2012–13 RFU Championship
| 2012–13 RFU Championship | |
|---|---|
| Countries |
 England Jersey
|
| Date | 31 August 2012 – 29 May 2013 |
| Champions | Newcastle Falcons |
| Runners-up | Bedford Blues |
| Relegated | Doncaster Knights |
| Matches played | 138 |
| Attendance | 308,320 (average 2,234 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 7,651 Newcastle Falcons at home to Bedford Blues on 29 May 2013 |
| Lowest attendance | 653 London Scottish at home to Moseley on 24 November 2012 |
| Tries scored | 691 (average 5.007 per match) |
| Top point scorer |
 Jimmy Gopperth(Newcastle Falcons) 298 points |
| Top try scorer |
 Matt Evans(Cornish Pirates) 14 tries |
|
← 2011–12
2013–14 →
|
|
The 2012–13 RFU Championship is the fourth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship,the second tier of English domestic rugby union competitions, played between August 2012 and May 2013.
After an appeal, last seasons champions, London Welsh were promoted to the Aviva Premiership and subsequently Newcastle Falcons relegated, due to finishing bottom of the Aviva Premiership during the 2011–12 season. On 8 May 2012 it was announced that only Bristol and London Welsh (subject to further developments) were eligible for promotion under the RFU's minimum standards criteria; London Welsh advanced to the Championship final, whilst Bristol were defeated in their semi-final by the Cornish Pirates, a club that could not meet the standards criteria. However, 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". London Welsh's appeal 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.Esher dropped out of the Championship after being relegated to the 2013–14 National League 1 and they will be replaced by a club from the Channel Islands, Jersey who won National League 1 last season and will compete in the Championship for the first time after three consecutive promotions.
The twelve clubs in the 2012–13 Championship will also participate in the 2012–13 edition of the British and Irish Cup along with clubs from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
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