Shellshocked English club rugby bosses reached for the reset button last night, formally abandoning their plan for a 14-club Premiership.
With Worcester gone and Wasps set to follow, the past fortnight has seen the top flight reduced to 11 clubs in the most brutal way imaginable. The intention only a month ago was to expand the league to 14 at the end of a season without relegation but offering promotion to the Championship winners. Not any more it’s not.
“I think our ambition to move to a 14-team league was short-sighted,” said Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor. “We need to look at a lesser number.
“That is naturally happening at the moment but exactly what that number is, is to be decided. There’s not a silver bullet here, though I’m being offered a lot of them on Twitter at the moment.”
Massie-Taylor said he doubted there was a “sugar daddy” waiting in the wings to rescue Worcester or indeed Wasps, whose players are already being tapped up - to the fury of Wasps legend turned chairman of Premiership Rugby Investor Board, Nigel Melville.
“We don’t know what is happening with Wasps, they have not even appointed an administrator yet,” said Melville. "For clubs to start talking to their players.. I understand players have concerns, of course they do, we all have - but to start tapping up players at this point is wrong, absolutely.”
Perhaps, but at the start of World Cup year players such as England duo Joe Launchbury and Jack Willis cannot afford to be kicking their heels at home. There is an urgency all round and Melville believes that out of a desperate situation can come a consensus rarely, if ever, seen before in rugby.
“There is a need for a reset and the time is right for one, I think everybody agrees,” said the former England captain. “When it comes down to a vote, 'What’s in it for me?' always comes forward. But I think there is a general feel that change is necessary to move forward.
“We always have problem clubs - it’s not always the same one, it depends what the issue is. But we’re working really well together at the moment."
We’ve heard a lot of this sort of thing before, though never against such a bleak backdrop. Somebody always disagrees.
“I don’t know when there would ever be a better situation than we’re in at the moment [for agreement],” interjected Massie-Taylor. “What else would need to happen?! I think people recognise that. We have a big responsibility to take some bold decisions. The time is now. We need to move quickly.”
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