10 young Elior Champ Rugby stars to watch this season

The 2026/27 Elior Champ Rugby season is one of the most anticipated in the league’s history, and for good reason. After a thrilling end to the 2025/26 season, which saw Worcester Warriors claim their fourth title, there have been plenty of off-season moves that are sure to make for an even more closely fought campaign.

The second tier of rugby has always been where future stars cut their teeth before the bright lights of the PREM, and this season will be no different. From university standouts to academy graduates already turning heads, here are 10 young players you should keep an eye on throughout the season.

Can’t wait for the action to start? There’s not long to go. The first live match on BLAZE between the Cornish Pirates and Doncaster Knights kicks off at 4pm on Sunday, 20th September.

There’s been a lot of excitement at Ampthill about Elliot Gourlay ahead of this campaign, and it’s not difficult to understand why. For 24-year-old Gourlay is poised for a big season.

His time playing for Loughborough University saw him develop into one of the most exciting players to come out of Super BUCS in recent memory. In his first season, he played a pivotal role in Loughborough's 2024/25 Super BUCS success. That form continued the following season as the university narrowly missed out on successive titles.

Ampthill supporters expect Gourlay to bring that same star power to the Champ, and his contribution to the club is sure to be one of the stories of their season.

A standout at Durham University in Super BUCS, the highest level of university rugby in the country. Known for his strong scrummaging and physicality, Geçer arrives at Blackheath full of excitement for the season ahead and has the talent to immediately prove his worth at the senior level.

At 23, Henry Palmer makes the switch from playing for the Wallabies in Australia 7s to arriving at the Cornish Pirates. And he’s already made an impact – scoring three tries in a pre-season clash against Plymouth Albion.

He looks every inch the breakout star in the making for this season, and is sure to be a name you'll be very familiar with by the end of the campaign.

One of the most electrifying backs in the entire league, 23-year-old Francis Moore looks more than capable of stepping up to the PREM before much longer. But before then, expect another season where he’ll light up the field in the Champ.

The Ealing Trailfinders are loaded with players known for their attacking flair, yet Moore remains the one you won’t want to take your eyes off in this exciting team.

A new arrival to Hartpury for this season, Rhys Price proved to be a valuable asset to Hartpury Uni in the club’s BUCS Super Rugby championship-winning campaign. He’s since gained further valuable experience within Gloucester Rugby’s Senior Academy, and brings genuine excitement to the base of Hartpury’s scrum ahead of the new season.

It won’t be a surprise that on a roster as stacked as the Trailfinders’, there’s more than one Ealing player that cracks this list. 23-year-old back rower Fyn Brown is another star addition to the club, having already experienced the PREM while playing for the Northampton Saints and scoring three tries in the process.

Brown joins the Trailfinders after enjoying a solid season on loan to the Bedford Blues, scoring an impressive five tries. A young player with a strong reputation, he’s set to enjoy an explosive season at one of the most offensively potent clubs in the league. Just watch his tries mount up.

The Cornish Pirates enjoyed a solid season in 2025/26, and a key part of that was Matty Ward. The 24-year-old electric winger has now made the move north to join Nottingham, and is widely expected to step his game up to a whole new level this season.

Charlie Bell is another young, exciting player to watch at a new team this season. He’s made the move from Exeter Chiefs, where he represented both the club and University of Exeter over the past three seasons, and arrives at Richmond ahead of the 2026/27 season.

With his strong rugby education, Bell has all the skills and experience he needs to have a big season at Richmond.

An adaptable player capable of playing scrum half or wing, Jake Garside enters the new season riding a crest of a wave. He produced one of the moments of 2025/26, scoring that unforgettable try that sent the Warriors on to the final – and ultimately, title glory. For that reason alone, he’s already cemented his place as a Warriors legend.

Yet he won’t be content to rest on his laurels, and you can expect many more highlight-reel moments from this exciting 24-year-old throughout the new season. For fans of the Warriors’ rivals, that’s got to be a daunting prospect.

It didn’t take Chester Ribbons long to establish himself as a popular member of the Cornish Pirates in his first season in the squad. A series of impressive performances resulted in him being voted Player of the Month by the loyal Pirates’ supporters.

Now, the exciting fly-half returns for a second season, aiming to build on his six tries in 40 appearances. Bringing creativity and quality to a Pirates side with real ambition this season, Ribbons is a workhorse that’s sure to be a thorn in the side of the opposition.