- Criteria-based expansion and demotion model to replace promotion and relegation between top tier and Championship
- Prem Rugby clubs obligated to field women’s team in PWR competition
- RFU CEO says English rugby “must evolve if it is to thrive”
Promotion and relegation are set to be scrapped as part of a major restructure at the top of English club rugby.
A landmark agreement to reform the structure of professional rugby in England was approved “overwhelmingly” during a vote by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Council on 27th February.
The proposal will turn Prem Rugby into a franchise model, with 12 teams planned to be in the division from the 2029/30 season.
From the 2026/27 campaign, automatic promotion and relegation between the Prem and Championship will be replaced by a criteria-based expansion and demotion model.
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney welcomed the move, saying: “We recognise that moving away from a traditional system of automatic promotion and relegation represents a significant change.
“However, it is equally clear that the professional game must evolve if it is to thrive. The previous structure was not delivering the financial stability, investment confidence or wider system benefits the game now requires.
“This reform is about safeguarding the future – creating a model that is ambitious, sustainable and capable of supporting the whole rugby community, from the grassroots to the international stage.”
A vote was put forward after months of work with leading stakeholders like the RFU, Prem Rugby, Championship Rugby, Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) and Rugby Players’ Association (RPA).
Mike McTighe, chair of men’s Professional Rugby Board, added: “This is an important step forward for professional rugby in England.
“It’s long been clear that the previous system was not delivering the financial sustainability or long-term confidence the professional game needs.
“This agreement therefore represents a collective responsibility to change that, with all of the stakeholders involved coming together to design a model that provides greater certainty for investors, a clearer pathway for ambitious clubs and stronger foundations for the whole rugby ecosystem.
“We know there will be scrutiny, and rightly so. The proof will be in delivery: in improved stability, in renewed investor confidence, in tangible benefits to the women’s game and in sustained support for community rugby.”
Prem Rugby clubs included in the top flight will have to operate a team in PWR or fund a meaningful regional women’s development plan, or face fines for non-compliance.
An expansion review group (ERG) will be set up to assess the readiness of the league, appetite of investors and which clubs are prepared for the expansion before clubs eager to join go through a formal expression of interest (EOI) and tender process.
Prem Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor explained: “We are now firmly on the path to a more prosperous and brighter future for Prem Rugby.
“Our vision is to become the best league in the world – for fans, players and investors in current and future Gallagher Prem clubs – and these important changes throughout the game will help us achieve this.
“The changes agreed today show unity across the game and will allow current and future club investors to confidently invest in our new growth plan and the wider English club rugby eco-system.
“We are extremely proud of what the Prem has achieved in the last few years, and we are unbelievably excited about the opportunities that are now in front of us.”
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