The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has today revealed the full fixture list for the upcoming 2023-24 Championship league season.
Following a sensational 2022-23 season in National One, Cambridge Rugby will step up into the second tier of English rugby for the first time, with their league season getting underway in October of this year.
The league competition will be played over 22 rounds, beginning over the weekend of 20-22 October, with the final round scheduled for the weekend of 24-26 May next year. A two-leg play-off for promotion to the Premiership will then take place on the weekends of 31 May-2 June and 7-9 June between the top placed team in the Championship (provided it meets the minimum standards criteria) and the last placed team in the Premiership.
The league will consist of 12 teams, with Cambridge getting their campaign underway on Saturday 21 October away to local rivals Ampthill at 15:00.
Tickets for all home matches along with season memberships will be on sale soon, with more details on how to secure yours available shortly via our website and social media channels.
In addition to the Championship League, Cambridge will also partake in the brand new Premiership Cup competition which gets underway in September.
The pool stages of the Premiership Cup, will kick off the season starting on the weekend of 8-10 September with the semi-finals held between 16-18 February and the final over the weekend of 15-17 March. The fixture details for the Cup will be announced soon.
RFU director of performance rugby Conor O’Shea added: “The 2022-23 season finale went down the wire with only two points ultimately separating the top two teams in the table, showcasing the drama of the Championship, and we can expect more of the same in the upcoming season.
“We’re really pleased to welcome Cambridge, who had a fantastic season in National 1, and will be a great addition to the Championship.”
Championship committee chairman, Simon Halliday, said: “This is a hugely important year for all Championship clubs, and I wish each of them the very best for the coming season.
“I would particularly like to welcome Cambridge who achieved a wonderful promotion and I know that they will add greatly to the league as did Caldy last year.
“As the incoming chairman I look forward to helping build on the work already done as the English game looks towards the future and a sustainable recovery.”
To see the full Cambridge Rugby fixture list click here.
For more information visit www.championshiprugby.co.uk or @champrugby