English Prem to expand to 12 teams with no relegation

LONDON, Feb 27 - English rugby's Prem is to be expanded to 12 teams from 2029 based on a franchise model with no automatic promotion or relegation, the Rugby Football Union and the country's professional leagues announced on Friday.

The Prem currently comprises 10 teams having lost Wasps, Worcester and London Irish to insolvency in 2022-23 but will go back up to 12 from the 2029/30 season, with further expansion possible.

At the moment there is a theoretical possibility for second-tier Champ clubs to gain promotion but in recent years that has been consistently foiled by a failure to meet specified standards, mainly ground capacity, with London's Ealing Trailfinders consistently winning the league but staying put.

That will end after this season, to be replaced by a "criteria-based expansion and demotion model."

The last relegation was in 2020 when Saracens went down after a points deduction for salary cap breaches, with their return after one season the last time a club was promoted.

The new system will allow clubs to apply for a place in the Prem if they meet a new set of criteria.

There has been discussion that Wasps, London Irish and Worcester could all make a return, potentially in a geographical area that is not currently served by a Prem club, while a pathway would still exist for ambitious Champ clubs.

The new set of "elevated standards" from 2030 will require clubs to either operate a team in Premiership Women’s Rugby or to deliver a jointly agreed regional women’s rugby development plan with meaningful minimum investment. There will also be a guaranteed level of investment into activities with local grassroots rugby.

A joint statement from the RFU, Prem, Champ, Premiership Women's Rugby and the players' union the RPA said: "This new expansion model will create investable, globally competitive leagues while expanding rugby’s fanbase, widening its geographic footprint and delivering tangible benefits to the women’s game and community rugby across England."

The revamped structure, they added, would enable financial sustainability, encourage long-term investment, and provide a clear framework for potential entrants.

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney acknowledged the dramatic shift from traditional promotion and relegation, saying: "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."

Simon Massie-Taylor, Prem Rugby CEO, said: "We are now firmly on the path to a more prosperous and brighter future for Prem Rugby... 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." REUTERS