👍😜

Also, agree with the second place playoff. Means 5/14 places in the league will be potential promotion/relegation which is plenty to keep things interesting. 

Some sensible decisions by those in charge for a change. 

So good you want to get out of it?

Me? Certainly not! However, the changes could well add to the drama for the neutral as next season unfolds and reaches its latter stages. 

It's bad enough that the RFU don't (want to) understand that.

Having been in The Championship for 3 seasons with another coming up, I agree that National 1 is the best league. Having both professional and semi professional squads does not lead to a pleasant spectator experience. 

I know that Cambridge beat Plymouth this year and Caldy beat Ealing last season but "The Champ" is not the balanced league that National 1 is where any team can beat any other each week. 

Chinnor, Hartpury and Ampthill have done well, whilst Scottish have developed an unfortunate relationship with Harlequins such that there are so many Quins players in a match day squad as to make Scottish merely a club name and abandoning the clubs history.

Is this a gripe from a disillusioned Cambridge supporter? Probably. Can I recommend promoting to Prem 2? Not without the backing of a sugar daddy and/or a Premiership partner (unlimited DR... )

This is just my opinion and not necessarily that of the Cambridge committee. 

Having been in The Championship for 3 seasons with another coming up, I agree that National 1 is the best league. Having both professional and semi professional squads does not lead to a pleasant spectator experience. 

I know that Cambridge beat Plymouth this year and Caldy beat Ealing last season but "The Champ" is not the balanced league that National 1 is where any team can beat any other each week. 

Chinnor, Hartpury and Ampthill have done well, whilst Scottish have developed an unfortunate relationship with Harlequins such that there are so many Quins players in a match day squad as to make Scottish merely a club name and abandoning the clubs history.

Is this a gripe from a disillusioned Cambridge supporter? Probably. Can I recommend promoting to Prem 2? Not without the backing of a sugar daddy and/or a Premiership partner (unlimited DR... )

This is just my opinion and not necessarily that of the Cambridge committee - in public. 

Apologies FHLH but I have slightly amended your post to reflect what I suspect is the situation!

But Cambridge have used Northampton Saints players, so not too sure what you mean.

FHLH, it is true what you say about Nat 1 and the beauty of a league where anyone can beat anyone every week, cliche as that may be . Interesting that you would rather be back in National 1. I wonder if Chinnor and Caldy supporters would also prefer it. Hope the new look Champ makes it a more enjoyable experience for you next season.

I have always found it equal parts bemusing and impressive how a fully pro side can lose to a part time side and likewise I am in admiration of how any part time side can beat the professional teams, good on them. A strange mix and match of club setups.

I should say well done to Chinnor on their first season up there, they were very impressive during their title-winning season in Nat 1 and I thought they would manage the step up well.

You're right, but I don't believe to the extent of others. I'd prefer season long loans such as when we had George Furbank for 2 successive seasons when in National One

No mention of that on his Wikipedia page, just Wasps to Northampton to loan at Cambridge then Sale for 25/26

As a Chinnor supporter there have been plusses and minuses to this season.

The obvious minus was the exclusion from the Premiership Cup, which together with the league fixture schedule meant no games for two months from the end of January to the end of March and six weeks from late October to the end of November ( apart from the Not The Prem Cup games against Cambridge ). There was also only three home games until the beginning of December. At least in National One there are games most weeks !

On the pitch the side have performed well above my expectations ( and so far haven't been thrashed by anyone ), but frustratingly a number of matches have been lost by narrow margins. With a bit more luck, or experience, or better game management some of these might have been converted into wins. Maybe next year.......

However, home wins over Doncaster, Bedford and Nottingham, and the draw at Hartpury must go down as great achievements. ( No offence to Caldy and Cambridge, as we had beaten them in National League One ! )

The main plus has been the off-field experience. Lessons had been learnt from some large crowds at the end of last season, so that there have been multiple street-food vendors and 7 bars around the crowd, so you no longer had to wait 30 minutes to get to get a pint !

Chinnor were fortunate that most games have been played in good weather so the lack of a covered stands hasn't been too much of a problem ( the small Meccano covered stand was replaced by an uncovered stand in order to meet the minimum seats requirement ). 

However, Doncaster had the misfortune to play during Storm Darragh, which was the most unpleasant conditions I have ever watched any sporting event, and everyone got drenched. Credit to both teams for the high quality play in abysmal conditions. Bedford were also unlucky in that the pitch hadn't recovered after two weeks of virtually continuous rain, and had to play in a mud-bath ( which favoured our pack and negated their backs - who are no doubt looking for revenge this week in firm conditions ! ), and a torrential shower just before kick-off sent everyone scurrying for cover !

With a combination of a better match-day experience, more active marketing, and more attractive opposition with more traveling support, Chinnor have become the third best supported team in the division, with an average of 1,777, which compares to 1,062 last season and 479 for 2022/23. Nearly a 400% increase over two season !

Talking to some of the crowd, people are coming from a number of the neighbouring towns eg Aylesbury, Wycombe, Oxford, Buckingham, Banbury etc to watch the rugby rather than just from Thame and the surrounding villages. And they are coming back !

As a grumpy old git, one other gripe is the the match-day programme now being online rather than paper, apart from the Not The Prem Match against Cambridge !

I have enjoyed out tilt against some famous names this season, Hopefully it will last for a few more years before we return to National League One ( which is the best league ! ) or lower, but if the expansion to 14 teams leads to a more sensible fixture schedule then perhaps Tier 2 won't be so bad !

It was sad how they weren’t allowed in the premiership cup.

How they responded, well done both.

The second promotion spot for me is a welcome one. It should add some interest to both leagues, Nat 1 as others have said hasn’t needed it in recent years as anyone can beat anyone.

The Chinnor fan referring to no covered stands (and the impact tp fans) is refreshing as over the years clubs have gone up like this.

The non league Cornwall Devon football league requires cover down the pyramid.  That should be a requirement too for the 2nd tier of rugby?!

Having seen Chinnor join national one and get a promotion, it helps me appreciate their journey and what they do it’s good if attendances have gone from strength to strength. Like other clubs

Cambridge, the views on fixtures was something I noticed too after relegation. Week after week was good fun then it was reduced to 14, even that’s been ok. Cambridge going up should have been good for the club.

Ultimately the championship as a rugby fan should be a place teams can and want to be in being a second tier of our great game. A rebrand may help that succeed I feel. At same time hopefully something gets sorted to help Ealing finally meet ground grading and get the promotion they deserve, winners again but are Rosslyn park in a better position in always being top 5 in National 1. As a frequent once a year visitor, they are always so hard to beat whilst encouraging good rugby (like Ealing off course).

Played 8 times and scored two tries, his mum and dad turned up to watch him play for the Lions at Rams and someone on here noted they didn't get many celebrities at their Reading ground lol.

I think we got four games, on the bench against Hartpury and then Pirates, Nottingham and Doncaster.

Then Saints wanted him back. I doubt we will see any Saints this week, as they will be at the Final.

Maybe Chinnor.

As far as I am aware, Rosslyn Park didn’t apply to be considered for the new level 2 so wouldn’t have gone up had they finished top. At least that is my understanding.