2022/23 Championship Fixtures Announced

The 2022/23 Championship fixtures have been confirmed.

The league competition will be played over 22 rounds, beginning over the weekend of 10-11 September, with the final round scheduled for the weekend of 29-30 April next year. 

The league will consist of 12 teams in the upcoming season after Caldy secured promotion to the Championship after topping National 1.

The Championship Cup takes place over six rounds followed by a semi-final (5-6 May) and final (13-14 May) following the conclusion of the league season. The Cup kicks off on the weekend of 5-6 November with rounds two and three over the following two weekends. Rounds 3-6 also run over consecutive weekends beginning on 4-5 February.

2021/22 Championship winners Ealing Trailfinders kick-off the league season with a blockbuster home fixture against Doncaster on 10 September. The Knights completed the double over Trailfinders last season and will once again prove tricky opponents for Ben Ward’s squad.

Ealing then travel to Dillingham Park to face Ampthill in round two, before a home clash with Hartpury on 24 September. The following week, Ealing travel to Butts Park Arena to face Coventry. Both clubs faced off in a heated Championship Cup Final in May, with Trialfinders clinching the match 19-13 to secure a third straight Cup title.

Ealing then have league matches against Richmond (H), London Scottish (A) and Nottingham (H), before kicking-off their Cup defence in November with ties against Hartpury (H), Nottingham (A) and Jersey (H).

Returning to league action and heading into the festive season, Trailfinders travel to Penzance for a crunch league clash with Cornish Pirates on 3 December, before rounding off 2022 with exciting fixtures against Bedford (H), Caldy (A) and Jersey (H).

Ealing embark on the final stages of the league season with a home clash with newcomers Caldy on 15 April, before two massive away fixtures against Jersey on 22 April and Doncaster on 29 April.

Click here for the full Championship fixture list.

2022/23 Season Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 29th June.

 

Preseason Matches:

(KO times to be confirmed)

Thursday 18 August

Biarritz Olympique v Ealing Trailfinders

Saturday 20 August

Rosslyn Park v Ealing Trailfinders

Friday 26 August

Richmond v Ealing Trailfinders

Saturday 3 September

Ealing Trailfinders v Zebre

Championship Fixtures:

(Exact fixture dates and KO times to be confirmed. Home fixtures are likely to be Saturday 3pm KO)

Round 1 (10 September)

Ealing Trailfinders v Doncaster

Round 2 (17 September)

Ampthill v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 3 (24 September)

Ealing Trailfinders v Hartpury University

Round 4 (1 October)

Coventry v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 5 (8 October)

Ealing Trailfinders v Richmond

Round 6 (22 October)

London Scottish v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 7 (29 October)

Ealing Trailfinders v Nottingham

Cup Round 1 (5 November)

Ealing Trailfinders v Hartpury University

Cup Round 2 (12 November)

Nottingham v Ealing Trailfinders

Cup Round 3 (19 November)

Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey

Round 8 (3 December)

Cornish Pirates v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 9 (10 December)

Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues

Round 10 (17 December)

Caldy v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 11 (24 December)

Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey

Round 12 (14 January)

Ealing Trailfinders v Ampthill

Round 13 (21 January)

Hartpury University v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 14 (28 January)

Ealing Trailfinders v Coventry

Cup Round 4 (4 February)

Jersey v Ealing Trailfinders

Cup Round 5 (11 February)

Ealing Trailfinders v Nottingham

Cup Round 6 (18 February)

Hartpury University v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 15 (4 March)

Richmond v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 16 (11 March)

Ealing Trailfinders v London Scottish

Round 17 (18 March)

Nottingham v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 18 (25 March)

Ealing Trailfinders v Cornish Pirates

Round 19 (1 April)

Bedford Blues v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 20 (15 April)

Ealing Trailfinders v Caldy

Round 21 (22 April)

Jersey v Ealing Trailfinders

Round 22 (29 April)

Doncaster v Ealing Trailfinders

Cup Semi-Final (6 May)

Cup Final (13 May)

Partnership Confirmed With Bishops Diocesan College

Ealing Trailfinders and Bishops Diocesan College, Cape Town, are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership between the club and the school.

