Champ Rugby lands free-to-air TV deal with fixtures confirmed

Louis Chapman Coombe 19 Aug 2026 10:50 AM

Worcester Warriors celebrate Champ Rugby final victory v Ealing Trailfinders — Worcester Warriors feature in one of nine free-to-air Champ Rugby fixtures this season, amid a new broadcast partnership

Selected Champ Rugby fixtures will be aired live on free-to-air TV channel BLAZE across the 2026/27 season, in yet another boost for the second-tier competition.

The deal comes as part of a new pilot partnership between host broadcaster Clubber TV and Hearst Networks, a joint venture between Hearst and Sky.

This also follows a multi-year partnership between Champ Rugby and contract caterer Elior UK, with the company becoming the title sponsor of the league.

Select Champ Rugby fixtures to be shown on free-to-air TV

As part of the new partnership, BLAZE will air a selected number of Champ Rugby fixtures, which will also be aired via Clubber TV, starting with Cornish Pirates’ clash with Doncaster Knights on Sunday, September 20.

The Knights feature in the second and third selected games, too, when they take on Hartpury on September 27 and the newl-promoted Blackheath on October 4.

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Ealing Trailfinders v Hartpury is the selected game on October 11, while Richmond’s clash with Champ newboys Rotherham Titans on October 18 will also be aired.

Rounding off the first picks are Rotherham Titans v Cornish Pirates on November 1, Hartpury v Chinnor on November 8 and Worcester Warriors v Ampthill on November 22.

Commenting on the new deal, Simon Gillham OBE, chair of the Champ Rugby board, said: “This is fantastic news for Elior Champ Rugby and will showcase the best of the league to a wider audience. We want our competition to be accessible to as many audiences as possible, and this extra offering now makes Champ Rugby the only weekly free-to-air rugby on English television. I’d like to thank Clubber TV and Hearst Networks for their commitment and support to our game.”

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Lar Doyle, chief operating officer at Clubber TV, added: “Clubber TV are delighted to be working with Hearst Networks and BLAZE to bring Elior Champ Rugby to a bigger audience. We’ve seen real momentum behind the competition over the past year, and making selected games available free-to-air is an important part of continuing to grow its visibility and reach.”

Also commenting, Heather Jones, chief creative officer, EMEA, at Hearst Networks, said: “Champ Rugby reflects everything BLAZE stands for. It’s exciting, fiercely competitive and deeply rooted in local communities, and we’re delighted to bring live Champ Rugby to free-to-air audiences. We know viewers increasingly value live experiences, and this partnership gives more fans the opportunity to discover one of English rugby’s best-kept sporting secrets every Sunday afternoon.”

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To watch the selected games on BLAZE, viewers can tune into Freeview Channel 64, Sky HD 164, Sky Glass / Sky Stream 169 UK (162 ROI), Freesat 161 and Virgin TV 174 or via the BLAZE App.