RFU Council approve huge change to the direction of English club rugby

The traditional method of promotion and relegation between the Championship and the Premiership has officially been scrapped and replaced by an expansion model, following RFU Council approval.

A landmark agreement which will see 10 teams locked into the Gallagher PREM for the next three years got voted through at today’s Council meeting.

From 2029/30, English rugby’s top league will welcome expressions of interest from clubs interested in joining the league, with the potential for two to be added, as long as they meet the necessary on and off-field criteria, described in the RFU’s release as “elevated standards.”

Encouragingly, a dedicated unit to support ambitious Champ Rugby and National League clubs in becoming investment-ready and capable of meeting PREM standards will be set up.

Any clubs wishing to participate in an expanded PREM, which stakeholders argue gives the league greater financial security and makes it more attractive to potential incvestors, would have to play at least one season in the Champ.

With large areas of the country without a PREM club to call their own at present, it is hoped the new model will help the league to expand into untapped markets.

Yorkshire, for example, has been without a top flight club since Leeds Carnegie were relegated in 2011, while attempts to bring PREM Rugby to Kent seem to be no further forward now than when the defunct professional entity of Wasps first mooted the idea of building a stadium there 15 months ago. East Anglia and the West Midlands are two other regions where a presence is seen as favourable.

Mike McTighe, Chair of the Men’s Professional Rugby Board said: “This is an important step forward for professional rugby in England. It’s long been clear that the previous system was not delivering the financial sustainability or long-term confidence the professional game needs. This agreement therefore represents a collective responsibility to change that, with all of the stakeholders involved coming together to design a model that provides greater certainty for investors, a clearer pathway for ambitious clubs and stronger foundations for the whole rugby ecosystem.

“We know there will be scrutiny, and rightly so. The proof will be in delivery: in improved stability, in renewed investor confidence, in tangible benefits to the women’s game and in sustained support for community rugby.

“This is the beginning of a new approach with lots of hard work ahead.”

Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO, commented: “We recognise that moving away from a traditional system of automatic promotion and relegation represents a significant change.

“However, it is equally clear that the professional game must evolve if it is to thrive. The previous structure was not delivering the financial stability, investment confidence or wider system benefits the game now requires.

“This reform is about safeguarding the future – creating a model that is ambitious, sustainable and capable of supporting the whole rugby community, from the grassroots to the international stage.”