England’s second-tier clubs say they face being pushed into bankruptcy unless they receive a fairer deal in negotiations with the Rugby Football Union and the Premiership. The Championship clubs also insist the terms of the proposed Professional Game Partnership risk dividing the game “to the detriment of the sport in England”.
The RFU and the Premiership clubs are preparing to unveil an eight‑year deal that will cover all aspects of English professional rugby but, as yet, there is no firm agreement over the future shape of promotion and relegation to and from the Championship, nor the confirmed level of central funding for clubs outside the elite.
