RFU Approves New 12-team Division
Among other changes to be made for next season, The RFU Council has approved the creation of a 12-team Championship division.
The division will sit at a professional tier below the Guinness Premiership, beginning in the 2009/10 season.
The fixture list will be formed in the near future, and will include a minimum of 32 games each season for First Division Rugby clubs consisting of league games and other competitive matches, as well as a proposed two-tier Anglo-Welsh competition.
At the end of this season one club will be promoted from the existing National League One into the Guinness Premiership, five clubs will be moved to Level 3 and one promoted from Level 3 to form the Championship.
Live television coverage has been secured with the agreement of Sky and Championship clubs will receive projected central funding of £3.5million in 2009/10 that will rise to £4.8m by season 2015/16.
The Council also approved 12 other recommendations that will result in structural changes to the game in England, including the restructuring of competitions for teams in Levels Three to Six of the league system.
It also approved changes to discontinue the National Trophy and Intermediate Cup competitions; expand the leagues at levels three and four to 16 clubs per division and at levels five and six to 14 clubs per division; introduce National Championship Finals; and introduce reserve leagues at levels three, four and five.
In the new structure, the Championship will sit above a new National League One, National Two North and National Two South, and four divisions in the National Three tier.
From 2009/10 the new National One, National Two North and National Two South division will increase in size from 14 to 16 clubs. The four National Three divisions (London, Midlands, North and South West) will increase in size from 12 to 14 clubs.
