THE buddy-system between Championship and Premiership clubs being proposed by the RFU looks to me like a deadend for the second tier if they accept it. Furthermore, if Championship clubs consider promotion and relegation worth fighting for, then it is impossible to see how they can become signatories to the RFU plan.
The buddy format is fraught with potential pitfalls. We are told that cash-strapped Championship clubs who buddy-up with a top tier partner will forego the right to promotion, but in return will be allowed to field up to eight Premiership first-team squad players, a...