Will Melville be able to stick with his no ring-fence stance?
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - APRIL 12: Jordan Olowofela of Leicester Tigers catches the high ball during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Newcastle Falcons and Leicester Tigers at Kingston Park on April 12, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
THE arrival of Nigel Melville in a new role as executive chairman of Premiership Rugby's investor board is a welcome appointment – not least because the former England captain and scrum-half has a depth of rugby knowledge far greater than PRL's previous senior administrators.
However, Melville is likely to find the investor board – inhabited by numerous bigego owners – is a difficult paymaster to satisfy.
One of the first and most contentious issues he will face, and will have to clarify quickly, is where he stands on the thorny issues of promotion- relegation, and ringfencing.
In Melville's previous role as the RFU's director of professional rugby, and interim chief executive, he was clear that he strongly supported promotion-relegation, and opposed the idea of a ringfence around Premiership.
It will be intriguing to see how Melville has managed to square that position with his new job.
