Premiership Rugby to have discussion with RFU on ending promotion and relegation

Premiership Rugby will be in discussion with top members of the Rugby Football Union on the long-term financial stability of the league and a possibility of ending promotion and relegation in the top tier.

Currently, the bottom placed club in the league will face a relegation to the second tier while the winner of the Championship Cup competition previously known as RFU Championship will gain promotion to the Premiership.

However, the newly promoted club has struggled to cope up with the gap between the two tiers in most of the cases as seen in 2015 when London Welsh lost all 22 games.

"Our key objective is to deliver long-term financial sustainability for professional rugby in England," a Premiership Rugby spokesperson told PA Sport.

"Now is the right time to sit down with the RFU, who are our partners within the Professional Game Agreement.

"We will be coming back to the next Premiership Rugby board meeting on 9 April with an update.

"These crucial discussions are about deciding the most effective structure for the top end of the game in England. They have to be structured, balanced and create the best long-term solution for English rugby."

Meanwhile, a RFU spokeswoman said that any change will be implemented only after approval from all the boards concerned.

"Any proposal we receive would need to be discussed and formally approved by the Professional Game Board, the RFU Board, and the RFU Council," said the spokeswoman.

"The English game is continually evolving, and we would look at any proposal through the lens of what is right for the game."