English Championship

Premiership reserve teams could play in the Championship from 2024

by
Ben Redwood
22 February 2022

The RFU will vote this week on proposals to reshape the English Championship.

As part of the plans, the second-tier would be revamped, with some Premiership A teams joining the league.

The Telegraph revealed that the league could become a “hybrid mix” of Premiership second-teams and Championship clubs from the 2024/25 season.

The RFU are deciding tonight whether Ealing Trailfinders or Doncaster can be promoted to the Premiership, as revealed in Sunday’s The Rugby Paper.

“The RFU Council, which represents clubs across the country, will be asked to endorse a direction of travel,” said RFU president Jeff Blackett.

Blackett added: “If the council agrees, there will be further consultation with the game and detailed assessment of any proposed competition structure which will require further approval by council to progress.”

*Ealing or Doncaster could be promoted to The Gallagher Premiership next season*

The RFU Council is set to vote on the course of action in a meeting on Friday, with an announcement expected later that day.

RFU sources insist any decision will be far from a “done deal” but rather a “direction of travel to be explored”.

Some Championship clubs are likely to oppose the move as they may find themselves shut out from the revamped league.

Which teams would compete in any revamped league would be determined following “further design and transition phases”, along with a “proof of concept” phase in 2023-24.

Another option being mooted is the establishment of a cup competition to run alongside the existing league.

The future of the Championship has been a wide discussion for a number of years. The tournament has no broadcasting and only one national newspaper extensively covers the incredibly exciting league – The Rugby Paper.

In February 2020, the union announced central funding to the clubs would be cut by 50%, although the RFU later moved to soften the financial blow by introducing a phased approach.

In the summer of 2021, a “Championship Review” was initiated to look at the “strategic direction of the second tier, the commercial realities and the competition structure”.

Each of the three sub-groups in the review has included representation from Championship and Premiership clubs, as well as RFU and PRL executives and members of the RFU Council.