RFU proposes play-off for Premiership promotion

Ealing won the Championship title this season ahead of Cornish Pirates, but did not have a chance to gain promotion as their ground did not meet Premiership standards

The Rugby Football Union's council has approved plans for a two-legged play-off to decide promotion and relegation from the Premiership.

The plans are part of reforms to the English professional game, which if approved, would mean a 14-team second tier starting in the summer of 2025.

Clubs in the Championship rejected plans for a franchise-based second tier last year and earlier this month they called for more talks over funding and fears over a ring-fenced top tier.

Under the proposals the Premiership's bottom side would face the Championship's winners over two legs, provided the second-tier side meets the Premiership's minimum standards criteria.

"This continues to allow for promotion and relegation, better provides a mechanism to determine on-field competitiveness and takes into consideration the financial challenges of clubs in both leagues," an RFU statement read.

"Council also approved the delegation of specified regulatory decisions to a new Men’s Professional Rugby Board, following RFU Board approval of the same, as well as the financial commitments under the agreement.

"The RFU, Premiership Rugby and RPA [Rugby Players' Association] will formally announce the signature of and detail of the full Men’s Professional Game Partnership together after the summer tour."

August deadline for new-look second tier

Championship clubs have had their central funding from the RFU cut from £645,000 per side in 2019 to £150,000 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic

Talks over the structure of a future second tier are continuing, with current Championship clubs keen on a meritocratic system that allows for promotion and relegation.

Premiership sides Worcester, Wasps and London Irish all went bust last year, along with Championship champions Jersey Reds.

Championship sides are concerned over the distribution of funding - they claim the current proposals for the 2025 season will result in second-tier clubs sharing £4m in comparison to £33m between the 10 Premiership sides.

They have continued to struggle for funding since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, with central RFU payments falling from £645,000 per club in 2019 to £150,000.

Earlier this year Cornish Pirates said they were not able to bring in new investment due to the ongoing uncertainty over the future of the second tier.

A final decision on the make-up of a new second tier will be made by the RFU council no later than 1 August 2024, along with the rules on how teams will be accepted into the new league.

"The objective is to create a second tier that supports the English system by developing young English talent, whilst supporting the clubs to become financially sustainable by growing local audiences and increasing the value in the league," the RFU said.

"In April 2024, Council approved the principles of a new governance structure, the Minimum Operating Standards, and the principle of Tier Two comprising 14 clubs from 2025-26."

'Genuine path for ambitious clubs'

In a joint statement, the Championship clubs welcomed the RFU play-off decision which gives their members "a a fighting chance to be the first non-P shareholder to reach the Premiership since London Welsh in 2014".

Championship chairman Simon Halliday said: "We have got what we came for. Now our clubs – and every club – can realistically dream of promotion to the Premiership.

“There is now a genuine path for ambitious clubs to rise; the top tier is reconnected to the rest of the English rugby and we can use our commercial potential to fund the growth that rugby sorely needs at our level.

“This is a result that brings common resolve to our sport, guaranteeing that English rugby remains open and fair from the lowest league to the highest."