doncaster Knights (R)	22	3	1	18	364	592	–228	2	7	23
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
London Scottish were deducted 3 competition points for fielding an ineligible player.[21]
Green background are promotion play-off places. Pink background is the relegation place. Updated: 21 April 2013 Source

Regular season

The 2012–13 RFU Championship kicked off on 31 August with Nottingham defeating Leeds Carnegie and will finish on 20 April 2013. Each team will play the other twice on a home and away basis with the top four qualifying for the promotion phase.[22]

Round 1

31 August 2012 19:45

Nottingham (BP)	34 – 29	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Report

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,536 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

1 September 2012 15:00

Bedford Blues (BP)	50 – 6	Moseley
	Report

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,104 Referee: John Meredith

1 September 2012 15:00

Jersey	6 – 20	Cornish Pirates
	Report

St Peter Attendance: 2,470 Referee: Steve Lee

1 September 2012 15:00

Plymouth Albion	27 – 22	Doncaster Knights (BP)
	Report

Brickfields Attendance: 1,364 Referee: David Rose

2 September 2012 14:00

London Scottish	26 – 20	Rotherham Titans (BP)
	Report

Athletic Ground, Richmond Attendance: 894 Referee: Darren Gamage

2 September 2012 15:00

Bristol (BP)	20 – 37	Newcastle Falcons (BP)
	Report

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,851 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

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Round 2

7 September 2012 19:45

Doncaster Knights	9 – 18	Bristol
	Report

Castle Park Attendance: 1,013 Referee: Darren Gamage

7 September 2012 20:00

Leeds Carnegie (BP)	32 – 19	Jersey
	Report

Headingley Rugby Stadium Attendance: 2,066 Referee: Ian Tempest

8 September 2012 15:00

London Scottish (BP)	32 – 49	Newcastle Falcons (BP)
	Report

Athletic Ground, Richmond Attendance: 1,380 Referee: Ross Campbell

8 September 2012 15:00

Moseley	17 – 28	Nottingham
	Report

Billesley Common Attendance: 938 Referee: Sean Davey

9 September 2012 15:00

Rotherham Titans (BP)	38 – 38	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Report

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,198 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

9 September 2012 15:00

Cornish Pirates	19 – 17	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Report

Mennaye Field Attendance: 2,260 Referee: Matthew Carley

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Round 3

14 September 2012 20:00

Newcastle Falcons (BP)	37 – 3	Doncaster Knights
	Report

Kingston Park Attendance: 4,317 Referee: Ian Tempest

15 September 2012 15:00

Bedford Blues (BP)	55 – 20	London Scottish
	Report

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,227 Referee: Matthew Carley

15 September 2012 15:00

Jersey	12 – 31	Moseley
	Report

St Peter Attendance: 1,973 Referee: David Rose

15 September 2012 15:00

Plymouth Albion (BP)	32 – 31	Leeds Carnegie (2 BP)
	Report

Brickfields Attendance: 1,862 Referee: Ross Campbell

16 September 2012 15:00

Nottingham	16 – 27	Rotherham Titans
	Report

Meadow Lane Attendance: 2,078 Referee: Steve Lee

16 September 2012 15:15

Bristol	29 – 17	Cornish Pirates
	Report

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,613 Referee: Sean Davey

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Round 4

22 September 2012 15:00

Bedford Blues	27 – 25	Nottingham (BP)
	Report

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,298 Referee: Darren Gamage

22 September 2012 15:00

London Scottish (BP)	37 – 26	Doncaster Knights (BP)
	Report

Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,029 Referee: Steve Lee

22 September 2012 15:00

Moseley (BP)	22 – 24	Plymouth Albion
	Report

Billesley Common Attendance: 876 Referee: Ian Tempest

22 September 2012 15:00

Rotherham Titans (BP)	54 – 31	Jersey (BP)
	Report

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,131 Referee: Ross Campbell

23 September 2012 15:00

Cornish Pirates	3 – 25	Newcastle Falcons
	Report

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,745 Referee: Greg Macdonald

