RFU discuss 13-team league

THe Rugby Football Union board will meet today to discuss expanding the Premiership to 13 teams, although they are unlikely to meet demands from club to push through changes with immediate effect.

New structure proposals feature an annual two-legged relegation/promotion play- off and these could kick in at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Premiership clubs have made demands for scrapping promotion and relegation altogether, but a play- off system presents a softer version of ringfencing.

Investors CVC were present at Saturday’s Champions Cup final and they want to push through the restructuring of english rugby to provide increased financial certainty.

Immediate change has not been added to the agenda for today’s meeting, which will be the first for the RFU’s new CeO Bill Sweeney.

If the RFU board rubberstamp the moves for next season, financial terms will need to be agreed with the Championship clubs and the RFU council will have the final say in a meeting in June.

Brian Facer, CeO of newly promoted london Irish, backed the proposals last month, saying: ‘I’m in favour of the league going to 13 teams and an annual bottom-versus-top play-off.

‘That gives clubs the chance to come up if they need to. If the Championship, Premiership and RFU can come to an agreement, then I think rugby will be in a better place.

‘It seems like there are a lot of people saying the same thing, so there’s a good opportunity to get the game right.’