2017–18 RFU Championship
The 2017–18 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, was the ninth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English rugby union league system run by the Rugby Football Union. It was contested by eleven English clubs and one from Jersey in the Channel Islands. The competition was sponsored by Greene King for a fifth successive season. The twelve teams in the RFU Championship also competed in the British and Irish Cup, along with clubs from Ireland and Wales.
| 2017–18 Green King IPA Championship | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England Jersey |
| Date | 2 September 2017 – 28 April 2018 |
| Champions | Bristol (4th title) |
| Runners-up | Ealing Trailfinders |
| Relegated | Rotherham Titans |
| Matches played | 132 |
| Attendance | 251,953 (average 1,909 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 13,100 Bristol v Doncaster Knights 13 April 2018 |
| Lowest attendance | 426 Hartpury College v Nottingham 10 February 2018 |
| Tries scored | 907 (average 6.9 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Ian Madigan (Bristol) 232 points |
| Top try scorer | Luke Morahan (Bristol) 17 tries |
On 24 March 2018 Rotherham Titans were relegated with 3 games to go, after losing away to Jersey Reds. Despite seeing some improvements in the second half of the season, the Yorkshire club were easily the weakest side in the division, dropping to 2018–19 National League 1, the lowest level the club have played at for 14 seasons.
On 7 April 2018 Bristol were crowned champions with 2 games to go following title rivals Ealing Trailfinders defeat that day to Doncaster Knights. They met the minimum criteria and therefore were promoted into Premiership Rugby. In winning the championship Bristol also became the most decorated tier 2 side in English league history with 4 league titles to-date.