English champions Leicester have been dragged into the crisis engulfing club rugby after being left without a home fixture for seven weeks.
Tigers, the nation’s biggest and best supported club, were due to play Wasps and Worcester in their next two Premiership home games.
Both clubs have been suspended and Wasps will follow Warriors into administration on Monday - leaving Leicester without a home game until November 27.
The sudden gaping hole in the Welford Road calendar will cost Tigers upwards of £700,000 in revenue which has not been budgeted for.
It is understood the league proposed a revised fixture list but that was rejected due to a lack of agreement amongst the remaining clubs.
As fears grow for the sustainability of the club game Simon Massie-Taylor, chief executive of Premiership Rugby, has warned that it must become fit for purpose - and fast.
Describing Wasps’ slide towards administration as “more than a business in difficulty, it’s a community in distress”, he said change was urgently needed.
“As well as supporting efforts to find a long-term sustainable future for both Wasps and Worcester Warriors, it is our responsibility to set a more sustainable path for English club rugby,” he said.
“This was on the agenda already, but we need to now accelerate the work we are doing with our clubs, the RFU, and other stakeholders across the game.
“Our shared goal must be to put in place stronger foundations that underpin the long-term prosperity for the sport in this country.”
RFU boss Bill Sweeney added: “There is a clear need for more financial transparency from all clubs together with collective long-term investment and planning for the benefit of the professional game overall.”
