Premiership Rugby: Exeter boss Rob Baxter suggests 10-team top flight amid financial issues
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Rob Baxter has guided Exeter to six Premiership finals and a Heineken Champions Cup
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says a 10-team Premiership could be the best way to ensure England's top tier thrives in the future.
Worcester have been suspended from the division after entering administration, while Wasps have also announced they are set to bring receivers in.
It comes as clubs struggle financially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All 13 Premiership shareholding clubs have been in the top flight since Saracens' promotion in 2021.
"I thought it was madness to go to 13," Baxter said of the changes in the wake of the pandemic that saw no side relegated for the past two seasons.
"Going to 13 in a weird kind of way almost signed a warrant for someone to not be able to stay in there.
"Before anything else it doesn't make any common sense and it wrecks the calendar anyway."
When asked what his ideal number of teams would be, Baxter said he could see a case for a reduced number to what is currently in place now.
"I would have always said 12 if I'm honest with you, because that was the structure we grew into and got used to playing in," said Baxter, who has guided the Chiefs to two Premiership titles and the 2020 Heineken Champions Cup.
"I would say 10, because the reasons of the pressure is coming on in all kinds of ways now.
"You've got clashes with international rugby, and I genuinely think Premiership supporters are wanting to see more of their competitive games with more of their high profile players. I think that is a genuine wish, and there's some genuine frustration.
"When I do members' forums here it will be one of the questions that gets raised - I'm not saying that means that everybody's thinking it, but certainly some people are thinking that there's a bit of frustration because there are a lot of games without international players.
"A league of 10 home and away, with their international commitments and a cup competition for the guys not involved in internationals, starts to sound very common sense.
"Obviously alongside that you've got the commercial pressures of less home games, but then hopefully what you do is you attract bigger crowds to a better spectacle.
"Can you attract better TV coverage if they watch the English, Scottish, Welsh internationals playing every single week?
"Those are the big questions that I'm not qualified to answer, but if you started to put it into a nutshell a lot of those things seem to make common sense to me."
'We've got to get the structure in place'
Exeter beat Worcester in what proved to be the Warriors' penultimate Premiership game at Sixways last month
Baxter's side have already played Worcester and beat them to get a bonus-point win - only for that to be expunged following their removal from the league.
Their game with Wasps on Saturday was called off on Wednesday as a result of the Coventry-based club's financial situation.
"I can give answers that seem very cold and clinical against Worcester, against Wasps etc," said Baxter.
"I don't do social media, but my kids do and they tell me any time I have a conversation about where Premiership Rugby is heading I get berated for not supporting an individual club. They're two entirely different things.
"I don't want any club to be struggling financially, of course I don't, but that's a completely different argument to what is the correct structure for the Premiership, international rugby and the leagues below.
"They're two entirely different situations, aren't they? If you're asking me what's the next thing that's got to happen, then whatever does happen we've got to get the structure in place that aligns rugby union in this country.
"Then at least we can start in the situation where we might be progressing rather than regressing, which we are at the moment."
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