23 September 2012 15:00

Leeds Carnegie (BP)	50 – 31	Bristol (BP)
	Report

Headingley Rugby Stadium Attendance: 2,854 Referee: Matthew Carley

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Round 5

28 September 2012 19:45

Bristol (BP)	21 – 22	Moseley
	Report

Memorial Ground Attendance: 4,797 Referee: Ross Campbell

28 September 2012 19:45

Doncaster Knights	18 – 18	Cornish Pirates
	Report

Castle Park Attendance: 1,121 Referee: Darren Gamage

28 September 2012 19:45

Nottingham (BP)	54 – 9	London Scottish
	Report

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,187 Referee: Ian Tempest

28 September 2012 19:45

Plymouth Albion	15 – 3	Rotherham Titans
	Report

Brickfields Attendance: 2,213 Referee: David Rose

28 September 2012 20:00

Newcastle Falcons (BP)	53 – 10	Leeds Carnegie
	Report

Kingston Park Attendance: 4,608 Referee: Luke Pearce

29 September 2012 15:00

Jersey	19 – 29	Bedford Blues (BP)

St Peter Attendance: 2,071 Referee: Martin Fox

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Round 6

5 October 2012 20:00

Leeds Carnegie (BP)	42 – 7	Doncaster Knights
	Report

Headingley Rugby Stadium Attendance: 2,255 Referee: Greg Macdonald

6 October 2012 15:00

Bedford Blues (BP)	55 – 17	Plymouth Albion
	Report

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,725 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

6 October 2012 15:00

London Scottish	25 – 24	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Report

Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,126 Referee: Ross Campbell

6 October 2012 15:00

Moseley	13 – 53	Newcastle Falcons (BP)
	Report

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,091 Referee: Steve Lee

6 October 2012 15:00

Rotherham Titans	23 – 16	Bristol
	Report

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,060 Referee: John Meredith

7 October 2012 15:00

Nottingham (BP)	48 – 16	Jersey
	Report

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,483 Referee: Matthew Carley

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Round 7

26 October 2012 19:45

Doncaster Knights	24 – 16	Moseley
	Doncaster Moseley

Castle Park Attendance: 872 Referee: Martin Fox

26 October 2012 20:00

Newcastle Falcons (BP)	33 – 0	Rotherham Titans
	Newcastle Rotherham

Kingston Park Attendance: 3,518 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

27 October 2012 14:00

Jersey	20 – 17	London Scottish (BP)
	Jersey Scottish

St. Peter Attendance: 2,083 Referee: Luke Pearce

27 October 2012 15:00

Plymouth Albion	22 – 31	Nottingham (BP)
	Plymouth Nottingham

Brickfields Attendance: 1,589 Referee: Greg Macdonald

28 October 2012 14:30

Bristol	23 – 13	Bedford Blues
	Bristol Bedford

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,609 Referee: Darren Gamage

28 October 2012 14:30

Cornish Pirates	21 – 8	Leeds Carnegie
	Pirates Leeds

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,971 Referee: David Rose

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Round 8

3 November 2012 14:00

Rotherham Titans (BP)	38 – 20	Doncaster Knights
	Doncaster Rotherham

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,876 Referee: Steve Lee

3 November 2012 15:00

Bedford Blues	20 – 29	Newcastle Falcons
	Bedford Newcastle

Goldington Road Attendance: 4,067 Referee: Martin Fox

3 November 2012 15:00

Jersey	16 – 14	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Jersey Plymouth

St Peter Attendance: 1,894 Referee: Ian Tempest

3 November 2012 15:00

London Scottish	14 – 37	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Scottish Leeds

Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,168 Referee: John Meredith

3 November 2012 15:00

Moseley	9 – 9	Cornish Pirates
	Moseley Pirates

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,003 Referee: Matthew Carley

4 November 2012 15:00

Nottingham (BP)	63 – 7	Bristol
	Nottingham Bristol

Meadow Lane Attendance: 2,091 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

