15-year Championship record broken in riotous weekend of rugby

A riotous weekend of running rugby in the RFU Championship produced a record-breaking 458 points and 71 tries, the most scored in a single round since the league was launched in 2009/10.

It beat the previous best points total of 445 in round four of the 2017/18 season, and the previous best try return of 64 in round 16 this year.

With Ealing Trailfinders having sewn up yet another Championship title with plenty of rugby to spare and no relegation at stake, there was precious little on the line for any of the 12 teams involved other than pride and places on the league table below the top.

Given a license to play with sheer abandon, English rugby’s second tier put on a show of running rugby, which produced a series of staggeringly high-scoring matches in Round 21.

The six matches averaged 76.3 points and 11.8 tries per game, with two games producing more than 90 points.

Nottingham and Hartpury set the tone for what was to come with an incredible game at Lady Bay on Friday night. Hartpury raced into a 26-0 lead with 18 minutes gone, but the home side produced a comeback for the ages, to win 54-33.

The remainder of the games took place on the Saturday, and Ampthill’s 54-43 win over the bottom team, Cambridge, at Dillingham Park was the highest-scoring of the lot. Jack Bracken, the son of England RWC 2033 winner Kyran Bracken, scored the first of his four tries in only the second minute, and the tries kept on coming at frequent intervals thereafter.

Ealing’s 55-38 win at home to Coventry featured 15 tries, while the division’s principal entertainers, Bedford Blues, secured second place in style with a 61-26 win against Chinnor at Goldington Road.

It was a more subdued affair at Castle Park, but no less entralling, as Doncaster made it nine league wins on the bounce, with a 35-15 win against Cornish Pirates taking them up to third. The lowest-scoring match of the weekend produced a mere 44 points, London Scottish’s 31-13 win at home to Caldy.

The quality of entertainment on show will have hopefully left a favourable impression on potential title sponsors and broadcast partners following the league’s rebranding as Champ Rugby next season.

*Stats credit: Stuart Farmer