News
Championship return date announced
Bedford Blues are pleased to confirm a start date for the delayed 2021 Championship season has been announced, with the campaign scheduled to start on the weekend commencing Saturday 6th March 2021.
The club are hopeful that spectators will be allowed back into Goldington Road for the shortened season and will make further announcements on ticketing and pre-season matches in the New Year.
Operating under the elite sport framework, the Greene King IPA Championship league will be split into two conferences. Teams will play home and away within their conference producing 10 competition rounds, subsequent to which there will be a two leg play off final between the winner of each league to determine the team that will earn promotion to the Gallagher Premiership for the 2021/22 season.
Conference A:
Saracens, Cornish Pirates, Ampthill, Jersey Reds, London Scottish, Hartpury
Conference B:
Ealing Trailfinders, Coventry, Nottingham, Bedford Blues, Doncaster Knights, Richmond
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 with all Bedford Blues home matches to be available via our TicketCo platform.
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 play a shortened 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.
