Premiership to expand to 14 clubs ahead of 2022/23 season
The league will have an expansion to 13 teams in the 2021/22 season
©Gallagher
Premiership Rugby is set to see an expansion to 14 teams ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The move follows after a voting process conducted by the Rugby Football Union council as part of their 'Covid Recovery Plan' which will introduce structural changes to improve the financial stability and sustainability of professional rugby.
The league will already see 13 teams competing in the 2021/22 season with Saracens returning back to the top tier following their win over Ealing Trailfinders in the two-leg Championship finals.
The next season will see the winner of Championship promoted to the top tier following which a play-off between the Premiership’s bottom side and the winners of the second tier competition deciding the relegation in the 2023/24 season.
The 2024/25 season will see an annual one up, one down system returning back.
“The changes will undoubtedly benefit the game of rugby in England as we recover from the effects of the pandemic,” RFU president Jeff Blackett said.
“This is not ring-fencing the Premiership as some have suggested. In three of the four seasons covered by this and our previous decision, a Championship club will have the opportunity to be promoted.
“Council has control of what happens thereafter and is committed to maintaining the integrity of the league structure by ensuring that access to the Premiership will be retained in the future.”
Also it has been proposed that from August 2024, the matchday squad should have 15 English qualified players in each match day squad though a decision is yet to be arrived.
Chairman of the Premiership Rugby Investor Board Nigel Melville welcomed the decision from the board to enhance the competition further.
As well as giving support to a world-leading England team, the plan will create a stable platform for the professional game so that clubs can reset and rebuild after the unprecedented financial pressures of Covid," he said.
"With an agreed structure and expansion plan in place for the next three seasons, we can now focus on creating a more sustainable future, developing our talented home-grown players and bringing an attractive, competitive league to fans."