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Round 9

9 November 2012 19:45

Doncaster Knights (BP)	21 – 22	Bedford Blues
	Doncaster Bedford

Castle Park Attendance: 908 Referee: Greg Macdonald

9 November 2012 19:45

Plymouth Albion	24 – 20	London Scottish (BP)
	Plymouth Albion London Scottish

Brickfields Attendance: 1,941 Referee: Darren Gamage

9 November 2012 20:00

Newcastle Falcons (BP)	29 – 9	Nottingham
	Newcastle Nottingham

Kingston Park Attendance: 3,458 Referee: Steve Lee

11 November 2012 14:00

Cornish Pirates (BP)	53 – 21	Rotherham Titans
	Cornish Pirates Rotherham

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,763 Referee: John Meredith

11 November 2012 15:00

Bristol (BP)	39 – 16	Jersey
	Bristol Jersey

Memorial Ground Attendance: 4,620 Referee: Matthew Carley

11 November 2012 15:00

Leeds Carnegie (BP)	38 – 12	Moseley
	Leeds Moseley

Wharfeside Avenue, Threshfield Attendance: 1,427 Referee: Ross Campbell

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Round 10

23 November 2012 19:45

Bedford Blues	32 – 6	Cornish Pirates
	Bedford Pirates

Goldington Road Attendance: 3,155 Referee: Greg MacDonald

24 November 2012 12:15

London Scottish	23 – 18	Moseley (BP)
	Scottish Moseley

Athletic Ground, Richmond Attendance: 653 Referee: Matthew Carley

24 November 2012 14:00

Rotherham Titans	13 – 24	Leeds Carnegie
	Rotherham Leeds

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,489 Referee: Darren Gamage

24 November 2012 15:00

Jersey	3 – 24	Newcastle Falcons (BP)
	Jersey Newcastle

St Peter Attendance: 2,292 Referee: Steve Lee

24 November 2012 15:00

Plymouth Albion	8 – 21	Bristol
	Plymouth Bristol

Brickfields Attendance: 1,358 Referee: Ian Tempest

25 November 2012 15:00

Nottingham (BP)	52 – 7	Doncaster Knights
	Nottingham Doncaster

Meadow Lane Attendance: 2,015 Referee: John Meredith

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Round 11

30 November 2012 19:45

Bristol (BP)	43 – 16	London Scottish
	Bristol Scottish

Memorial Ground Attendance: 4,682 Referee: Greg MacDonald

30 November 2012 19:45

Doncaster	22 – 17	Jersey (BP)
	Doncaster Jersey

Castle Park Attendance: 1,194 Referee: Darren Gamage

30 November 2012 20:00

Newcastle	31 – 15	Plymouth Albion
	Newcastle Plymouth

Kingston Park Attendance: 3,331 Referee: John Meredith

1 December 2012 12:45

Moseley (BP)	16 – 20	Rotherham Titans
	Moseley Rotherham

Billesley Common Attendance: 722 Referee: Steve Lee

2 December 2012 14:00

Cornish Pirates	11 – 10	Nottingham (BP)
	Pirates Nottingham

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,411 Referee: Ross Campbell

2 December 2012 14:00

Leeds Carnegie	25 – 45	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Leeds Bedford

Cross Green, Otley R.U.F.C. Attendance: 1,546 Referee: Ian Tempest

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Round 12

22 December 2012 15:00

Jersey	20 – 17	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Jersey Leeds

St Peter Attendance: 1,923 Referee: Ross Campbell

23 December 2012 15:00

Bristol	26 – 18	Doncaster
	Bristol Doncaster

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 6,045 Referee: John Meredith

23 December 2012 15:00

Newcastle Falcons	12 – 9	London Scottish (BP)
	Newcastle Scottish

Kingston Park Attendance: 3,001 Referee: Matthew Carley

23 December 2012 15:00

Nottingham	18 – 9	Moseley
	Nottingham Moseley

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,658 Referee: Darren Gamage

26 December 2012 15:00

Bedford	22 – 16	Rotherham (BP)
	Bedford Rotherham

Goldington Road Attendance: 4,418 Referee: Darren Gamage

26 December 2012 15:00

Plymouth Albion (BP)	5 – 9	Cornish Pirates
	Plymouth Pirates

Brickfields Attendance: 3,058 Referee: Greg MacDonald

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Round 13

1 January 2013 14:00

(BP) Cornish Pirates	32 – 17	Bristol
	Pirates Bristol

Mennaye Field Attendance: 2,954 Referee: Steve Lee

1 January 2013 14:30

Doncaster Knights	10 – 28	Newcastle Falcons (BP)
	Doncaster Newcastle

Castle Park Attendance: 1,702 Referee: Ian Tempest

5 January 2013 14:00

Rotherham Titans	12 – 32	Nottingham (BP)
	Rotherham Nottingham

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,498 Referee: Greg MacDonald

5 January 2013 15:00

London Scottish	26 – 23	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Scottish Bedford

