REVEALED: The four key changes poised to revolutionise the Premiership as English rugby takes inspiration from the NFL
Northampton celebrate their 2024 Gallagher Premiership final win at Twickenham
Top-flight club rugby in England is set for a franchise model revolution, according to a report published in The Telegraph.
It has been claimed that senior Premiership Rugby, RFU and CVC Capital Partners staff have developed a blueprint that would transform the English league as early as 2026… and no later than 2028.
The four headline points revealed in the proposed revamp dubbed “a new era for English professional club rugby” are:
1 Making the Premiership a franchise league, similar to cricket’s Indian Premier League, which centralises commercial operations and kit deals and distributes revenue equally between the clubs;
2 Revising the controversial promotion criteria to include factors such as fan base, financial stability and regional value.
3 Abolishing relegation from the Premiership but maintaining promotion to support expansion;
4 Discussing a rebrand of the Premiership name.
A franchise model similar to the NFL in the United States
The newspaper exclusive has emerged with the Premiership shouldering its latest state of flux, with struggling Newcastle allegedly up for sale for a nominal £1 and likely 2025 Championship winners Ealing Trailfinders learning that they will be ineligible to take part in a promotion play-off after failing to meet the top-flight’s Premiership criteria.
“Leading executives hope to employ a franchise model for the Premiership similar to that of the IPL and the Hundred, or the NFL in the United States,” wrote Charlie Richardson. “Existing Premiership club identities and locations would not alter, although it is thought that the name of the league is up for debate.
“While clubs would still be free to explore their own sponsorship deals such as stadium naming rights, a franchise structure would see a centralisation of commercial deals. Currently the league negotiates its TV and title sponsor deals as one, but the new system would see a significant increase in league-wide agreements. Details are due to be formalised in the coming months.
“Promotion will be a key pillar of the plans, with geographical expansion and financial sustainability two recurring concepts – as well as added incentives for entry to the Premiership from the Championship,” he continued.
“It is understood that further governance reform is in the works, with executives keen to create a role with ‘commissioner-like powers’ to run the league. Centralisation of commercial rights – for example, with all clubs using the same kit manufacturer – is also part of the project.”
12-team Premiership
A Premiership consisting of at least 12 clubs is the desire of the blueprint, but this could eventually stretch to 14 or more participants in a competition where relegation would be abolished as “acceptance is growing in English rugby’s corridors of power that potential investors are being turned off by the presence of such jeopardy”.
The 2022/23 season began with 13 clubs but Worcester Warriors and Wasps quickly folded and their demise was followed by the end of campaign collapse of London Irish, reducing the numbers to just 10 clubs.
It is reported that the new blueprint devised by Premiership Rugby and members of the RFU’s men’s professional game board has “unanimous” support” among the Premiership clubs and the plan will be presented to the RFU council at its June and September meetings.