The Rugby Football Union has been accused of deliberately running down the second-tier Championship with a view to reducing the number of professional teams in England. Championship clubs also predict no sides will be promoted to the Premiership for years to come despite the RFU’s continuing insistence it has no formal plans to ringfence the top league.
With negotiations over the new Professional Game Agreement between the union and the clubs approaching a critical juncture, Championship representatives are becoming increasingly concerned their league will be left “on its knees” without more funding, a scenario with major implications for aspiring young players.
