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#Post#: 136728--------------------------------------------------
English rugby plots revolution to expand new ‘franchise-style’
Premiership
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: April 18, 2025, 1:58 am
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Exclusive: Stakeholders have spent months planning radical
overhaul which includes abolishing relegation and an IPL-style
model
Charles Richardson
Related Topics
Gallagher Premiership, RFU
17 April 2025 7:25pm BST
English rugby is plotting a revolution of the professional game
with a franchise model that will abolish relegation but include
promotion, to expand the Premiership.
Telegraph Sport can reveal that the plans, which would mark the
most significant changes to the domestic game since the dawn of
professionalism in 1995, are already being drawn up in the hope
of ratification before the start of next season.
Senior figures within Premiership Rugby, the Rugby Football
Union and shareholders CVC Capital Partners have spent several
months developing a comprehensive blueprint that could come into
force as early as 2026 – and certainly before 2028 – that
includes:
making the Premiership a franchise league, similar to cricket’s
Indian Premier League, which centralises commercial operations
and kit deals and distributes revenue equally between the clubs;
revising the controversial promotion criteria to include factors
such as fan base, financial stability and regional value;
abolishing relegation from the Premiership but maintaining
promotion to support expansion;
discussing a rebrand of the Premiership name.
In what has been dubbed a “new era for English professional club
rugby”, leading executives hope to employ a franchise model for
the Premiership similar to that of the IPL and the Hundred, or
the NFL in the United States. Existing Premiership club
identities and locations would not alter, although it is thought
that the name of the league is up for debate.
While clubs would still be free to explore their own sponsorship
deals such as stadium naming rights, a franchise structure would
see a centralisation of commercial deals. Currently the league
negotiates its TV and title sponsor deals as one, but the new
system would see a significant increase in league-wide
agreements. Details are due to be formalised in the coming
months.
Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive who recently survived a
vote of no confidence, is understood to be in favour of the
proposals, with his survival last month crucial to their
progression.
Promotion will be a key pillar of the plans, seen by Telegraph
Sport, with geographical expansion and financial sustainability
two recurring concepts – as well as added incentives for entry
to the Premiership from the Championship.
It is understood that further governance reform is in the works,
with executives keen to create a role with “commissioner-like
powers” to run the league. Centralisation of commercial rights –
for example, with all clubs using the same kit manufacturer – is
also part of the project.
The plans outline how the league’s executives desire a
Premiership of at least 12 clubs, with 14 or even more up for
consideration.
Relegation will be abolished in the new vision, with acceptance
growing in English rugby’s corridors of power that potential
investors are being turned off by the presence of such jeopardy.
With three clubs having gone bust in 2022-23, Premiership
Rugby’s belief is that clubs can no longer attract the kind of
investment required while the threat of relegation exists. This
is despite recent improvement in investment conditions such as
greater financial regulation, the Professional Game Partnership,
a men’s professional rugby board and the imminent signing of a
long-term, increased television deal.
“Relegation has become a financial millstone around the neck of
clubs,” said a source close to the discussions. “The instability
it breeds has led to short-term decision-making, investor
uncertainty, and, in many cases, financial ruin. Persisting with
a system that restricts investment and prevents long-term growth
is no longer an option.”
It is understood that the new plan has been devised by
Premiership Rugby alongside members of the RFU men’s
professional rugby board. All are thought to be fully aligned
with the drafts while support was unanimous amongst Premiership
clubs.
Now the plans will be presented to the RFU council in both June
and September, with the Premiership understood to be open to a
multiple-stage sign-off.
Promotion and relegation one of thorniest issues
The sticking point for the revolution is that “promotion and
relegation” has developed into one of English rugby’s thorniest
issues.
The RFU Council, under pressure from Championship clubs who are
governed separately from the Premiership, has long been
reluctant to abolish the concepts entirely, for fear of
preventing aspirational clubs from reaching the top flight,
creating a closed shop and preventing the “next Exeter” from
emerging. The Chiefs earned promotion to the Premiership for the
first time in 2010 and since then have won the Premiership twice
as well as the Champions Cup in 2020.
The hope, however, is that the RFU Council - as well as the
Championship clubs - may be persuaded by this latest
promotion-and-relegation offering, given that all previous
iterations have abolished both elements.
The blueprint would do away with relegation but keep promotion
alongside revised minimum-standards criteria, so that the
Premiership can focus on growth and expansion. The league is
keen to establish a presence in untapped rugby strongholds such
as Yorkshire, Kent and Cornwall as well as other top-flight
professional rugby black holes.
The Premiership’s thinking around updating its minimum-standards
criteria has taken inspiration from the Rugby Football League’s
grading system that saw social-media followers and match
attendances contribute towards promotion and relegation,
alongside other metrics.