Athletic Ground, Richmond Attendance: 1,705 Referee: John Meredith

5 January 2013 15:00

Moseley	23 – 19	Jersey (BP)
	Moseley Jersey

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,001 Referee: Luke Pearce

6 January 2013 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	R – R	Plymouth Albion

Headingley Rugby Stadium Referee: Matthew Carley

• The original result was 34 – 16 to Leeds. However, the match went to uncontested scrums within 13 minutes on the new pitch at Headingley.[23][24] A meeting of the Organising Committee of the Championship decided that the fixture should be replayed on the next available free weekend, being 1–3 February at a venue of Leeds' choice.[25]

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Round 14

25 January 2013 19:45

Bristol	12 – 9	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Bristol Leeds

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,070 Referee: JP Doyle

25 January 2013 20:00

Newcastle Falcons	P – P	Cornish Pirates

Kingston Park

• Game postponed to 23 February 2013 after a pitch inspection (Kingston Park pitch snow-covered).[26]

26 January 2013 14:30

Jersey	13 – 10	Rotherham Titans (BP)
	Jersey Rotherham

St Peter Attendance: 1,808 Referee: Steve Lee

26 January 2013 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	6 – 9	Moseley
	Plymouth Moseley

Brickfields Attendance: 1,303 Referee: Ross Campbell

27 January 2013 14:45

Nottingham	25 – 17	Bedford Blues
	Nottingham Bedford

Meadow Lane Attendance: 2,136 Referee: Matthew Carley

1 February 2013 19:45

(BP) Doncaster Knights	9 – 14	London Scottish
	Doncaster Scottish

Castle Park Attendance: 706 Referee: Steve Lee

• Game postponed from 25 January due to concerns about the weather.[27]

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Round 13 replay

3 February 2013 14:30

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	28 – 26	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Leeds Plymouth Albion

The Sycamores, West Park Leeds RUFC[20] Attendance: 1,460 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

Round 15

9 February 2013 12:15

London Scottish	25 – 13	Nottingham
	Scottish Nottingham

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,266 Referee: Ross Campbell

9 February 2013 14:30

Rotherham Titans	34 – 31	Plymouth Albion (2 BP)
	Rotherham Plymouth

Clifton Lane Attendance: 935 Referee: John Meredith

9 February 2013 15:00

(BP) Bedford Blues	38 – 21	Jersey
	Bedford Jersey

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,242 Referee: Greg Macdonald

9 February 2013 15:00

Moseley	P – P	Bristol

Billesley Common Referee: David Rose

• Game postponed to 15 March 2013 due to a water-logged pitch at Billesley Common.[28]

10 February 2013 12:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	9 – 13	Newcastle Falcons
	Leeds Newcastle

Cross Green, Otley R.U.F.C.[20] Attendance: 1,461 Referee: Darren Gamage

10 February 2013 14:30

(BP) Cornish Pirates	31 – 18	Doncaster Knights
	Pirates Doncaster

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,309 Referee: Matthew Carley

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Round 16

15 February 2013 20:00

(BP) Newcastle Falcons	36 – 3	Moseley
	Newcastle Moseley

Kingston Park Attendance: 3,030 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

16 February 2013 14:30

Doncaster Knights	23 – 17	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Doncaster Leeds

Castle Park Attendance: 1,271 Referee: Ross Campbell

16 February 2013 15:00

Jersey	P – P	Nottingham

St Peter

• Match postponed as the pitch was deemed unplayable.[29]

16 February 2013 15:00

(2 BP) Plymouth Albion	27 – 28	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Plymouth Bedford

Brickfields Attendance: 1,548 Referee: Steve Lee

17 February 2013 14:30

(BP) Cornish Pirates	17 – 20	London Scottish
	Pirates Scottish

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,857 Referee: Simon Harding

17 February 2013 15:00

(BP) Bristol	30 – 20	Rotherham Titans
	Bristol Rotherham

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,504 Referee: Matthew Carley

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Round 14 catch up

23 February 2013 19:00

(BP) Newcastle Falcons	50 – 3	Cornish Pirates
	Falcons Pirates

Kingston Park Attendance: 2,208 Referee: Steve Lee

• Game rescheduled from 25 January 2013.[30]

Round 17

2 March 2013 14:00

(BP) London Scottish	41 – 33	Jersey (BP)
	Scottish Jersey

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,552 Referee: Matthew Carley