Bishops is a school steeped in rugby history with numerous internationals over the years, including four players in the South Africa U20’s programme for the upcoming Summer Series in Italy.

The partnership will provide cultural exchanges for students in England and South Africa to have the opportunity to play in another country, experience a different environment and continue their rugby development. It will also provide cross-over of coaching and exchanging of ideas for staff to visit different learning environments. Ealing currently have a number of players in the academy set-up who have adapted well since arriving from South Africa and this will further expand the programme. The opportunity for players to continue their education while being a professional athlete is hugely important to their development. With eight players in the academy currently training with the first-team squad this shows the clubs commitment to developing talent through the Brunel University pathway.

Simon Sinclair, Chief Operating Officer of Ealing Trailfinders Academy and Women’s Programme, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the club to link with a school that are at the forefront of rugby in South Africa. Not only do they play a great brand of rugby, they are fully focused on developing the individual and providing an excellent training and education programme. I’ve always had a great connection with the school but having spent time with Wes Chetty (Head of Rugby) and the coaching staff, it was extremely exciting to hear how open they are to sharing ideas and working together to improve and develop both environments. We don’t want to be restricted by location or country in our bid to find and develop the best talent.”

Angus Firth, Teacher in Charge of Rugby at Bishops, added: “Expanding our rugby boys’ opportunities in and after school is integral to our programme. We are very excited to partner with Ealing Trailfinders who are at the forefront of innovative rugby training and coaching. We look forward to collaborating and sharing ideas and resources with the club. The added opportunity for our boys and coaches to visit on exchange and vice versa will be massively beneficial to our rugby plan. The added incentive for our rugby players would be a possible future at Ealing Trailfinders, while furthering their education at Brunel University.”

,

Trailfinders Win Summer Social Women’s 7s

Trailfinders were delighted to sponsor its first ever Women’s 7s Team who ran out unbeaten winners at last Saturday’s Summer Social at Richmond.

Ealing Director of Rugby Ben Ward and Women’s Performance Manager Lou Meadows recognised a gap in the pathway for aspiring England 7s players who are called into training camps but then don’t get the chance to compete as a team. Trailfinders approached England 7s to offer a great opportunity for these players to play together as a squad in a competitive tournament. Amy Turner (England U20s) led the coaching team and communicated with James Rodwell (Head of England 7s) throughout the competition. Trailfinders also called upon former England and Olympic 7s player Alice Richardson-Watmore to provide tactical coaching.

Late call-ups to the England squad and the Super 7s Series required Lou Meadows to select players from the Ealing Trailfinders U20s programme, including Sophie Malton of Henley College: “Having watched Sophie in training and at recent tournaments, I knew she would be ready to step up to this level. With younger players it is really important to consider their mental and emotional ability to cope with senior rugby and I discussed this carefully with Kim Oliver, her coach at Henley, who also spoke with her parents. We agreed that this would be a fantastic opportunity for Sophie if she wanted to be involved and I’m so glad she did because she was fantastic. Her energy, determination to learn fast and her can-do attitude was a great example of the exciting talent we have coming through our women’s pathway.”

The Trailfinders Team (who featured a number of Premiership players who form part of the wider England 7s squad) showed their class and talent by winning all three pool matches against Thamesians, Belsize and Tropic 7s. They then proved too strong for the Wild Dogs in the semi-final, before seeing off a skilful Jesters squad to secure the Summer Social title.

Simon Sinclair, COO of the Women’s Programme, commented: “This was a fantastic chance for us to start showcasing our vision and strategy for the women’s game. With our exciting plans and financial investment into growing the girls and women’s game this was a perfect start for us. We are really pleased for Lou and the team and we are very excited to share more news in the coming weeks.”

David O’Connor Signs Permanent Deal

We are pleased to announce that David O’Connor has signed for Ealing Trailfinders, ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The 6’3 athletic back-row/second-row joined Ulster from All-Ireland League club, Lansdowne in the summer of 2019 on a development contract. He went on to make 15 appearances for the Irish side in the United Rugby Championship.

