MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Round 9 clash at the RAG feels like a pivotal moment in the Champ season as 11th hosts 12th with just two league points separating Richmond and Ampthill. With both sides fighting to pull clear of the bottom pack, this is one of those games that could go a long way to defining the next phase of the campaign.

Ampthill arrive in southwest London on a six-game losing run after a strong opening to the season, but results alone don’t tell the full story. Last weekend against Hartpury, they played the entire second half with 14 men, showing real resilience despite a match ultimately shaped by their ill-discipline. There is clear fight in this Ampthill group, and they will travel to the RAG determined to rediscover their early-season form.

Richmond, meanwhile, make the turnaround from Penzance with frustration and confidence in equal measure. Against a Cornish Pirates side in red-hot form, the men in old gold, red and black delivered one of their most committed performances of the season, staying within a single score for long spells against a side that had won four on the bounce. The lack of points on the table hurt, but the level of performance reinforced what many have seen already this season, that this Richmond side is far more competitive than the league position currently suggests.

The numbers underline just how evenly matched this contest is:
• League Position: Richmond 11th | Ampthill 12th
• League Points: Richmond 15 | Ampthill 13
• Points Scored: Richmond 185 | Ampthill 168
• Tries Scored: Richmond 26 | Ampthill 25
• Form: Richmond LLWWL | Ampthill LLLLL

Both sides are scoring freely, both are desperate for momentum, and both know the importance of this weekend’s outcome. A win for either side opens daylight in the table and creates a platform to push towards mid-table security. A defeat tightens the pressure.

For Richmond, this is also a chance to turn strong performances into tangible reward, in front of a home crowd that has already played a big role this season. For Ampthill, it’s an opportunity to stop the slide and reset their campaign.

Two points between them. One outcome that could shape the season.

Head to Head: Luke Spring vs Harrison Courtney

It's set to be a classic at the RAG this Saturday, and it's the battle in the front row that looms large. At tighthead, Luke Spring continues to be one of Richmond’s most reliable engines, while across from him stands one of the Championship’s standout looseheads in Harrison Courtney.

Spring’s influence is built on relentless work rate and technical power. He currently ranks 2nd in the league for attacking ruck entries this season with 181 and led the entire Championship last round with 33. His presence was a key driver behind Richmond topping the league for attacking ruck entries in the latest round, underlining just how central he is to the club’s breakdown dominance. Named Richmond’s Forward of the Week in Round 7, Spring combined heavy involvement at contact with strong scrum performance, delivering impact across all the unseen areas that win tight games.

More than just numbers, few players better represent the club’s pathway than Luke Spring The second most capped player in the current squad, he is closing in on a potential 100th First XV appearance this season and has amassed over 250 caps across all levels of the club, from the Jutes (5th XV), Normans (4th XV), Saxons (3rd XV) and Vikings (2nd XV), before becoming a first-team mainstay. Easily recognisable by his trademark mullet and operating at 135kg in the tighthead channel, Spring is routinely tasked with anchoring the scrum against the opposition’s loosehead-side / hooker pressure, and his ability to maintain shape and stability has been a key factor in Richmond’s set piece this season.

Opposite him, Ampthill brings a heavyweight of their own in Harrison Courtney. The New Zealand-born prop was Ampthill’s Forward of the Week last round and opened the scoring in their 21–31 defeat to Hartpury. Courtney’s journey has taken him from Canterbury in New Zealand to Watsonians in Super 6, then onto Edinburgh Rugby, where he gained URC and Challenge Cup experience, before spells at London Scottish and Doncaster Knights. Now into his second season with Ampthill, he has established himself as one of their most destructive set-piece weapons and was deservedly named their Player of the Season last year.

Courtney brings real menace with ball in hand, combining low body height, explosive leg drive and set-piece dominance. His ability to generate front-foot momentum from tight areas makes him a critical part of Ampthill’s attacking platform.

With both sides desperate for momentum and separation in the table, this confrontation in the front row could prove decisive. Spring’s relentless breakdown volume and scrummaging control against Courtney’s raw carrying power and set-piece presence shapes up as one of the defining contests at the RAG this Saturday.

TIMINGS:
12:00pm - Gates, hospitality, and bar open
13:00pm - Hospitality meal is served
13:30pm - Richmond Vikings vs Richmond Saxons (Pitch 2)
15:00pm - Kick off
15:40pm - Half-time
16:35pm - Full time