With RFU Championship sides to feature in the Premiership Rugby Cup for the first time ever, we take a close look at our Championship opposition, with an old foe returning in Bedford Blues and inaugural meetings against Ampthill and Caldy.
As mentioned when the fixtures were initially announced, Caldy's rise as a rugby club has been remarkable. Plying their trade in National League North 2 as recently as 2017, they achieved back-to-back promotions prior to their first season in the Championship, where they demonstrated that they belonged in the upper echelons of the game, with seven wins and finishing a tough season in 10th place. A team of real fighters, Caldy's rise has seen them undergo unbeaten seasons and a title-deciding victory against Sale RUFC, fighting back from 23-3 down at halftime to win 26-28. They will be relishing the opportunity to take to the field at Mattioli Woods Welford Road against the Premiership's most successful club.
The side from the Wirral have shown immense success within and dedication to a sport that, at times, struggles for popularity in the North of England. Caldy, however, have found their area to have a great appetite for rugby union, their side supported by an incredible backbone of home-grown talent. This is aided by the club's commitment to player development, their mini & youth set-up the envy of many, consisting of around 400(!) young players in their ranks. One for the old-school rugby purists, the 'team without a stand' instead operating with a raised bank next to the first team pitch.
This Premiership Rugby Cup season will also see Leicester Tigers face Championship opponents Ampthill for the first time. The first of two Bedfordshire outfits to be talked about in this article, Ampthill finished the 2022/23 season a smidge higher than Caldy, in eighth place.
A season of two halves, the team struggled in the tail end of 2022, second-bottom after with no wins, one draw and nine losses from their opening 10 matches. However, a post-Christmas revival saw the team surge up the table, with eight wins in their final 12 matches to finish well clear of relegation. A real team effort, the tries were split across 30(!) different players, lead by wings Ben Cambriani and Morgan Strong and new club captain Tom Bacon (with eight, seven and six tries respectively).
The side who, at first glance, pose the greatest threat, of the three Championship clubs, would be Bedford Blues. The other Bedfordshire side that Tigers will face, they finished last season in fourth place, earning 12 wins and they will also enjoy home advantage, as Tigers will travel to Goldington Road in the final match of the first round of fixtures, their historic ground (Bedford have played on the same pitch for over 100 years!) sure to be packed to its full 5'000 capacity.
They are an exciting team to watch, their supporters having witnessed the most combined points of any side in the Championship last year, scoring a mighty 697 points, with the likes of Sean French (15 tries) and Dean Adamson (12 tries) top scoring, but also conceding 619 points across the season. Tigers last faced the side in competitive action back in 2000, after they had spent the prior couple of years in the Premiership.
All home Premiership Rugby Cup games are included in the Tigers 2023/24 Season Tickets, with a priority purchase window now open for Season Ticket Holders and Tigers Members to book tickets!
Match tickets will be available on general sale from Tuesday, August 1.
