Prem Rugby bosses have been given approval to ring-fence the top flight in a radical change to the English domestic structure.
On Friday, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) council rubber-stamped plans that will allow the Prem to remove promotion and relegation from the division, separating it from the rest of the men’s English rugby pyramid to move instead to a criteria-based expansion and demotion model.
The league will look to expand from 10 to 12 teams for the 2029-30 season, with scope to potentially grow further in the future if suitable clubs apply for inclusion.
As it stands, there is a mechanism for promotion and relegation to and from the Prem via a play-off with the top-placed side in the Champ. However Ealing Trailfinders, who have won the second tier in three of the last four seasons and again top the table, have consistently failed to meet the criteria required for promotion.
Saracens were both the last team to be relegated, in 2020 after two points deductions related to the salary cap scandal, and promoted to the Prem, coming back up a year later.
Under new plans formulated, clubs of all kinds will be welcome to apply for inclusion in the top flight under a set of revamped criteria. The exact details of requirements are still to be fully worked out, but the Prem can now press ahead after receiving RFU approval.
Expansion clubs will have to play at least one season in the Champ, and either have to operate a team in Premiership Women’s Rugby or fund a meaningful regional women’s development plan.
“We are now firmly on the path to a more prosperous and brighter future for Prem Rugby,” Simon Massie-Taylor, the league’s chief executive, said. :Our vision is to become the best league in the world – for fans, players and investors in current and future Gallagher PREM clubs – and these important changes throughout the game will help us achieve this.
“The changes agreed today show unity across the game and will allow current and future club investors to confidently invest in our new growth plan and the wider English club rugby eco-system.
“We are extremely proud of what the Prem has achieved in the last few years and we are unbelievably excited about the opportunities that are now in front of us.”
It is understood that the security and certainty that comes with a ring-fenced league is believed to be attractive to possible outside investors in rugby union. Red Bull, for example, took over Newcastle last summer.
The Raine Group, and Deloitte were engaged last year with a remit that includes to discuss franchise opportunities with potential new owners. It is expected that aspiring franchise holders would have to pay to join by buying what is known as a “P share”, which are valued at about £12m.
Preliminary talks are believed to have been held with Knighthead Capital, owners of Birmingham City in football and investors in the Birmingham Phoneix in cricket’s The Hundred competition, over the prospect of a rugby team in the West Midlands city. Knighthead Capital made explicit reference to hosting rugby in proposals for a newly-built ground, and have also had talks with the RFU related to the plans for the redevelopment of Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
Other teams of possible interest to the Prem include Worcester, Wasps and London Irish, who all went bust during the 2022-23 season. Worcester returned to the Champ in September, while Wasps are exploring a possible ground in Kent.
Ensuring a geographic spread, and expanding into under-represented areas, is something that the Prem are keen on, with Yorkshire another obvious area of intrigue. Ambitious Champ sides like Coventry may also consider an application.
Additionally, it is thought that the league will also be keen to take more games to larger stadia. Harlequins are regulars at Twickenham, while Saracens (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), Gloucester (Villa Park) and Bristol (Principality Stadium) will host matches at grounds with significant capacities on 28 March.
Prem Rugby CEO Massie-Taylor suggested last summer that taking a regular season game back to the United States is also a possibility down the line, with World Rugby currently investing heavily in the region ahead of the men’s and women’s World Cups of 2031 and 2033.
While the removal of relegation, and jeopardy that comes with it, is a prickly issue, the Prem are believed to be confident that they can build a better overall product having consulted stakeholders across the game.
“We recognise that moving away from a traditional system of automatic promotion and relegation represents a significant change,” RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said.
“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.”
