MELVILLE’S FIRST JOB IS TO SORT PROMOTION ISSUE
PREMIERSHIP Rugby’s hierarchy has been overhauled and reinforced with the appointment of former England captain Nigel Melville as the organisation’s new executive chairman. As revealed by Sportsmail on November 5, the elite clubs had been plotting for some time to recruit an established rugby figurehead, in a move which would marginalise PRL chief executive Darren Childs. The arrival of Melville, with immediate effect, will lead to Childs being restricted to a narrower, commercial remit. One of Melville’s priorities will be to address the confusion over promotion and relegation in light of Sportsmail’s report that the Championship season is unlikely to start until March. Clubs in the second tier have reluctantly accepted that the best-case scenario of playing again next month is unrealistic, which means that Saracens will remain in limbo. One consequence is that their sizeable England contingent of captain Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Elliot Daly and the Vunipola brothers — Billy and Mako — will be short of game-time going into the Six Nations. But national coach Eddie Jones will relish having those key men fit and fresh. Uncertainty over the Championship — which is likely to adopt a two-conference format as a result of the long delay — will add to doubts about whether any club will be relegated from the Premiership. Ring-fencing is regarded as a nearcertainty and, as reported by Sportsmail early last month, Saracens will be invited back into the top flight even if they are denied the chance to earn promotion on the field.