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#Post#: 134744--------------------------------------------------
Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: dr_miles
Date: March 3, 2025, 6:44 am
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From the Times:
"Championship clubs to withdraw from Premiership Cup in protest
Ealing Trailfinders achieved a “statement victory” over
Northampton Saints to reach the semi-finals of the Premiership
Rugby Cup for a second consecutive season — but they will not
participate in next year’s competition.
The Times understands that the Championship clubs, who have been
in the Premiership Rugby Cup for three seasons, have withdrawn
in protest at not being made equal partners in the development
competition.
The move suits Premiership Rugby and it takes the ten top-flight
clubs, who receive £33million a year in funding from the RFU, a
step closer to becoming a ring-fenced franchise league.
The decision was rubber-stamped at the same Professional Rugby
Board (PRB) meeting that confirmed a change to the agreed season
structure so England could play a fourth international in
November.
The Championship clubs elected to leave and set up their own cup
competition after being informed that they would not be given
partner status in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
“We were invited members with no say,” one source said. “We were
told the Premiership Cup rights were held by Premiership Rugby
and we weren’t entitled to any funding. We have enjoyed it but
if we don’t have a stake in the competition, we aren’t doing
it.”
The Premiership clubs hardly fought to persuade the Championship
to stay on board. The concept of a joint cup competition may
have worked on the field but it has not been a commercial
success, according to one source.
Next season’s Premiership Rugby Cup will feature two five-team
groups, guaranteeing each club four home fixtures. That is an
increase on three from this year, immediately making it a more
lucrative proposition for the top-flight clubs.
The Premiership is moving towards becoming a stand-alone
franchise competition. Unofficially, it already is. With no
relationship through a joint cup competition, it is only the
tenuous notion of promotion and relegation that technically
keeps the Premiership connected to the rest of the English rugby
pyramid.
In theory, the Championship winners are due to play the bottom
team in the Premiership in a play-off. But Ealing, who are top
of the second tier, cannot go up because they do not satisfy
off-field requirements.
Even if they did, the promoted team’s funding would be
substantially less than their Premiership rivals unless they
bought a so-called P-share in the league, which one source
valued at £15million.
The Championship was not part of the Professional Game
Partnership that was agreed last year between the RFU,
Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Players’ Association.
“Hopefully one day we will be part of it,” one Championship
source said. “We are [now the] top of the pyramid.”
The 2025-26 Premiership season is expected to begin with a
couple of rounds of the cup before the league campaign gets
under way in late September or early October. British & Irish
Lions players will not be available until mid-October because of
a mandatory ten-week stand-down period.
Ealing won 43-26 at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday against a
Northampton side featuring several England A players. Ealing
will play Exeter Chiefs in the last four with Newcastle Falcons
to host Bath in the other semi-final.
“We want to prove a point,” Tom Collins, Ealing’s former
Northampton wing, said. “We want to prove we can play at this
level and if we ever get an opportunity to go up in the next
year or so then this can sow the seed.
“I can’t wait [for the semi-final]. We have so many young lads
who want to prove themselves. The only way to do that is by
winning knockout games in this competition.”"
#Post#: 134773--------------------------------------------------
Re: Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: Harlequinade
Date: March 4, 2025, 1:08 pm
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I hope a championship club wins it this year then!
#Post#: 134774--------------------------------------------------
Re: Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: March 4, 2025, 1:55 pm
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--- Quote from: Harlequinade link ---
>
> I hope a championship club wins it this year then!
>
--- End Quote ---
Mmm... you haven't really been following it, have you? 😁
#Post#: 134776--------------------------------------------------
Re: Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: Harlequinade
Date: March 4, 2025, 4:47 pm
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--- Quote from: Brown Bottle link ---
>
> Mmm... you haven't really been following it, have you?
😁
>
--- End Quote ---
In what way do you think that?
#Post#: 134777--------------------------------------------------
Re: Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: Camquin
Date: March 4, 2025, 5:27 pm
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Ealing is the only champ club standing.
But they just need to win at Exeter and then in the final.
#Post#: 134778--------------------------------------------------
Re: Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: Mandator
Date: March 5, 2025, 2:13 am
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Scrap the whole competition! It is meant to be for players and
coaches at academy and reserve level.
Instead we have Bath who pack their bench with full time
Premiership players and of course Sale whose bench was packed
with South African world cup winners when we played them in the
final a few years back.
This competition must not include regular Gallagher Premiership
players.
#Post#: 134779--------------------------------------------------
Re: Championship clubs withdraw from Premiership Cup for 2025/26
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: March 5, 2025, 2:19 am
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--- Quote from: Harlequinade link ---
>
> In what way do you think that?
>
--- End Quote ---
It seemed a strange thing to say since, as Camquin said, Ealing
are the only Championship side left in it.
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