2 March 2013 15:00

Bedford Blues	6 – 18	Bristol
	Bedford Bristol

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,933 Referee: Ian Tempest

2 March 2013 15:00

Moseley	23 – 9	Doncaster Knights
	Moseley Doncaster

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,030 Referee: Darren Gamage

2 March 2013 15:00

Rotherham Titans	22 – 34	Newcastle Falcons (BP)
	Rotherham Falcons

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,890 Referee: Greg MacDonald

3 March 2013 14:30

Leeds Carnegie	37 – 25	Cornish Pirates
	Leeds Pirates

Cross Green, Otley R.U.F.C.[20] Attendance: 1,363 Referee: John Meredith

3 March 2013 15:00

(BP) Nottingham	30 – 22	Plymouth Albion
	Nottingham Plymouth

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,370 Referee: Simon Harding

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Round 18

8 March 2013 19:45

(BP) Bristol	19 – 23	Nottingham
	Bristol Nottingham

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,555 Referee: David Rose

8 March 2013 20:00

Newcastle Falcons	17 – 15	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Falcons Bedford

Kingston Park Attendance: 3,967 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

9 March 2013 14:30

(BP) Doncaster Knights	19 – 25	Rotherham Titans
	Doncaster Rotherham

Castle Park Attendance: 1,517 Referee: Matthew Carley

9 March 2013 15:00

(BP) Plymouth Albion	15 – 19	Jersey
	Plymouth Jersey

Brickfields Attendance: 1,544 Referee: Steve Lee

10 March 2013 13:15

Cornish Pirates	17 – 14	Moseley (BP)
	Pirates Moseley

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,223 Referee: Ross Campbell

10 March 2013 15:00

(BP) Leeds Carnegie	26 – 3	London Scottish
	Leeds Scottish

Brantingham Park, Hull Ionians R.U.F.C. Attendance: 1,261 Referee: Greg MacDonald

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Round 15 and 16 catch up

15 March 2013 19:45

Moseley	23 – 14	Bristol
	Moseley Bristol

Billesley Common Attendance: 798 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

• Game rescheduled from 9 February 2013.[31]

16 March 2013 14:15

(BP) Jersey	13 – 20	Nottingham
	Jersey Nottingham

St Peters Attendance: 1,410 Referee: Martin Fox

• Game rescheduled from 16 February 2013.[32]

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Round 19

22 March 2013 19:45

(BP) Nottingham	12 – 14	Newcastle Falcons
	Nottingham Newcastle

Meadow Lane Attendance: 2,516 Referee: Steve Lee

23 March 2013 15:00

Bedford Blues	P – P	Doncaster Knights

Goldington Road

• Postponed due to heavy overnight snowfall in Bedfordshire. Game rescheduled to 17 April.

23 March 2013 15:00

(BP) Jersey	23 – 29	Bristol
	Jersey Bristol

St Peter Attendance: 3,074 Referee: Ross Campbell

23 March 2013 15:00

(BP) London Scottish	9 – 16	Plymouth Albion
	Scottish Plymouth

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 967 Referee: Thomas Foley

23 March 2013 15:00

Moseley	P – P	Leeds Carnegie

Billesley Common

• Postponed due to heavy snow in Birmingham. Game rescheduled to 5 April.

23 March 2013 15:00

Rotherham Titans	P – P	Cornish Pirates

Clifton Lane

• Postponed due to snowfall at Rotherham. Game rescheduled to 10 April.

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Round 20

29 March 2013 16:45

(BP) Doncaster Knights	21 – 27	Nottingham
	Doncaster Nottingham

Castle Park Attendance: 1,319 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint Roberts

29 March 2013 17:00

(BP) Newcastle Falcons	34 – 12	Jersey
	Newcastle Jersey

Kingston Park Attendance: 4,066 Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR)

30 March 2013 15:00

(BP) Moseley	20 – 25	London Scottish
	Moseley Scottish

Billesley Common Attendance: 914 Referee: Simon Harding

31 March 2013 15:00

Cornish Pirates	18 – 26	Bedford Blues
	Pirates Bedford

Mennaye Field Attendance: 2,032 Referee: Greg MacDonald

31 March 2013 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	24 – 7	Rotherham Titans
	Leeds Rotherham

Headingley Rugby Stadium Attendance: 2,007 Referee: Darren Gamage

31 March 2013 16:05

(BP) Bristol	34 – 20	Plymouth Albion
	Bristol Plymouth

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,064 Referee: Luke Pearce

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Round 19 postponed games

5 April 2013 19:45

Moseley	20 – 29	Leeds Carnegie (BP)
	Moseley Leeds

Billesley Common Attendance: 850 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts

• Postponed from 23 March due to heavy snow in Birmingham.

