2021-2022 CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
THE prospect of at least two years battling the big boys in the Premiership adds more spice to the Championship next season following the changes to top-flight promotion/relegation approved by the RFU Council last month.
With 56 days to go until kickoff, second tier clubs are ramping up their pre-season plans as they seek to lift the Championship trophy and become the 14th member of the expanded top flight knowing there will be no Premiership relegation in 2022-23.
Favourites Ealing Trailfinders, who lost to Saracens in the Championship final last season, begin against Hartpury on September 18.
Round 1 - Sat 18 Sep
Ealing Trailfinders v Hartpury Cornish Pirates v Richmond Nottingham v Ampthill Coventry v Doncaster Knights London Scottish v Jersey Reds BYE: Bedford Blues
Round 2 - Sat 25 Sep
Hartpury v Cornish Pirates Richmond v Nottingham Ampthill v Coventry Doncaster Knights v London Scottish Jersey Reds v Bedford Blues BYE: Ealing Trailfinders
Round 3 - Sat 2 Oct
Nottingham v Hartpury Cornish Pirates v Ealing Trailfinders Coventry v Richmond London Scottish v Ampthill Bedford Blues v Doncaster Knights BYE: Jersey Reds
Round 4 - Sat 9 Oct
Hartpury v Coventry
Ealing Trailfinders v Nottingham Richmond v London Scottish Ampthill v Bedford Blues Doncaster Knights v Jersey Reds BYE: Cornish Pirates
Round 5 - Sat 23 Oct
London Scottish v Hartpury Nottingham v Cornish Pirates Coventry v Ealing Trailfinders Bedford Blues v Richmond Jersey Reds v Ampthill BYE: Doncaster Knights
Round 6 - Sat 30 Oct
Hartpury v Bedford Blues Cornish Pirates v Coventry Ealing Trailfinders v London Scottish Richmond v Jersey Reds Ampthill v Doncaster Knights BYE: Nottingham
Round 7 - Sat 6 Nov
Jersey Reds v Hartpury Coventry v Nottingham London Scottish v Cornish Pirates Bedford Blues v Ealing Trailfinders Doncaster Knights v Richmond BYE: Ampthill
Round 8 - Sat 20 Nov
Hartpury v Doncaster Knights Nottingham v London Scottish Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey Reds Richmond v Ampthill
BYE: Coventry
Round 9 - Sat 27 Nov
Ampthill v Hartpury
London Scottish v Coventry Bedford Blues v Nottingham Jersey Reds v Cornish Pirates Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders BYE: Richmond
Round 10 - Sat 4 Dec
Hartpury v Richmond Coventry v Bedford Blues Nottingham v Jersey Reds Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights Ealing Trailfinders v Ampthill BYE: London Scottish
Round 11 - Sat 11 Dec
Bedford Blues v London Scottish Jersey Reds v Coventry Doncaster Knights v Nottingham Ampthill v Cornish Pirates Richmond v Ealing Trailfinders BYE: Hartpury
Round 12 - Sat 18 Dec
Hartpury v Ealing Trailfinders Richmond v Cornish Pirates Ampthill v Nottingham Doncaster Knights v Coventry Jersey Reds v London Scottish BYE: Bedford Blues