“Revenue performance and potential, ⁠financial backing,
number of fans, a high-performance plan (with track record),
regional presence and brand strength could all come into the
promotion criteria,” said another source with knowledge of the
blueprint. “It will be about having a business plan, not a
tick-box audit list.”
Newcastle could be sold for nominal £1
One of the 10 Premiership clubs, Newcastle, are actively seeking
new ownership, with consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond
saying last month that he was uncertain whether the Falcons
would find outside investment - or whether they could need to
lean on a loan of between £3 million and £4 million from rival
top-flight clubs and CVC to get through next season.
Newcastle’s owner, Semore Kurdi, is believed to be happy to sell
the Falcons for a nominal £1 while retaining ownership of the
stadium site. The belief at Premiership HQ is that Kurdi’s
chances of selling or finding new investment would dramatically
increase were the threat of relegation to disappear.
The investment potential in a franchising model is far greater,
too, given that potential backers would fund a central league
“pot” which would then be redistributed to the clubs. Details
are still to be finalised but there is nothing in the plans to
say that clubs’ existing sponsorship deals must end.
The blueprint aligns with the tier-two board’s plans for an
expanded Championship, which was unveiled last Thursday and
which would include the once bankrupt Worcester Warriors.
So-called “phoenix clubs” – Wasps and London Irish among them –
as well as current teams in under-represented geographical
areas, are key to the vision, even if some of those ventures
require more time to become concrete. It is thought that the
return of the Warriors has proven that there are investors
willing to back a rugby club.
Promoted clubs would be offered the chance to purchase a
lucrative ‘P-share’ that would allow access to distributions
from the league’s central funding. There would also be potential
readmission of the Championship clubs to the Premiership Rugby
Cup as well as the possibility of European Challenge Cup entry.
“This system is not about creating a closed league,” added a
source.
Premiership Rugby declined to comment when approached by
Telegraph Sport. The RFU also declined to comment.
#Post#: 136756--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: J Scott
Date: April 19, 2025, 2:14 am
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This will change rugby as we know it and will be as impactful as
professionalism. However, I do think it is the only way for
rugby to grow. As long as Harlequins remain a top flight club as
one of the franchises.
#Post#: 136853--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: April 20, 2025, 2:17 am
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Interesting point JS.I'm sure all sorts of Red Lines will be
drawn in the negotiating stage.
Would I still follow Quins if they had to start in the 2nd Tier?
I think we all know the answer to that.
#Post#: 136864--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: Domestos
Date: April 20, 2025, 3:18 am
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TL:DR
Any chance of a precis?
#Post#: 136865--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: April 20, 2025, 3:33 am
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--- Quote from: Domestos link ---
>
> TL:DR
>
> Any chance of a precis?
>
--- End Quote ---
What did your last servant die of?
#Post#: 136900--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: DOK
Date: April 21, 2025, 2:06 pm
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--- Quote from: Domestos link ---
>
> TL:DR
>
> Any chance of a precis?
>
--- End Quote ---
From ChatGPT
Précis:
English rugby is planning a major overhaul of the Premiership by
adopting a franchise-style model similar to the IPL or NFL. The
proposed changes, set for implementation as early as 2026, aim
to abolish relegation while retaining promotion based on revised
criteria including financial stability, fan base, and regional
value. This centralised model would equalise revenue
distribution and commercial deals across clubs, boosting
investment potential. The plans, backed by Premiership Rugby,
the RFU, and CVC Capital Partners, seek to expand the league and
encourage long-term growth, addressing financial instability
caused by relegation. A commissioner-like role, a new league
name, and incentives for promoted clubs are also under
discussion. Approval is pending from the RFU Council, with
phased sign-off expected.
#Post#: 136907--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: April 22, 2025, 2:40 am
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Kim Il Dok that is very kind of you but regrettably it wont help
as it still takes more than 5 seconds to read, plus, there are
some rather too long sentences and far too many words of more
than 2 syllables.....
#Post#: 136908--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: Yareet
Date: April 22, 2025, 2:48 am
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--- Quote from: deadlyfrom5yardsout link ---
>
> Kim Il Dok that is very kind of you but regrettably it wont
help as it still takes more than 5 seconds to read, plus, there
are some rather too long sentences and far too many words of
more than 2 syllables.....
>
--- End Quote ---
Prem to be a closed shop
#Post#: 136910--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: April 22, 2025, 3:03 am
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--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> Prem to be a closed shop
>
--- End Quote ---
Good work! 6 words of one syllable....
#Post#: 136911--------------------------------------------------
Re: English rugby plots revolution to expand new
‘franchise-style’ Premiership
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: April 22, 2025, 3:06 am
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--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> Prem to be a closed shop
>
--- End Quote ---
That is the point of franchising, though. I'd like to say I'm
surprised, but I'm not
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