Premiership Clubs Want To End Relegation, Expand League

Premiership Rugby clubs resumed negotiations to "bring an end to promotion and relegation," with a new possibility of expanding the Premiership to a 13-club league, according to Owen Slot of the LONDON TIMES. Some clubs would be "keen to pull up the trap door immediately and therefore ensure that no one would be relegated at the end of this season." The first nine rounds of this season’s Premiership competition have "established a situation where seven clubs are at risk of relegation, arguably nine." It is "this fear" that has focused minds. The subject of "ringfencing" was an occasional discussion point among the clubs and "came close to being waved through earlier this year." One of the new proposals is to expand the Premiership into a 13-club competition. This would require an extra four Premiership weekends each season (LONDON TIMES, 12/3).