Following the RFU's decision to decide the rest of the season via a points system, Ealing Trailfinders have finished second in the Championship for the third consecutive year.
The Championship season was suspended indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and it was agreed that the league’s remaining games would be calculated on a best playing record formula.
Trailfinders were 18 points behind, having played one match fewer than the league leaders, Newcastle Falcons.
The decision witnesses Newcastle Falcons be promoted back to the Premiership after winning all 15 of their fixtures while Yorkshire Carnegie has been relegated to National League One.
Congratulations @FalconsRugby on your promotion back to the Premiership 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/vD5tGhugl3
— Ealing Trailfinders (@ealingtfrugby) April 2, 2020
RFU President, Peter Wheeler said: “We believe that the decisions made provide fair and balanced outcomes for the game and maintain the integrity of the competitions. We have listened to recommendations from the heart of the game and the approach has been ratified by the RFU Council.”
“This has been a difficult decision to make in the most unprecedented of circumstances. There is no single solution that will suit every club, but the approach taken is one that we believe best reflects the nature of league rugby in England.
“With 80% of the season complete for the community game, we believe our approach is fair and the right one for our leagues. We have clubs that are clear league leaders and those who have said they would benefit from relegation to play more meaningful rugby.”
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