He arrived at Vallis Way in February on-loan from Ulster to bolster options for the men in green and white for the run-in of the Championship campaign. He’s played four times for Trailfinders, appearing in every match during the successful Championship Cup run.

Discussing his permanent move to Ealing, David said: “I really enjoyed playing in the cup campaign and being apart of a great year for the club, I’m excited to have signed permanently for next season. I can’t wait to get started again and contributing towards another successful season at Ealing Trailfinders.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward commented: “David has been great during his loan spell here in West London. We are pleased to be able to make this a permanent deal and I look forward to continue working with him next season.”

Josh Gillespie signs for Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to announce the signing of wing Josh Gillespie from Northampton Saints, who joins the club ahead of the 2022/23 Championship season.

The winger is an exciting prospect, having made two Gallagher Premiership and four Premiership Cup appearances last season. Gillespie scored on his Premiership debut back in the 2019/20 season, coming off the bench to dot down against Bristol Bears.

Whilst still at school in 2018, he became the youngest Northampton Saint of the professional era, when he played against Wasps in the Premiership Cup at just 18 years and 15 days old.

On the international scene, he played for England U18s, as well as making one appearance for England U20s in their 2020 Six Nations campaign, that was unfortunately cut short due to COVID.

The 21-year-old will also bring Championship experience to West London, whilst being at Northampton he enjoyed loan spells at Bedford Blues and Ampthill.

Speaking ahead of his move to Ealing Trailfinders, Josh said: “I am delighted to be joining Ealing Trailfinders, their ambitions are clear and I want to be apart of this project. The move to West London presented a great opportunity for me and I look forward to the challenge ahead.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward commented: “Josh has lots of good attributes that will suit our game. He is young and hungry to improve, we think he has a really high ceiling and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can achieve with us.”

Ealing Trailfinders Sign Will Montgomery

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce the signing of versatile Newcastle Falcons forward Will Montgomery ahead of the 2022/23 Championship season.

The 6ft 5 back-row/second-row, joins Trailfinders following a successful progression through the Newcastle junior and senior academy, culminating in his first-team debut in the Premiership Cup win over Sale Sharks in 2019. Since then the former England U18s and U19s international has achieved 10 Premiership appearances, including seven matches in 2021/22.

In preparation for his move to London, Will said: “I’m really looking forward to moving down and getting stuck in at Ealing. It’s a really ambitious club and they play some great rugby. I’m excited to see what the future holds and can’t wait to get the shirt on and get out there.”

Ben Ward, Ealing Director of Rugby, added: “Will is a very exciting prospect for our club. He has developed quickly at Newcastle and gained vital Premiership experience. He’s an athletic, hard-running forward who has enormous versatility, with the ability to adapt quickly between the back-row and second-row. He is highly ambitious and is driven to push our club towards the top flight.”

Ealing Trailfinders Sign Newcastle’s Rob Farrar

Newcastle Falcons back-row Rob Farrar is the latest player to sign for Ealing Trailfinders ahead of the 2022/23 Championship campaign.

The highly talented second row/back row represented England U18s and played a key part in the Sedbergh School squad that secured the U18s National Championships and the Rosslyn Park 10s. He was promoted to the Newcastle Falcons senior academy in 2018, and made his first-team debut against Hartpury University in the 2019/20 Championship season.

Rob achieved his Premiership debut in March 2021 and since featured a further 14 times in a Falcons first-team shirt. The 22-year-old was capped by England U20s in 2020, appearing in the Six Nations fixtures against Ireland and Wales.

Speaking ahead of his move to Trailfinders, Rob commented: “I’m very much looking forward to getting down to London and getting involved. I can’t wait to join a club hungry to progress and build something really exciting for the future.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward added: “Rob is a very ambitious and driven competitor who joins our club determined to succeed and make a powerful impact. He has developed into a very strong player at Newcastle and we’re equally excited to see how he responds to his move to London and the opportunity to progress even further at Trailfinders.”

Ealing Trailfinders Sign Four Academy Players

Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to announce that Harry Dugmore, Tom Georgiou, Isaac Shaw and Cam Terry have made the step up from the Trailfinders Rugby Academy to the first team squad for next season.

