National League One To Go Professional

The Rugby Football Union has revealed proposals showing how National League One could work as a professional division, supporting the Guinness Premiership.

Part of the deal to bring English domestic rugby’s second tier into the professional era would see National One reduced from 16 to 12 clubs.

RFU chairman Martyn Thomas stated: ‘The winner would be promoted to the Premiership as a result of play-offs. The play-off games result in the ultimate winner and they will gain promotion to the Premiership.’
 
The move came after First Division Rugby Ltd (FDR), which represents the National One clubs, had rejected a proposal put forward by the RFU.

Explained Thomas: ‘We’ve offered them an increase in funding, it’s insufficient in their eyes and I understand that. The RFU is never going to be able to give them the kind of funding they would like.
 
‘We started this process in January, it’s taken a bit longer than we thought but I want to bring this to a conclusion next week.’