N1 Future: RFU Must Get Their House in Order

The RFU have finally officially announced their vision for the future of the second tier of English Domestic Rugby and it’s hard to deny that, at first glance, they look rather enticing.

Increased levels of funding will be on offer from The RFU as well as Premier Rugby Limited and a share of rights from a new Sky TV package that was announced last week. The current 16 team league will be reduced to a more streamlined and ideally more competitive 12 team division with extra fixtures coming in the form of an end of season playoff alongside a revamped Anglo/Welsh competition. For the top four finishers this will feature the mouth-watering prospect of facing off against sides from The Premiership as well as the four Welsh regional teams. Those Championship teams who don’t finish high enough to qualify for the top tier Anglo/Welsh competition will still have the opportunity to play historic names such as Neath, Cardiff and Pontypool of The Welsh Premiership in what will be branded the Anglo/Welsh Trophy

So why then is it that the 16 member clubs within the current National One setup are not beating down a path to the RFU’s door to sign themselves up for these exciting proposals?

Well of course there is a catch, the invitation to compete in this league comes with a caveat; clubs must be fully professional and meet, as yet unpublished, ground criteria standards before they can compete.
There is also the issue that the Anglo/Welsh fixtures are not yet guaranteed meaning that clubs could face the prospect of a drop in home fixtures per season with the loss of the EDF National Trophy after the current season.
Then there are the end of season play offs to consider; the RFU wants to see the top 8 teams playing off for one promotion place and the bottom four playing off for one relegation place. This is a playoff structure blatantly dreamed up to ensure every club gut’s three extra home fixtures with little thought for it’s affect on the competition as a whole. Surely the previous 22 league fixtures are pointless if the side finishing eighth can still earn a place in the Premiership via a playoff?

The increase of funding, whatever the RFU may allude to, is minimal and even then is only guaranteed for the first two seasons of this new structure. The majority of the clubs who would be due to compete in the Championship simply cannot afford to fund the changes to infrastructure which will be required in order to meet the entry criteria especially given that the RFU seem intent on pushing these changes through in time for the 2009/10 season. Not long enough for these clubs to raise any significant funding.

When you are looking to rent a property it is important to stay within your limits, often the estate agent will point you in the direction of a property which is out of your price range and try to tempt you with promises of the fantastic view, great development opportunities and fantastic neighbourhood. However tempting that dream house may be it is important to know exactly what is within your financial means because committing to a contract you can’t finance would be “financial suicide” which is a phrase used by First Division Rugby chairman Geoff Cooke to describe the RFU’s plans for National One.

Already this season we have seen both Coventry and Nottingham facing financial difficulties which threaten their very existence and only yesterday Cornish Pirates announced that they face the real threat of not being able to compete in the proposed new structure unless they are able to find £300,000 of extra funding. Cornish Pirates are one of the clubs who, on the surface, appear better placed to take this step. What of the future of semi pro outfits such as Moseley, Coventry and Rotherham should they be invited into The Championship?

It’s fairly clear that under the proposals outlined by The RFU yesterday we face the real prospect of a number of historic clubs being left “homeless” and the RFU left with a “Dream Home” which nobody can afford to rent. An outcome which would be disastrous for the long term future of English domestic rugby; At least below The Premiership.