Rugby Canada Signs Deal with Champ Rugby (Formerly RFU Championship) to Cover Relocation Costs for Canadian Players
It used to be called the RFU Championship, now called Champ Rugby, the second tier of English rugby. Currently there are 14 teams, full list shown below, and there are currently a few Canadian internationals in the league [updated] Shane O’Leary (Nottingham), Dewald Kotze (Rotherham), Rob Povey (Rotherham). There will be more coming with the new agreement between the league and Rugby Canada. Rugby Canada “will support players’ relocation costs such as flights and visas”.
Now that the framework is set with Rugby Canada going on record to pick up the relocation costs, it will be interesting to see how many clubs buy in with the season set to start on September 19th. Will we see a flurry of announcements over the coming weeks? Then there is the question of playing time. When Canada missed out on the 2023 Rugby World Cup they featured a team made up mostly of MLR players, not all of them got regular playing time. The Champ Rugby league still has EQP (English Qualified Players) rules where RFU funding is tied in to hitting minimum numbers for EQP players in the match 23.
In related news Brock Gallagher signed with Young Munster of the All Ireland League (AIL) Division 1A. Jason Higgins plays in that league with Cork Constitution. If you look at the various levels at which Canadians are competing in around the globe you would have to say Nic Benn in NPC, Tyler Ardron and Evan Olmstead in Pro D2 are the top. Slightly lower would be the Champ Rugby competition which is still higher than MLR. The AIL would probably sit just below MLR around the Nationale level in France.
from RugbyPass.com
Rugby Canada have struck a strategic deal with Champ Rugby in England to enable their players to get more competitive game time in the lead up to Rugby World Cup 2027.
Financial and logistical measures have been put in place to encourage clubs to sign Canadian players and reverse the trend of recent years.
Canadian players used to be prevalent in the second-tier Champ until the introduction of English-qualified conditional funding put clubs off signing players from North America.
Major League Rugby promised to fill the gap but with the league now down to five teams, Canada’s players have limited opportunities to play professional rugby in a high performance environment.
Experienced stalwarts like Tyler Ardron, Evan Olmstead and Andrew Quattrin play to a high level in France, but there are very few Canadian players knocking around in the UK, and this deal hopes to change that.
Rewind to a decade or two ago, established internationals such as prolific international points scorer James Pritchard (Bedford/Plymouth), John Cannon (Coventry/Doncaster), record caps holder Aaron Carpenter and Brett Beukeboom (both Cornish Pirates) were just a few of the stars that graced the league.
Rugby Canada’s role in this latest partnership will support players’ relocation costs such as flights and visas. Champ Rugby will in turn offer players professional contracts which include accommodation support as part of the deal.
Reformatted with player availability in mind, clubs who sign Canadian players will work with the Rugby Canada to ensure flexibility for national team training/matches.
“We are pleased to formalise this partnership with Champ Rugby and its clubs with support from the RFU,” said Nathan Bombrys, CEO of Rugby Canada.
“We have some quality players in Canada, and this partnership will provide opportunities for them to test themselves and develop their rugby in an excellent professional environment.”
Simon Gillham OBE, Chair of Champ Rugby, added: “Champ Rugby is the proving ground for players with ambition. We’re delighted to welcome talented Canadian players into our clubs, where they’ll get regular, competitive rugby at an elite level.
“It’s a partnership that strengthens our competition, elevates our platform, and supports Rugby Canada in developing their internationals, all the while contributing to the growth of the wider game.”
Canada have fallen outside of the top 20 in the World Rugby Rankings since they last competed in the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2019.
The team missed out on Rugby World Cup 2023, the first time in history that they haven’t been present on the game’s biggest stage, but secured qualification for next year’s tournament in Australia.
Canada have been placed in Pool C, along with Argentina, Fiji and Spain.
from Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada is pleased to announce the partnership with Elior Champ Rugby, the reformatted English rugby second-tier league which will provide a high performance, professional environment for Canadian men’s players across the pond.
This strategic partnership strengthens both Champ Rugby as a proving ground for players hopeful to advance to Prem Rugby and international stages; while aiding Canadian internationals to compete in high-level playing opportunities. This experience will support players looking to make Canada’s final squad selection for the upcoming Men’s 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Featuring 14 teams across the country, Champ Rugby is English rugby’s biggest supporter and is the crucial link in the pathway from grassroots to the top of the game. On the field, over 8,000 matchday places are available to Champ players during the season, offering more game time to future rugby talent. Off the field, Champ Rugby lives for the growth of the game, connecting people and communities.
“We are pleased to formalize this partnership with Champ Rugby and its clubs with support from the RFU,” said Nathan Bombrys, CEO of Rugby Canada. “We have some quality players in Canada, and this partnership will provide opportunities for them to test themselves and develop their rugby in an excellent professional environment.”
“Champ Rugby is the proving ground for players with ambition,” said Simon Gillham OBE, Chair of Champ Rugby. “We’re delighted to welcome talented Canadian players into our clubs, where they’ll get regular, competitive rugby at an elite level. It’s a partnership that strengthens our competition, elevates our platform, and supports Rugby Canada in developing their internationals, all the while contributing to the growth of the wider game.”
Understanding the financial barriers that players face when moving abroad for competition, Rugby Canada’s role in this latest partnership will support players’ relocation costs such as flights and visas. Champ Rugby will in turn offer players professional contracts which include accommodation support as part of the deal. Reformatted with player availability in mind, clubs who sign Canadian players will work with the Rugby Canada to ensure flexibility for national-team commitments.
Rugby Canada looks forward to working with Champ Rugby and its associated clubs. A special thank you to World Rugby and the RFU for their support in bringing this partnership together. Rugby Canada looks forward to this exciting Champ Rugby season and the chance to witness Canadian players making their mark on the league.
Champ Rugby Teams for 2026/27
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ampthill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | Bedford Blues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Blackheath | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Caldy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Chinnor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Cornish Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Coventry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Doncaster Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Ealing Trailfinders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Hartpury | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Nottingham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Richmond | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Rotherham Titans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Worcester Warriors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |