Premiership Rugby vow to bring back promotion AND relegation

Premiership Rugby vow to bring back relegation amid fears that scrapping the one-up, one-down format is stripping the sport of its final-day nail-biting drama

  • Premiership Rugby are committed to re-establishing promotion and relegation
  • There were fears that the current system would become a long-term closed shop
  • Without relegation threat this weekend’s games would lack high-stake intensity
  • The PRL chief executive has said that the one-up, one-down format will resume 

Premiership Rugby are committed to restoring promotion and relegation — but deny the lack of jeopardy has harmed the league’s appeal.

Without the threat of any club going down to the Championship, many of this weekend’s final round of regular-season fixtures will lack high-stakes intensity. 

There have been fears that the ring-fencing system might become a long-term closed shop, but PRL chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor has insisted the one-up, one-down format will resume. 

Premiership Rugby remain committed to re-establishing promotion and relegation 

‘The intention was that we would be moving to a 14-team league, so it was disappointing Ealing didn’t pass the standards and come up,’ he said. 

‘The expectation is there will be promotion next season, then it becomes promotion-relegation. It will be a play-off at the end of the 2023-24 season.

‘There is the intention to have relegation after this moratorium of the last few years, which has been important from a Covid recovery perspective. 

PRL chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor (above) has insisted that the one-up, one-down format will resume as planned 

‘It was the right decision to preserve the 13 clubs that have existed within the Premiership. It’s a miracle they have survived.’

Massie-Taylor insisted ring-fencing has not diminished public interest. ‘Audience figures are up this year,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Henry Slade is set to miss England’s tour of Australia after shoulder surgery. Slade’s Exeter team-mates Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Nowell and Jonny Hill should be fit.




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