10 April 2013 17:15

(BP) Rotherham Titans	41 – 28	Cornish Pirates (BP)
	Rotherham Pirates

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,012 Referee: Dean Richards

• Postponed from 23 March due to snowfall at Rotherham.

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Round 21

13 April 2013 15:00

(BP) Bedford Blues	24 – 33	Leeds Carnegie
	Bedford Leeds

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,649 Referee: Ian Tempest

13 April 2013 15:00

Jersey	13 – 10	Doncaster Knights (BP)
	Jersey Doncaster

St Peter Attendance: 3,154 Referee: Andrew Small

13 April 2013 15:00

London Scottish	19 – 38	Bristol (BP)
	Scottish Bristol

Richmond Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,585 Referee: Darren Gamage

13 April 2013 15:00

Plymouth Albion	10 – 25	Newcastle Falcons
	Plymouth Newcastle

Brickfields Attendance: 2,211 Referee: Ross Campbell

13 April 2013 15:00

Rotherham Titans	26 – 22	Moseley (BP)
	Rotherham Moseley

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,037 Referee: John Meredith

14 April 2013 13:15

(BP) Nottingham	28 – 26	Cornish Pirates (2 BP)
	Nottingham Pirates

Meadow Lane Attendance: 1,469 Referee: Luke Pearce

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Round 19 postponed game

17 April 2013 19:45

(BP) Bedford Blues	38 – 26	Doncaster Knights (BP)
	Beford Doncaster

Goldington Road Attendance: 1,552 Referee: David Rose

• Postponed from 23 March due to heavy overnight snowfall in Bedfordshire.

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Round 22

20 April 2013 15:00

Cornish Pirates	28 – 24	Jersey (BP)
	Pirates Jersey

Mennaye Field Attendance: 1,955 Referee: Tom Foley

20 April 2013 15:00

(BP) Doncaster Knights	22 – 26	Plymouth Albion (BP)
	Doncaster Plymouth

Castle Park Attendance: 1,020 Referee: Simon Harding

20 April 2013 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	30 – 26	Nottingham (2BP)
	Leeds Nottingham

Headingley Rugby Stadium Attendance: 2,481 Referee: John Meredith

20 April 2013 15:00

(BP) Moseley	29 – 41	Bedford Blues (BP)
	Moseley Bedford

Billesley Common Attendance: 1,455 Referee: Matthew Carley

20 April 2013 15:00

(BP) Newcastle Falcons	14 – 19	Bristol
	Newcastle Bristol

Kingston Park Attendance: 4,590 Referee: Ian Tempest

20 April 2013 15:00

(BP) Rotherham Titans	33 – 26	London Scottish
	Rotherham Scottish

Clifton Lane Attendance: 1,463 Referee: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts

Play–offs

Semi–finals

The semi–finals followed a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system - with the games being played over two legs and the higher placed team deciding who played at home in the first leg.

Newcastle Falcons finished the regular season in first place and played fourth-placed finishers Leeds Carnegie, with both matches being shown on SkySports. The other semi–final was between second placed Nottingham and Bedford who finished third.[33]

Following the findings of an independent audit report, Leeds Carnegie, Newcastle Falcons and Nottingham Rugby met the "Minimum Standards Criteria" (MSC), and were eligible for promotion to the 2013–14 Aviva Premiership should they win the RFU Championship. Bedford Blues failed to meet the MSC but have the right to an appeal.[34]

First leg

4 May 2013 15:00

Bedford Blues	26 – 17	Nottingham
	Bedford Nottingham

Goldington Road Attendance: 2,533 Referee: J P Doyle

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6 May 2013 15:15

Leeds Carnegie	24 – 19	Newcastle Falcons
	Leeds Newcastle

Headingley Attendance: 4,259 Referee: David Rose

Second leg

10 May 2013 20:00

Nottingham	21 – 23	Bedford Blues
	Nottingham Bedford

Meadow Lane Attendance: 3,070 Referee: Martin Fox

• Bedford Blues won 49 – 38 on aggregate.

