COVENTRY Rugby said it is in a ‘huge battle to drive change’ in the sport as it slammed the RFU for ‘not representing the interests of Championship clubs’ in crucial negotiations for the future of the game.
This comes in the wake of last year’s championship winners, Jersey Reds ceasing trading last month.
The RFU and the top-flight English clubs have been thrashing out terms on a new Professional Game Partnership (PGP) agreement, with the current deal due to expire next summer.
Last week, Championship clubs including Coventry Rugby expressed ‘very low levels of confidence’ in the RFU and its representation of their interests in discussions over the PGP.
The clubs said they didn’t accept any form of the PGP that excluded them from discussions of funding levels and other matters crucial to the recovery of the game in England, such as player pathway.
A potential Premiership 2 has been mooted as part of a whole-game restructure for Professional rugby.
Coventry rugby chief executive Nick Johnston said: “Premiership clubs get £6.5million per season each from the RFU and we get £150,000.
“We are in a huge battle to drive change and get some ‘fairness’ into English rugby.”
A championship joint statement added: “The owners and benefactors of Championship clubs have agreed to continue to analyse the viability of a Premiership 2, as requested by the RFU, to the extent they can.
“The clubs in attendance shared their views on their willingness and ability to continue in the light of the dramatic cuts to their funding, which surely made the collapse of Jersey Reds more likely.
“As clubs who are crucial, among others, to the development of the next generation of England internationals, we are deeply concerned that issues vital to that pathway have not been discussed with us.”
An RFU Spokesperson said: “We have been working with the Championship and Premiership Rugby on the new Professional Game Partnership and shape of Premiership 2 since the start of this year with funding levels to be confirmed at the end of this calendar year.
“The Championship has been fully involved in these discussions and timings haven’t changed since they were confirmed at the beginning of this calendar year.”
The spokesperson added discussions have included suggested promotion and relegation between ‘Premiership 1’ and ‘Premiership 2’, potential Thursday night fixtures to bolster any offering to broadcasters and maximum squad sizes across the two divisions to stop players being stockpiled.