All four players have been training with the squad during the recent Championship Cup campaign, with Harry Dugmore and Cam Terry making first team appearances.

Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “We are thrilled to have these four talented homegrown players joining the first team squad for the next campaign.”

“Harry, Tom, Isaac and Cam are products of our successful academy programme, it’s great to see these players come through that process, it’s a credit to their hard work.”

“We have seen what Cam can offer, scoring five tries in the four Championship Cup matches we played, and it’s also been good to see Harry get some game time. I’m excited about what Tom and Isaac can offer our backline and I look forward to seeing all these lads develop further over the next 12 months.”

Welsh International Jonah Holmes Signs For Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders are excited to confirm the signing of Welsh international and Dragons wing Jonah Holmes.

The 29-year-old, who can play on the wing or fullback, moves to Trailfinders following three seasons at the Dragons, where he scored 14 tries in 31 matches. Prior to his move to Rodney Parade, Jonah enjoyed a highly successful stint at Leicester Tigers touching down for 24 tries over three seasons, including 10 tries in his first 11 matches for the club.

Born in Stockport and raised locally in Ealing, Jonah played his junior rugby for London Scottish, before spells with Wasps, Rosslyn Park, Henley Hawks, London Welsh and Yorkshire Carnegie.

His international call-up came in November 2018, making his Wales debut at fullback in the 74-24 win over Tonga. The flying winger made his Six Nations debut in 2019, helping Wales to a 26-15 victory over Italy. Jonah arrives in West London with seven Welsh caps under his belt and two international tries.

Speaking ahead of his move to Trailfinders, Jonah said: “I consider myself double lucky because not only will I be part of the big things happening at Ealing but I’ll also get the chance to play in my hometown. I’ve been at some great clubs around the UK but Ealing has always been home for me and over the next few years I’m going to try to deliver some of my best rugby.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward expressed his excitement: “This is a significant signing for our club and highlights our determination to compete at the very top of English rugby. Jonah is an exceptional professional, his playing record is elite and he arrives at Trailfinders with high ambitions and a strong desire to play a major part in our push for the Premiership.”

David Douglas Bridge Signs For Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders can confirm the signing of versatile Loughborough Students forward David Douglas Bridge.

The 21-year-old joins Ealing following an impressive season playing for Loughborough in BUCS Super Rugby, before joining Leicester Tigers on a short-term deal. Confident across the back-row and second-row, the powerful forward made his Tigers debut against Newcastle in March, followed by a starting appearance in the Premiership Cup semi-final against London Irish. He also represented England Students in their fixtures against France this April.

Ahead of his move to Trailfinders Sports Club, David said: “Having watched Ealing win the Championship this season and having spoken to Ben Ward about the vision and aspirations of the club, I’m really excited about the future and can’t wait to get involved and pull on the Green and White shirt.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward added: “David is a talented and hard-working young player. He has shown his huge potential and ability these past few months, playing for Loughborough and earning his opportunity with Leicester. We’re excited for his arrival, he’s a strong ball runner and tough defender, who adds further power to our pack.”

Our Sponsors

Mizuno Logo
Lords Building Merchants Logo
David Lloyd Health Club Logo
Brunel University Logo
Sponsor Logos - _0019_Arnold Hill Logo
Sponsor Logos - _0011_Healthshare Logo
Grilleville
The Turmeric Co Logo
Ikon-Dental-Logo-Player-Sponsors
Sponsor Logos - _0006_Physique Logo
Windosr Hill Logo
Sponsor-Logos-Novotel
Perfect-Crystal-Windows-Sponsor-logo
Acai-Berry-Sponsor-logo
O4Life logo
Sinton Andrews
Contested
Become a partner About our partners Contact Us How to Find Us

TRAILFINDERS – THE TRAVEL EXPERTS

Trailfinders Travel Logo

For Conferences, Corporate Days, Weddings and Parties

© 2025 EALING RUGBY CLUB IS A TRADING NAME OF THE EALING FOOTBALL CLUB (RUGBY UNION) LIMITED WHICH IS INCORPORATED WITH LIMITED LIABILITY UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES ACT 1965 UNDER NO. 30274R.

PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS