2011–12 RFU Championship
| 2011–12 RFU Championship | |
|---|---|
| Countries |
 England
|
| Champions | London Welsh |
| Runners-up | Cornish Pirates |
| Relegated | Esher |
| Matches played | 174 |
| Attendance | 342,849 (average 1,970 per match) |
| Top point scorer |
Rob Cook (Cornish Pirates) 310 pts |
| Top try scorer |
Josh Bassett (Bedford Blues) 17 tries |
|
← 2010–11
2012–13 →
|
|
The 2011–12 RFU Championship was the third season (of the professionalised format) of the second tier of the English domestic rugby union competition, played between August 2011 and May 2012. New teams to the division included Leeds Carnegie who were relegated from the Aviva Premiership 2010-11 and London Scottish who were promoted from 2010–11 National League 1. The first stage was won by Bristol and the final by London Welsh who, after an appeal, won promotion to the Aviva Premiership 2012-13.Esher were relegated to the 2012–13 National League 1.
On 8 May 2012 it was announced that only Bristol was eligible for promotion under the RFU's minimum standards criteria. They were subsequently beaten by the Cornish Pirates in the semi–finals who in turn lost to the eventual champions, London Welsh. London Welsh had announced on 14 May that they would meet the RFU's eligibility test to play in the Premiership if they win promotion and two days later announced they would play in the Kassam Stadium in Oxford if successful. On 23 May, the day of the first leg of the final, the RFU announced that London Welsh would not be eligible for promotion due to "various failures". The appeal by London Welsh was heard by an Independent Panel on 29 June which ruled ″... that the Exiles should be promoted on the basis that they play their home games at Oxford's Kassam Stadium and that the club meet the minimum entry criteria to the league as imposed by the Professional Game Board.″ Chief Executive Officer of the RFU, Ian Richie, subsequently announced that there would be a full review of the Minimum Standard Criteria.
This season will see Leeds Carnegie back in the Championship following relegation from the Aviva Premiership during the 2010-11 season, as well as London Scottish, who won promotion to the Championship from the National League 1 during the same season.
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