Championship clubs' exclusion from cup 'appalling'
All 11 Championship sides were able to compete in the Premiership Rugby Cup last season
- Published
Two Championship clubs have said it is "appalling" and "unfair" that they have been excluded from this season's Premiership Rugby Cup.
The competition has been rejigged for the 2024-25 season with only 10 of the 12 second-tier sides competing against the 10 Premiership clubs. Cambridge and newly-promoted Chinnor both miss out.
All Championship clubs were involved in the competition last season, marking the first time in 18 years that Premiership sides faced lower-tier teams in a cup.
"It’s not great to be honest to have the rug pulled out from under you," Chinnor director of rugby Nick Easter told BBC Radio Oxford.
A spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) told BBC Sport that the format for the Premiership Cup had been agreed by all parties.
The pool stages of this season's competition will have five regional groups of four clubs competing against each other home and away across six rounds.
The first three rounds, starting on the first weekend of November, take place during the Autumn internationals window, with the final three group matches taking place in February during the Six Nations.
The five pool winners and the three best second-placed sides will qualify for the knock-out stages in early March, before the final on the weekend of 15 March.
Chinnor, who are based in Thame, Oxfordshire, won promotion last season from National One to the Championship for the first time in their history.
"[The cup] was something we were looking forward to last season, we’re very disappointed. I’d say it’s a pretty appalling decision," former England international and Harlequins forward Easter said.
"The big issue from my side is trying to arrange games with some big gaps we’ll have from not competing in the competition. We have a period of five and seven weeks where we won't have any games."
An RFU spokesperson said: "The RFU, Premiership Rugby and Championship Executive worked together on the format for the Premiership Cup for the 2024-25 season.
"It was agreed that a 20-team competition provided the optimum competition format as the competition evolves, with on-going discussions on future formats and qualification processes already happening.
"Last season’s format with 22 teams was felt by the clubs to take place over too many weekends and the bottom two teams did not play against Premiership sides."
Gloucester won last season's competition, with Championship side Ealing Trailfinders reaching the semi-finals where they were beaten by Leicester Tigers.
- Published14 June
- Published5 June
Chinnor's promotion means that the Championship will return to a 12-team league next season, following the demise of Jersey Reds last autumn.
Cambridge, who were promoted to the second tier for the first time in 2023, finished bottom of the table last season.
The club said they are now seeking compensation for a loss of income caused by missing out on the cup games.
"The decision was made based on a seeding basis," Cambridge chairman Tim Hague said.
"Whilst this is logical, it’s not really fair. As such we have asked for significant compensation to offset substantial income loss from both missing out on bumper Premiership fixtures and the consequent loss of home gates and hospitality income.
"The other issue is a seven-weekend hole in our fixture list, which means a lack of continuity and momentum."
The opening round of matches will feature a number of derbies, including Northampton hosting Leicester.
Elsewhere, Cornish Pirates are at home to Exeter Chiefs, Hartpury take on Gloucester, while Harlequins and Saracens travel to London Scottish and Ealing respectively.
Premiership Rugby Cup 2024-25 pools
Pool 1
Newcastle Falcons
Sale Sharks
Doncaster Knights
Caldy
Pool 2
Leicester Tigers
Northampton Saints
Coventry
Nottingham
Pool 3
Harlequins
Saracens
Ealing Trailfinders
London Scottish
Pool 4
Bath
Bristol Bears
Bedford Blues
Ampthill
Pool 5
Exeter Chiefs
Gloucester
Cornish Pirates
Hartpury