Mike Friday: Top tier link-up is a must for Championship

Mike Friday, director of rugby-to-be at London Scottish, says he would welcome a takeover of the Championship by Premiership Rugby and believes such a move would transport the second tier on to a different level.
PRL boss Mark McCafferty revealed in the The Rugby Paper this month that his organisation was open to having a greater say in running the Championship – an idea tier two chairmen are increasingly warming to behind the scenes.
Friday believes it would galvanise the league, telling TRP: “It would be brilliant if Premier Rugby got involved in running it. If you could get 12 fully professional teams in the Championship, all commercially viable, you've got a real hotbed of rugby in this country to build from that will only make the Premiership stronger.
“Anything that can add to the Championship and help increase investment is good for the game and it would allow us to increase the EQP base, which will ultimately aid the Premiership and give more choices to the international team.
“It was a competitive league last year and the level is only going to go up. The testament to the league is the number of players moving up into the Premiership and, as a breeding ground, that's acknowledged by the Premiership.
“But you need more investment in resources and infrastructure to make the league even better. If it got more support from Premier Rugby and the RFU to allow more clubs to be fully pro, you'd see the quality of the league jump again.
“If you can grow the crowds and grow the commercial aspects, you'd be growing the game. I'd welcome Premier Rugby getting involved.”
Friday, who has been assisting Scottish since September, is in the process of finalising a contract and will be named director of rugby next month.
In the meantime, the Exiles have recruited strongly with a view to making a play-off push, with the arrival of former Exeter back rower James Phillips and American lock Tai Tuisamoa designed to add more physicality to their pack.
Friday said: “This league is getting harder and there are two sides in Bristol and Worcester that have got resources the other 10 cannot compete with. But as we saw last season, that doesn't necessarily guarantee you success.
“There's been massive progress at London Scottish and we've brought in players over the summer who will give us more grit and resilience in our pack, and we've boosted the fire-power in our back three as well.
“In James Buckland and Peter Richards we've got two of the most fiercely competitive coaches you could want and, tactically and technically, we've got all the ingredients. It's a really exciting time for London Scottish.”
NEALE HARVEY