England stars must wait until early March for league action with Sarries
SARACENS’ season in the Greene King IPA Championship will not begin until March 6.
And the revamped competition features two conferences of six teams, producing 10 rounds of games, before a play-off over two legs between each conference winner will decide the champions and promoted Gallagher Premiership club.
Three-time Champions Cup winners Saracens were relegated to English rugby’s second tier earlier this year following repeated salary cap breaches.
They will be in the same conference as Cornish Pirates, Ampthill, Jersey, London Scottish and Hartpury University, with the other group comprising Ealing Trailfinders, Coventry, Nottingham, Bedford, Doncaster and Richmond.
It means that Saracens’ England stars like Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Jamie George are unlikely to play league rugby again until late March, although Championship squads in full training can arrange pre-season friendlies ahead of the restart.
England open their Guinness Six Nations Championship campaign against Scotland on February 6, with the tournament concluding on March 20.
“Given the possibility of no crowds being allowed for some of the season, and wishing to take Championship rugby to a wider audience, it is hoped to stream as many of the matches as possible,” read a statement issued by the Rugby Football Union on behalf of the Championship clubs.
“As a result of Championship clubs having little or no income for the last nine months, the majority
do not have the financial ability to meet the costs of Covid testing required under the elite sport framework. The clubs have, therefore, been in regular dialogue with the RFU to consider options and solutions to conclude the season.
“The clubs have chosen not to return to play under adapted laws, and the March start date allows time for clubs to gain clarity from Sport England regarding the Sport Winter Survival Package before starting pre-season training.” Conference A: Saracens, Cornish Pirates, Ampthill, Jersey Reds, London Scottish, Hartpury University
Conference B: Ealing Trailfinders, Coventry, Nottingham, Bedford Blues, Doncaster Knights, Richmond
» Below the Championship, the remaining 44 National League clubs have been split into eight groups, which have been based on geographical regions to reduce travel times for clubs. All teams within a group will play each other twice in a home-and-away format before separating into a knockout competition with the other regional groups. Clifton and Dings Crusaders have been placed in Group 8.
Group 1: Blaydon, Darlington Mowden Park, Tynedale, Wharfedale, Harrogate Group 2: Barnes, Chinnor, Esher, Henley Hawks, Rams RFC, Rosslyn Park Group 3: Birmingham Moseley, Leicester Lions, Stourbridge, Luctonians, Cinderford, Hinckley, Loughborough Students. Group 4: Blackheath, Canterbury, Old Elthamians, Tonbridge Juddians, Worthing Raiders
Group 5: Sale FC, Caldy, Chester, Fylde, Sedgley Park
Group 6: Bishop’s Stortford, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Old Albanian, Westcliff
Group 7: Leeds Tykes, Huddersfield, Sheffield Tigers, Hull, Hull Ionians Group 8: Plymouth Albion, Barnstaple, Redruth, Clifton, Dings Crusaders, Taunton