2018–19 WRU Championship

The 2018–19 WRU Championship was the seventh season of the WRU Championship, the second tier of club rugby in Wales run by the Welsh Rugby Union. It was be the third season to feature 12 teams, reduced from 14 in previous seasons. For this season, "ring-fencing" was abolished and the winner would play-off against the 12th placed team in the 2018–19 Principality Premiership at a neutral venue to determine the 12th team for the 2019–20 season. The competition was won by Pontypool for the third consecutive year and completed the season unbeaten for the second year running. The bottom four clubs relegated were Bedlinog, Newcastle Emlyn, Newbridge and Rhydyfelin.

2018–19 WRU National Championship
Countries Wales
Date1 September 2018 – 10 May 2019
ChampionsPontypool (3rd title)
RelegatedBedlinog
Newcastle Emlyn
Newbridge
Rhydyfelin
Matches played132

Structure

Each team in the Championship will play each other twice on a home and away basis for a total of 22 matches played each. The team with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the winners. Provided that the champion club holds an 'A-License', they will play-off against the 12th placed team in the 2018-19 Principality Premiership at a neutral venue to determine the 12th team for the 2019-20 season. The bottom four clubs at the end of the season will be relegated to Division 1 (based on geographical location).[1]

Teams

At the end of last season, Skewen and Glynneath were both relegated to Division 1 West Central. The winners of each Division 1 entered into play offs to decide the remaining two places. The winners of the two Eastern divisions faced each other as did the winners of the two Western divisions. The winners were East Central champions Ystrad Rhondda and West Central champions Maesteg Quins who beat Brynmawr and Felinfoel respectively. Both clubs were making their debuts in the competition.

Promotion Play-offs
12 May 2018
14:30
Ystrad Rhondda 47 – 31 Brynmawr
Gelligaled Park
22 May 2018
18:45
Maesteg Quins 28 – 27 Felinfoel
South Parade Playing Fields
16 May 2018
19:15
Brynmawr 5 – 28 Ystrad Rhondda
Recreation Ground

Ystrad Rhondda won 75–36 on aggregate.

25 May 2018
18:45
Felinfoel 6 – 25 Maesteg Quins
St George Field

Maesteg Quins won 53–33 on aggregate.

Locations of the 2018–19 WRU Championship teams with colour markers to represent the region they belong to:

Orange = Newport Gwent Dragons
Blue = Cardiff Blues
Black = Ospreys

Red = Scarlets
Club Stadium Capacity Area
Beddau Mount Pleasant Park unknown Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Bedlinog Recreation Ground unknown Bedlinog, Merthyr Tydfil
Cardiff Metropolitan University Cyncoed Campus 1,620 Cyncoed, Cardiff
Maesteg Quins South Parade Playing Fields unknown Maesteg, Bridgend County Borough
Narberth Lewis Lloyd Ground unknown Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Newbridge Welfare Ground 5,000 Newbridge, Caerphilly
Newcastle Emlyn Dôl Wiber unknown Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire
Pontypool Pontypool Park 8,800 Pontypool, Torfaen
Rhydyfelin Recreation Ground unknown Rhydyfelin, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Tata Steel Tata Sports and Social Club unknown Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot
Trebanos Trebanos Park unknown Trebanos, Neath Port Talbot
Ystrad Rhondda Gelligaled Park unknown Ystrad, Rhondda Cynon Taf

Standings
2018–19 WRU National Championship Table
Team Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Tries for Tries against Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1Pontypool (C)22220075933642311843180106
3Ystrad Rhondda22160653345479705811176
2Narberth22160650137712461456373
4Cardiff Metropolitan University22131855941614372568466
5Tata Steel2290135735703807411552
6Trebanos2210012437446-956594751
7Maesteg Quins2211011405479-7438632349
8Beddau228014426516-9053703843
9Bedlinog (R)227114401502-10148575742
10Newcastle Emlyn (R)227015422599-17753886539
11Newbridge (R)226115385518-13351673736
12Rhydyfelin (R)225116340528-18850704531
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of tries scored
  3. Ratio between points for:points against

Updated: 10 May 2019
Source: "WRU Championship". allwalessport.

References
  1. http://www.wru.co.uk/downloads/National_League_Rules_and_Regulations_2018-19.pdf%5B%5D
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