• Nigel Melville suggests geographical spread of clubs
• Premiership still wants to ringfence itself
The Rugby Football Union has proposed expanding the Premiership to 16 teams – split into two conferences – to resolve the continuing debate over promotion and relegation.
Nigel Melville, the interim RFU chief executive, believes a move towards an American model, dividing the league along geographical boundaries, would answer the long-standing issue of whether to ringfence the Premiership. He also believes doing away with the Premiership Rugby Cup – largely a development competition – and reducing the number of professional players in England would be of long-term benefit.
Written by Gerard Meagher
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/dec/08/premiership-rugby-relegation-and-promotion under the title “Twickenham considers NFL-style plan for elite to split into two regions”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