---

12 May 2013 13:15

Newcastle Falcons	15 – 6	Leeds Carnegie
	Newcastle Leeds

Kingston Park Attendance: 6,003 Referee: Wayne Barnes

• Newcastle Falcons won 34 – 30 on aggregate.

Final

23 May 2013 19:45

Bedford Blues	9 – 18	Newcastle Falcons
	Bedford Newcastle

Goldington Road Attendance: 4,588 Referee: Luke Pearce

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29 May 2013 19:45

Newcastle Falcons	31 – 24	Bedford Blues
	Newcastle Bedford

Kingston Park Attendance: 7,651 Referee: Greg Garner

• Newcastle Falcons won 49 – 33 on aggregate and are promoted to the Aviva Premiership.

Total attendances

Club	Home Matches	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Bedford Blues	13	39,667	3,051	4,588	1,552	51%
Bristol	11	53,410	4,855	6,045	4,070	40%
Cornish Pirates	11	20,480	1,862	2,954	1,223	47%
Doncaster Knights	11	13,639	1,240	1,702	872	40%
Jersey	11	24,152	2,196	3,154	1,410	44%
Leeds Carnegie	12	23,694	1,975	4,259	1,261	29%
London Scottish	11	13,325	1,211	1,705	653	27%
Moseley	11	10,678	971	1,455	722	32%
Newcastle Falcons	13	53,748	4,134	7,651	2,208	41%
Nottingham	12	22,609	1,884	3,070	1,187	10%
Plymouth Albion	11	19,991	1,817	3,058	1,303	21%
Rotherham Titans	11	14,589	1,326	1,890	935	53%

[35][36]

Top scorers

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Points[1][2][3] 1 Jimmy Gopperth Newcastle Falcons 298 2 James Arlidge Nottingham 246 3 Joe Ford Leeds Carnegie 222 4 James Love London Scottish 218 5 James Pritchard Bedford Blues 182 6 Michael Le Bourgeois Jersey 159 7 Garry Law Rotherham 155 8 Keiran Hallett Cornish Pirates 154 9 Adrian Jarvis Bristol 144 10 Oliver Thomas Moseley 142

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Tries[4][5][6] 1 Matt Evans Cornish Pirates 14 2 David Doherty Leeds Carnegie 13 Brent Wilson Nottingham 4 Josh Bassett Bedford Blues 11 5 Neil Cochrane Bedford Blues 10 6 Rhys Crane Nottingham 8 Sam Hocking Plymouth Albion Ally Hogg Newcastle Falcons Steve McColl Leeds Carnegie James Stephenson Bedford Blues

RFU Championship XV

The RFU Championship fielded a representative team for the first time against the Maori All Blacks, a touring team from New Zealand.[37]

17 November 2012 1205

RFU Championship XV	21 – 52	Māori All Blacks

Castle Park, Doncaster

• See the main article RFU Championship XV for further details.

Other tour match

Newcastle Falcons played a match against Tonga on Tuesday 13 November 2012 winning 24 – 13.[38]

• See 2012 end-of-year rugby union tests for details.

Season records

Team Largest home win – 56 pts 63 – 7 Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012 Largest away win – 40 pts 53 - 13 Newcastle Falcons away to Moseley on 6 October 2012 Most points scored – 63 pts 63 – 7 Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012 Most tries in a match – 9 Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012 Most conversions in a match – 9 Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012 Most penalties in a match – 7 (x3) London Scottish at home to Rotherham Titans on 2 September 2012 Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 29 April 2013 Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 April 2013 Most drop goals in a match – 2 (x2) Rotherham Titans away to Cornish Pirates on 11 November 2012 Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 8 March 2013 [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]

