Rugby Club championship reduced to seven

Thessaloniki Lions joins championship; Spartakos and Trikala drop out. This year's club championship has been reduced to a 7-club competition styled on the format of the Six Nations. Newly formed Thessaloniki Lions make their first appearance while Spartakos and Trikala have both dropped out.

Because of the cost and mid-winter problems of travelling, the league structure has also had a facelift. The home and away 8-team round robin has been ditched and replaced by a more simple format.

Each team will play each other once with the venue alternating each year. Hence in the new 7-club competition, each side will play three matches at home and three on the road.

The top four in the league go through to the Final Four with first meeting third and second playing against fourth. The winners will then go through to a Grand Final.

The teams taking place in this year's competition are Athens - winners of the first three championships - Attica Springboks, Athens Spartans, Rhodes, Iraklis, Thessaloniki Lions and Mecedones Evosmos.

The first round on the weekend of November 29/30 sees Athens take on Iraklis in Thessaloniki while Athens Spartans take the boat to Rhodes. The third game sees the first Thessaloniki derby with Mecedones Evosmos hosting the Lions.

Source: sportingreece.com