RFU proposes Premiership partner with English Championship

Premiership Rugby could assume control of the Championship as part of revolutionary plans to overhaul the top two tiers of English club rugby.

The Rugby Paper understands top-flight bosses are open to partnership arrangements with Championship clubs that will see the A-League scrapped and unlimited numbers of underused Premiership professionals loaned to level two sides instead.

Championship clubs who have no interest in promotion will be encouraged to ‘buddy-up’ with Premiership sides, enabling them to utilise up to 12 of that club’s first team players and any number of academy youngsters in need of senior game time.

Under the terms of the proposals, which are being driven by RFU director of professional rugby Nigel Melville and were presented to the Premiership clubs last Tuesday, Championship ‘buddy clubs’ would not be eligible for promotion to the top-flight.

Promotion and relegation would remain, however, with ambitious Championship clubs who fund their own full-time squads having to state their promotion intentions before a season starts. Such clubs would be able to field just four on-loan players.

While an implementation date has yet to be decided, TRP understands the existing Championship play-offs are likely to be scrapped next season, with Premiership clubs compensating tier two sides to the tune of £1.7m for a return to first-past-the-post.

Recwatcher16 wrote:I can understand why Pot and others would like to think this puts Championship teams in hock to AP sides to somehow justify their own elitist closed shop.  
The likelihood however of these clubs and the RFU for that matter allowing 'control' outside the PRL are nil.

However raising playing standards using loaned AP players to draw in bigger crowds is the way forward.

At some point in the future a competition combining both leagues must be implemented, dropping the LV cup in the process.

marty2086 wrote:

Recwatcher16 wrote:I can understand why Pot and others would like to think this puts Championship teams in hock to AP sides to somehow justify their own elitist closed shop.  
The likelihood however of these clubs and the RFU for that matter allowing 'control' outside the PRL are nil.

However raising playing standards using loaned AP players to draw in bigger crowds is the way forward.

At some point in the future a competition combining both leagues must be implemented, dropping the LV cup in the process.

Yip, Meath have been trying to get into the Pro 12 for ever and the other 4 provinces use silly arguments like you're part of Leinster. Its shameful

Not sure how it raises standards when you are told the prize for winning isn't on offer to you and not sure it increases crowds when they are told their club is someone elses b*tch