Player Most points in a match – 29 Gary Law for Rotherham Titans at home to Jersey on 22 September 2012 Most tries in a match – 3 (x6) Matt Evans for Cornish Pirates away to Jersey on 1 September 2012 Allister Hogg for Newcastle Falcons away to London Scottish on 8 September 2012 James Stephenson for Bedford Blues at home to London Scottish on 15 September 2012 Charlie Hayter for Moseley away to Jersey on 15 September 2012 Phil Burgess for Cornish Pirates at home to Rotherham Titans on 11 November 2012 Johny Harris for Nottingham at home to Plymouth Albion on 3 March 2013 Most conversions in a match – 9 James Arlidge for Nottingham at home to Bristol on 4 November 2012 Most penalties in a match — 7 (x3) James Love for London Scottish at home to Rotherham Titans on 2 September 2012 Jake Sharp for Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 29 April 2013 Jimmy Gopperth for Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 April 2013 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2) Gary Law for Rotherham Titans away to Cornish Pirates on 11 November 2012 Mark Atkinson for Bedford Blues away to Newcastle Falcons on 8 March 2013 [47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56] Attendances Highest – 7,651 Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 May 2013 Lowest – 653 London Scottish at home to Moseley on 24 November 2012 Highest Average Attendance – 4,855 Bristol Lowest Average Attendance – 971 Moseley [35][36]

See also

• 2012–13 British and Irish Cup
• 2012–13 Cornish Pirates RFC season

References

1. "RFU Championship Statistics". rugbyroundup.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
2. "Championship Semi-Finals Statistics". rugbyroundup.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
3. "Championship Finals Statistics". rugbyroundup.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
4. "RFU Championship Statistics". rugbyroundup.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
5. "Championship Semi-Finals Statistics". rugbyroundup.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
6. "Championship Finals Statistics". rugbyroundup.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
7. "Competitions & Tournaments". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
8. "London Welsh win Premiership promotion, Newcastle relegated". BBC Sport. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
9. "Wasps 10–14 Newcastle". BBC Sport. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
10. "Newcastle Falcons half-back Chris Pilgrim extends contract". BBC Sport. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
11. "London Welsh 17-24 Bedford Blues (agg 30-27)". BBC Sport. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
12. "Championship semi-final play-off: Bristol 29-18 Cornish Pirates". BBC Sport. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
13. Straughan, Dick (5 July 2012). "Falcons relegated as Welsh win RFU promotion appleal". The Cornishman. p. 80.
14. "Esher RFC president says club will cope with relegation". BBC Sport. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
15. "Jersey promoted to Championship by beating Coventry". BBC Sport. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
16. Tim Pryor (23 April 2012). "Jersey promoted: The rise and rise of an island side". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
17. "Rugby Football Union to fund travel for Cup games". BBC Sport. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
18. "Championship: RFU to abolish play-off pool stages". BBC Sport. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
19. "On The Road". Leeds Carnegie. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
20. "Leeds Carnegie announce fixture re-arrangements". Leeds Carnegie. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
21. "RFU Upholds London Scottish Verdict". London Scottish. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
22. "RFU Championship Fixtures & Results". rugby round up. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
23. "Leeds Carnegie 34 Plymouth Albion 16". Leeds Carnegie. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
24. "6th January 2013 Leeds". Plymouth Albion. 6 January 2013. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
25. "Championship Organising Committee rules on Leeds Carnegie v Plymouth Albion game". Rugby Football Union. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
26. "Cornish Pirates match postponed". newcastlefalcons.co.uk. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
27. "Doncaster Knights v London Scottish postponed to next Friday". Doncaster RFC. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
28. "Billesley Common Fixture Postponed". bristolrugby.co.uk. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
29. "POSTPONED: Jersey Vs Nottingham Rugby". nottinghamrugby.co.uk. 16 February 2013. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
30. "Newcastle v Cornish Pirates Game Postponed". cornish-pirates.com. 23 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
31. "Moseley Rearranged Fixture Date Confirmed". bristolrugby.co.uk. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
32. "Re-arranged fixture v Nottingham". jrfc.je. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
33. "Play off update". Leeds Carnegie. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
34. "Minimum Standards Criteria Audit results". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
35. "Championship 12/13 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
36. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
37. "Cornish Pirates boss Ian Davies to coach Championship XV". BBC. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
38. "FALCONS 24 TONGA 13". The Journal. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
39. "Championship 12/13 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
40. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
41. "Championship 12/13 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
42. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
43. "Championship 12/13 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
44. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
45. "Championship 12/13 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
46. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
47. "Championship 12/13 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
48. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
49. "Championship 12/13 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
50. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
51. "Championship 12/13 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
52. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
53. "Championship 12/13 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
54. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.
55. "Championship 12/13 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2013.
56. "Championship Play offs 12/13 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 29 May 2013.

External links

• RFU Championship news