CALLS for a further relaxation of Premiership g round capacity rules appear to be gathering momentum as the protracted discussions over the new Professional Game Partnership agreement (PGP) continue.
As things stand, Championship clubs not only have to win the league but also have a 5,000-capacity home ground, with planning permission to be able to accommodate double that number of spectators the year after.
However, that year-two figure could drop to 7,500, with concessions also made around the number of seats required, if second-tier clubs get their way. A well-placed source told The Rugby Paper: “Nothing is confirmed yet but that is the direction of travel.”
Championship clubs met on Thursday morning in the hope of making further progress in their negotiations with the RFU/PRL. However, a number of outstanding issues have to be resolved and it seems highly unlikely that an announcement will be made until after the Easter holidays.
The Championship Clubs’ Committee put out a 274-word statement to this effect, which could have been summed up in two words, “no news”.
The RFU have underlined their desire to alter the competition to make it more commercially viable and “investable” after 2022/23 Championship winners Jersey Reds went bust in September.
But Championship clubs condemned the notion of a franchise-based league involving phoenix clubs like Wasps and Worcester and have put forward their own proposals, including amendments to the Minimum Standards Criteria (MSC) around ground capacity.
Safeguarding promotion and relegation is also a number one priority of Championship clubs at both ends of the league.
Championship clubs have long argued that the MSC has served as a form of ring-fencing and is at odds with the meritocratic system that upholds the values of Englis
