RFU Council backs Division One revolution
November 14 2008
The Rugby Football Union Council has backed to the creation a new-look 12-team Championship below the Guinness Premiership for the 2009-10 season.
The council voted by an overwhelming majority to back recommendations from the RFU management board for the Championship to form a new professional second tier, rejecting an amendment to defer its formation until 2010-11.
Further discussions will take place about the fixture list, which will guarantee a minimum of 32 matches - in the league and other competitive games - for clubs.
The decision reduces the current number of teams in the second tier from 16 and was opposed by First Division Rugby, the umbrella body for National League One clubs, who questioned why the RFU are in a "mad rush to force through" the proposal in challenging economic times.
However, six clubs - Coventry, Doncaster, Exeter, London Welsh, Nottingham and Plymouth Albion - publicly supported the proposal and wrote a memo to the RFU Council stating as much.
The council also approved 12 of 13 recommendations from the Rugby Landscape Task Group that will make other significant changes to the structure of the game in England.