London Welsh reach the House of Commons – Rugby News Update
London Welsh, a club that plays in the Championship, the first tier of rugby in England, was recently refused permission by the Rugby Football Union for promotion, even if they win their Championship final against the Cornish Pirates.
The decision arrived a few hours before the first-leg of the final, a match they won, and subsequently they are thinking of appealing the decision of the RFU. In a new twist, London Welsh has raised the issue with Gareth Thomas, Member Parliament for Harrow
West, who has raised the question in the House of Commons, the British Parliament.
The MP has moved the motion in Parliament but it is doubtful that he will get the required minimum number to issue a debate. His statement read, "This House condemns the decision of the Rugby Football Union to reject the possibility of London Welsh gaining
promotion to and playing in the Premiership in 2012-13."
However, the MP has received support from other quarters in the legislature, and Denis MacShane, MP for Rotherham, shared a similar experience when Rotherham were refused to enter the Premiership on the same objections.
The RFU has set minimum standards for teams that gain promotion to the Premiership and London Welsh failed on a few accounts, but the most notable objection was on their new ground, the Kassam Stadium, even though other clubs in the top tier have the same
sharing system.
MacShane was particularly harsh on the RFU by saying, "Frankly the men in blazers and those bright pink and orange corduroy trousers who control the RFU will not give any consideration to the passion of London Welsh, its players and its supporters."
If London Welsh is not allowed to promote then the Newcastle Falcons will be the beneficiaries. Having finished bottom of the Premiership, they should play in the Championship and this was reiterated by David Mowat, MP for Warrington South. He said, "I certainly
hope that when Newcastle takes its place in the Championship, as I hope it will, it continues to benefit from the RFU's support and largesse so that it can have a genuine chance of winning a place back..."
It is going to be a long drawn out saga and for the benefit of all, it should be resolved as quickly as possible.
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