The 2022–23 WRU Championship (or Admiral Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the tenth season of the WRU Championship, the second tier of club rugby in Wales run by the Welsh Rugby Union. It was contested by 14 Welsh clubs.
| 2022–23 Admiral Championship | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  Wales |
| Date | 3 September 2022 - 20 May 2023 |
| Promoted | Pontypool |
| Matches played | 160 (including 3 walkovers) |
Structure
editThe structure reverted back to its traditional league format following truncation the previous season. Each team played each other team on a home and away basis for a total of 26 games. League points were awarded as follows – 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 0 for a loss. Teams could also earn an additional bonus point by scoring four or more tries in a match and/or losing by less than seven points. As the Premiership will expand to 14 teams for the 2023-24 season, the top two clubs will be promoted - providing they meet the WRU A Licence criteria. No teams were relegated.[1][2]
Teams
editThe same 14 teams from the 2021-22 season competed this term. Bargoed were the reigning champions.
Orange = Dragons
Blue = Cardiff Rugby
Black = Ospreys
| Club | Stadium | Capacity | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bargoed | Bargoed Park | 1,500 | Bargoed, Caerphilly |
| Beddau | Mount Pleasant Park | unknown | Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Bedwas | Bridge Field | 2,000 | Bedwas, Caerphilly |
| Cardiff Metropolitan University | Cyncoed Campus | 1,620 | Cyncoed, Cardiff |
| Cross Keys | Pandy Park | 3,000 | Crosskeys, Caerphilly |
| Glamorgan Wanderers | Memorial Ground | 3,000 | Ely, Cardiff |
| Maesteg Quins | South Parade Playing Fields | unknown | Maesteg, Bridgend County Borough |
| Narberth | Lewis Lloyd Ground | unknown | Narberth, Pembrokeshire |
| Neath | The Gnoll | 6,000 | Neath, Neath Port Talbot |
| Pontypool | Pontypool Park | 8,800 | Pontypool, Torfaen |
| Tata Steel | Tata Sports and Social Club | unknown | Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot |
| Trebanos | Trebanos Park | unknown | Trebanos, Neath Port Talbot |
| Ystalyfera | Ynysdarren Park | unknown | Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot |
| Ystrad Rhondda | Gelligaled Park | unknown | Ystrad, Rhondda Cynon Taf |
Standings
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pontypool (P) | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1073 | 232 | +841 | 161 | 26 | 21 | 0 | 109 |
| 2 | Neath | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 851 | 316 | +535 | 128 | 37 | 20 | 3 | 99 |
| 3 | Bargoed | 24 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 809 | 378 | +431 | 121 | 50 | 17 | 1 | 98 |
| 4 | Ystrad Rhondda | 21 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 642 | 348 | +294 | 94 | 44 | 11 | 3 | 76 |
| 5 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 25 | 14 | 0 | 11 | 746 | 699 | +47 | 105 | 102 | 13 | 1 | 70 |
| 6 | Bedwas | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 595 | 609 | −14 | 81 | 90 | 12 | 3 | 63 |
| 7 | Narberth | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 610 | 455 | +155 | 82 | 63 | 10 | 5 | 63 |
| 8 | Cross Keys | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 647 | 616 | +31 | 94 | 84 | 14 | 4 | 62 |
| 9 | Beddau | 21 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 496 | 492 | +4 | 71 | 67 | 8 | 0 | 48 |
| 10 | Glamorgan Wanderers | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 473 | 753 | −280 | 66 | 106 | 10 | 2 | 40 |
| 11 | Maesteg Quins | 24 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 368 | 755 | −387 | 41 | 111 | 4 | 1 | 35 |
| 12 | Trebanos | 23 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 347 | 670 | −323 | 48 | 100 | 3 | 4 | 27 |
| 13 | Ystalyfera | 23 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 352 | 739 | −387 | 52 | 107 | 4 | 1 | 25 |
| 14 | Tata Steel | 24 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 263 | 1210 | −947 | 32 | 189 | 1 | 0 | −3[a] |
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Number of matches won
- Number of tries scored
- Ratio between points for:points against
(P) Promoted
Notes:
- ^ Tata Steel were deducted 4 points for failing to fulfil a fixture.
References
edit- ^ "Welsh Premiership to increase to 14 clubs as Nigel Walker's plan is blown apart". 18 August 2022.
- ^ "National League Rules Regulations 2022" (PDF). Welsh Rugby Association. August 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2023.