RFU proposes play-off for Premiership promotion

The Rugby Football Union's assembly has approved plans for a two-legged play-off to determine promotion and relegation from nan Premiership.

The plans are portion of reforms to nan English master game, which if approved, would mean a 14-team 2nd tier starting successful nan summertime of 2025.

Clubs successful nan Championship rejected plans for a franchise-based 2nd tier past year and earlier this period they called for much talks complete backing and fears complete a ring-fenced apical tier.

Under nan proposals nan Premiership's bottommost broadside would look nan Championship's winners complete 2 legs, provided nan second-tier broadside meets nan Premiership's minimum standards criteria.

"This continues to let for promotion and relegation, amended provides a system to find on-field competitiveness and takes into information nan financial challenges of clubs successful some leagues," an RFU connection read.

"Council besides approved nan delegation of specified regulatory decisions to a caller Men’s Professional Rugby Board, pursuing RFU Board support of nan same, arsenic good arsenic nan financial commitments nether nan agreement.

"The RFU, Premiership Rugby and RPA [Rugby Players' Association] will formally denote nan signature of and item of nan afloat Men’s Professional Game Partnership together aft nan summertime tour."

Talks complete nan building of a early 2nd tier are continuing, pinch existent Championship clubs keen connected a meritocratic strategy that allows for promotion and relegation.

Premiership sides Worcester, Wasps and London Irish each went bust past year, on pinch Championship champions Jersey Reds.

Championship sides are concerned complete nan distribution of backing - they declare nan existent proposals for nan 2025 play will consequence successful second-tier clubs sharing £4m successful comparison to £33m betwixt nan 10 Premiership sides.

They person continued to struggle for backing since nan Covid-19 pandemic successful 2020, pinch cardinal RFU payments falling from £645,000 per nine successful 2019 to £150,000.

Earlier this twelvemonth Cornish Pirates said they were not capable to bring successful caller finance owed to nan ongoing uncertainty complete nan early of nan 2nd tier.

A last determination connected nan make-up of a caller 2nd tier will beryllium made by nan RFU assembly nary later than 1 August 2024, on pinch nan rules connected really teams will beryllium accepted into nan caller league.

"The nonsubjective is to create a 2nd tier that supports nan English strategy by processing young English talent, whilst supporting nan clubs to go financially sustainable by increasing section audiences and expanding nan worth successful nan league," nan RFU said.

"In April 2024, Council approved nan principles of a caller governance structure, nan Minimum Operating Standards, and nan rule of Tier Two comprising 14 clubs from 2025/26."