Championship
Sky’s the limit for Championship
Dave Barton
THE new RFU Championship will have its first televised live game on October 30. SkySports will show Bristol Rugby’s Friday evening clash with Coventry (7.45pm) at the Memorial Stadium as part of its commitment to the 12-club tournament, formerly National Division One. RFU Tournament and Competitions Director Terry Burwell said, “Live television coverage is an important element of raising the profile of the Championship and taking league rugby below the Guinness Premiership to a new level. SkySports do a first class job in the Premiership and at international level and I am sure that quality will extend to the Championship.” Bristol are among the front-runners to win the ultimate prize – promotion back to the Guinness Premiership they were relegated from last season – and have been pulling in crowds of more than 4,000. Overall for the first five rounds the average attendance at the Championship clubs was up from 1,708 to 2,287 – an increase of 34 per cent. A fixture list dovetailing with the British & Irish Cup will give the clubs a season-long competitive fixture list culminating in the Championship play-offs. Burwell said, “We have already seen some excellent rugby and with an increased opportunity to be promoted via the play-off system there is an added incentive to every match.”
