RFU Scraps Championship Play-offs
Automatic promotion to the Premiership will be introduced from next year after the Rugby Football Union approved a three-year plan to remove the Greene King IPA Championship play-offs.
Promotion this term will continue with the current structure, which sees promotion decided via play-offs between the top four teams.
From next season, the winners of England’s second-tier competition will be promoted if they can satisfy the ‘minimum standard criteria’ to play in the top-flight.
Championship clubs will also secure a boost in funding as part of the new agreement between the RFU and Premiership Rugby.
Bristol finally won promotion via the play-offs last season, having topped the table in five of the seven campaigns in the Championship following relegation at the end of 2008-09.
However, not all clubs reaching the play-offs have been eligible to go up, with Cornish Pirates not having a suitable home ground, while Bedford have openly state in the past that they do not want to move into the Premiership.
The financial boost for clubs in England’s second tier comes after London Welsh went out of business and were expunged from the league in January.
The exact figure in the multi-million pound deal has not been disclosed, but distribution will be based on final league positions.
Ian Ritchie, RFU chief executive said: “The RFU, Premiership Rugby and the Greene King IPA Championship clubs agree this a positive step forward.
“The first-past-the-post system will allow the promoted club a greater amount of time to recruit ahead of the next season which is important for their preparation in playing in the Premiership.
“In addition, all of the clubs will also benefit from extra funding provided by the RFU and Premiership Rugby. It was also important for this regulation change to be agreed in principle by the RFU Council to allow clubs certainty regarding budget planning for next season.”
Geoff Irvine, chairman of the Greene King IPA Championship clubs, added: “This agreement which is fixed for the next three seasons provides a period of stability and continuity which will enable the RFU, Premiership Rugby and the Greene King IPA Championship clubs to engage in meaningful dialogue to further relationships and develop initiatives for the mutual benefit of both parties.”
Mark McCafferty, chief executive at Premiership Rugby concluded: “It’s vital that any club being promoted from the Greene King IPA Championship is as prepared as it can be to compete, given the quality and intensity of Premiership Rugby. The current play-off system does not always help with that whereas a return to first-past-the-post from next season will provide the potential for more advanced planning and recruitment.
“The Greene King IPA Championship is an important part of the professional game and with the RFU, we have now committed to additional funding from next year to support its development.”
