The 2026–27 Champ Rugby is the eighteenth season of Champ Rugby, the second tier of rugby union in England. It is the second season under the rebranded banner of Champ Rugby. The number of teams in the league remains at fourteen and the defending champions, Worcester Warriors, were not promoted to the PREM.
Ahead of the new campaign, Rotherham Titans and Blackheath were promoted from the 2025–26 National League 1. Rotherham secured their place automatically as National League 1 champions, while Blackheath earned promotion by winning the Champ Accession Final. They replace London Scottish and Cambridge, who were both relegated to the third tier. Cambridge were automatically relegated by finishing bottom of the table, whereas London Scottish were relegated after being defeated by Blackheath in the play-offs.
Participating teams and location
Fourteen teams will complete in the league – twelve of the teams from last season plus Rotherham Titans, the champions of National League One, and Blackheath, the Champ accession play-off winners. No team was promoted to the Premiership. Departing were Cambridge (14th) and London Scottish (13th / Champ accession play-off losers) both relegated to National League One.
Club Stadium Capacity Area Previous season Ampthill Dillingham Park 3,000 Ampthill, Bedfordshire 10th Bedford Blues Goldington Road 5,531 (1,700 seats) Bedford, Bedfordshire 2nd (lost play-off final) Blackheath Well Hall 1,650 (550 seats) Eltham, London Promoted from National 1 (play-off winners) Caldy Paton Field 4,000 Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside 11th Chinnor Kingsey Road 3,000 (560 seats) Thame, Oxfordshire 5th (lost play-off QF) Cornish Pirates Mennaye Field 4,000 (2,200 seats) Penzance, Cornwall 7th Coventry Butts Park Arena 5,250 (3,000 seats) Coventry, West Midlands 3rd Doncaster Knights Castle Park 5,183 (1,926 seats) Doncaster, South Yorkshire 8th Ealing Trailfinders Trailfinders Sports Ground 5,000 (2,115 seats) West Ealing, London 1st (lost play-off SF) Hartpury University Hartpury Stadium 2,000 Hartpury, Gloucestershire 6th (lost play-off QF) Nottingham Lady Bay Sports Ground 3,700 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire 9th Richmond Athletic Ground 4,500 (1,000 seats) Richmond, London 12th Rotherham Titans Clifton Lane 2,500 Rotherham, South Yorkshire Promoted from National 1 (champions) Worcester Warriors Sixways Stadium 9,800 Worcester Champions (won play-off final) / 4th
Table
Notes
References