- Franchise competition would start in 2029/30 with Prem’s ten clubs, plus expansion teams
- Expressions of interest from expansion clubs could be invited in 2027
- Promotion and relegation still currently in place but reportedly unlikely to be implemented
England’s top-flight Prem Rugby could become a ring-fenced league from 2029, according to The Times.
Radical changes to the rugby union competition have been discussed for years, including possibly adopting a franchise model similar to cricket’s Indian Premier league (IPL) and the Hundred.
Bruce craig, owner of Prem Rugby champions Bath Rugby, has backed moving to a franchise league, warning that the elite English club game is “out of step with modern accomplished rugby governance”.
The Times reported last September that plans to suspend relegation from Prem Rugby and expand the English top flight from ten to 12 clubs over the next two years had been agreed in principle.
Now, the newspaper reports that Prem rugby, the second-tier Champ Rugby and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) are working towards launching the top division as a standalone ‘expansion’ league for the 2029/30 season.
A ring-fenced league would provide greater security for investors who fear the impact of relegation on a club. A franchise model also typically leads to centralizing commercial operations.
Once the new format is agreed,Prem Rugby clubs will reportedly explore additional external investment. city AM reported last June that Prem rugby had tapped raine Group and Deloitte to manage potential investment in the league or its teams.
Prem Rugby sold a 27 per cent stake to private equity giant CVC Capital Partners in a UK£200 million (US$270 million) deal at the end of 2018.
Exeter Chiefs, whose holding company announced an after-tax loss of UK£10.3 million (US$13.9 million) this week, is one club hopeful of securing a new investor this year.
A study released in November by corporate recovery and insolvency firm Leonard Curtis revealed that not a single Prem Rugby club made a profit for the third successive year.
Prem Rugby’s ten existing clubs would feature in the franchise competition, with expansion sides selected strategically based on their business and commercial case – mirroring the approach taken in US major leagues.
Work is underway to agree on the optimum entry criteria and finalize a mechanism for removing underperforming clubs from the top flight.
Expressions of interest from expansion clubs could be invited in 2027, giving teams time to prepare. Birmingham, Kent and Yorkshire have been touted as options, while the return of Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish – who all went into administration earlier in the decade – could also be considered.
The current promotion and relegation system technically remains in place, but according to The Times, is unlikely to be implemented.
Champ Rugby has previously opposed scrapping promotion and relegation but is now reportedly working with Prem Rugby and the RFU to find a solution.
Any change to the structure of the English club game would require approval from the RFU council. A proposal will be brought forward once a broad agreement is reached, potentially as early as next month’s council meeting.
Saracens chief executive Charlie beall told SportsPro at the start of the 2025/26 Prem Rugby season that he would support a franchise model with certain assurances.
“The definition of a franchise league is still being contested, but in theory if you didn’t have relegation I think that would make the league and the teams more investable, which would then give you the possibility to attract new capital partners,” said Beall.
“If a franchise model meant that you could grow the league over time by carefully selecting who would get access to promotion into that league, you could carefully grow it in a sustainable way.
“If those were the fundamentals that went into a franchise model, speaking from a personal outlook, I’d welcome that.”
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