The 'Came through the RFU Championship' XV
The RFU Championship has received a lot of attention over the past few days after the Rugby Football Union’s decision to cut its funding of the league by almost half.
Since then, a host of players, chairmen and pundits have commented on how damaging this could be for England, the Gallagher Premiership and the league itself.
The majority of current England players have had stints in the Championship, as it is a preferred option of Premiership teams to loan players to the division below. However, there are also many that have risen through the ranks at RFU Championship clubs, and used that as a platform for their careers.
So here is an XV of players who came from Championship teams:
1 MAKO VUNIPOLA – BRISTOL
Before being signed by Saracens, the England, and British and Irish Lions loosehead Mako Vunipola came through Bristol, playing in the playoff loss to Exeter Chiefs in 2010.
2 DAVE WARD- CORNISH PIRATES
While Harlequins’ Dave Ward did not come through Cornish Pirates, having previously played for Bath, Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks, it was his three years in Penzance that attracted the attention of Harlequins. He arrived at the Stoop in 2012 and has been a great servant to the club ever since.
3 THOMAS FRANCIS – DONCASTER KNIGHTS
The Wales international and current Exeter Chiefs prop Thomas Francis was born in Yorkshire and played for Doncaster Knights and London Scottish before being snapped up by Rob Baxter at Exeter in 2014. Honorary mention: Ben Alexander- Bedford Blues.
4 DANNY GREWCOCK- COVENTRY
Before a distinguished career with Saracens, Bath, England, and the British and Irish Lions, Rugby World Cup winning lock Danny Grewcock spent three years in the Championship (then National One) with Coventry.
5 MOURITZ BOTHA – BEDFORD BLUES
The South African born England international Mouritz Botha started his career in England with Bedford Blues before moving to Saracens in 2009.
6 COLIN CHARVIS – LONDON WELSH
One of many Wales greats to play in the English capital with London Welsh, the Birmingham born Colin Charvis started his career there in the 90s before moving to Swansea and later becoming Wales captain.
7 AKAPUSI QERA – BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL
One of Gloucester’s great flankers this millennium, the former Fiji captain Akapusi Qera spent a season with Birmingham & Solihull (then Pertemps Bees) before moving to Kingsholm and later Toulouse.
8 NICK EASTER – ORRELL
The Manchester club Orrell were a feature of the RFU Championship during the 90s and early 2000s, even finishing second in 2004. Off the back of that season, their No8 Nick Easter was spotted by Harlequins and made the move up to the Premiership.
9 DANNY CARE – OTLEY
Although England and Harlequins scrumhalf Danny Care never strictly played in the Championship with Otley, having moved to fellow Yorkshire outfit Leeds, he did play for the club in his youth.
10 GARETH STEENSON – EXETER CHIEFS
Now a mainstay in the Premiership (and the fifth all-time points scorer), Gareth Steenson was part of Exeter back in their Championship days and has been with them through all their glory. Seven years before Steenson kicked the winning penalty in the Premiership final, he kicked 24 points in the 2010 playoff second-leg against Bristol to secure promotion.
11 JOE COKANASIGA – LONDON IRISH
Now in his second season at Bath, the 22-year-old giant Joe Cokanasiga first announced himself in the Championship with London Irish, and a barnstorming 2016/17 saw him selected for Eddie Jones’ England team to tour Argentina.
12 TOM SHANKLIN – LONDON WELSH
The 70-cap former Wales centre Tom Shanklin began his career with London Welsh before moving to Saracens and then Cardiff Blues.
13 CHRIS WYLES – NOTTINGHAM
The former USA captain Chris Wyles began his professional career with Nottingham before moving to Northampton Saints and then Saracens in 2008, where he became a four-time Premiership winner and two-time Champions Cup winner.
14 SEAN LAMONT – ROTHERHAM
The 105-cap Scotland great Sean Lamont was a Rotherham player in the early 2000s, spending three years in Yorkshire before a move to Glasgow, where his career blossomed.
15 DAVID STRETTLE – ROTHERHAM
A benefit of Harlequins being relegated in 2005, was that the London club were exposed to some of the talent in the league below. After impressing for Rotherham that season, the future England winger David Strettle was signed by Harlequins after they earned promotion.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
6 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
1 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
71 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
71 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
71 Go to commentsOne of the few Bidwell articles I can agree with. If coaches played their players through niggles and consistently played them 80mins then you could make an argument for resting protocols - they obviously don’t and are incredibly responsible, let’s give up the resting nonsense and let the boys play.
4 Go to commentsDaniel Gallan, please for the love of all that is holy, stop writing about rugby. Or at the very least stop telling people you are South African.
21 Go to commentsThis Dr.Rassie 6-2 filth is spreading. We need to ask World Rugby to ban something
1 Go to commentsPity he couldn’t call him a liar to his face, such a brave man.
71 Go to comments“You ain’t counting to 12 or 13 straight after a game, son!” Just because you don’t doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t “I reckon if anyone said it they would have said, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’.” Oh, you “reckon”, do you? You weren’t there, you weren’t part of the conversation but you know what was said… Id10T
71 Go to commentsNZ has such a rich history of quality number nines, and woman beaters.
1 Go to commentsThat’s what happens when you are scared of scrums
3 Go to comments