The inaugural RFU Championship season is building to a thrilling climax and the ultimate prize - promotion to the Guinness Premiership.

London Welsh know they will be up against Exeter chiefs in pool B, while Bristol, Bedford Blues and Cornish Pirates are assured in pool A.

Doncaster Knights, Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans and Moseley are still in the running for the two remaining top eight spots with two of those four destined to join Coventry and Birmingham & Solihull in the battle to beat the drop.

Terry Burwell, RFU Tournament and Competitions Director, said: "The RFU Championship clubs requested that we set the stage two fixtures after 21 rounds because we had to push back the league programme due to the bad weather.

“That decision is due to be ratified by the RFU Council today (Friday). If we had waited until after round 22 (March 13) before working out the fixtures it would have given the clubs just one week to market those play-off games.

"The Championship clubs decided that they wanted to know who they would be playing sooner rather than later and this gives them an extra fortnight to prepare and sell those games. We now have another 40 matches - each of a cup-tie nature so there is plenty for the teams and their supporters to look forward to.

"This first RFU Championship season has seen some great rugby with the average club attendance up 39 per cent on last season and the fact that the battle for places in the top eight is going right to the wire shows just how competitive this league is.

"You also have to look at the players such as Billy Twelvetrees and Timmy Taylor who have now gone on to play in the Guinness Premiership to see that the Championship is preparing quality English players at the elite end of the game."

London Welsh now know they face the following fixtures: March 19-21 v Doncaster Knights, Plymouth Albion or Moseley (h), March 26-28 v Exeter Chiefs (a), April 2-4 v Nottingham (h), April 9-11 v Nottingham (a), April 16-18 v Exeter Chiefs (h), May 1 v Doncaster Knights, Plymouth Albion or Molesey (a).