London Welsh to go after the RFU – Rugby News Update
London Welsh, a club that plays in the Championship, the first tier of rugby in England, has declared the Rugby Football Union’s decision of blocking their promotion to the Aviva Premiership, the top tier of rugby in England, as unreasonable.
They received the decision of the RFU just hours before their first-leg final clash against the Cornish Pirates. The club has received support from different quarters, with many people adding that it is only fair that the club is promoted if they win the
two-legged final on aggregate.
Lyn Jones, the coach of the London Welsh, has said that it is unfair on the players who are looking forward to playing in the top tier, and the chance of promotion should be open to all teams, as long as they meet the minimum requirements.
The main sticking point with the RFU has been the issue of a stadium for the Richmond-based club. In an effort to assuage the Union, they have signed a binding agreement with Oxford for the Kassam Stadium, and which the Chairman of the Club, Bleddyn Phillips,
feels fulfils the minimum requirements.
However, the club at the moment is thinking of lodging a protest with the RFU and fighting their case, but before they do that, they are waiting on the outcome of the final, to see if they are able to win the Championship.
"If we win our match against the Cornish Pirates in Oxford next week, given the fact that we have a legally-binding agreement to use a top-notch stadium and that other clubs appear to be allowed to groundshare with other Football Association clubs, to my
mind I would think it highly inequitable, unreasonable and unfair if we are told that we can't go up," Phillips told the newspaper.
John Taylor, a former Wales and British Lions’ international, along with being the current managing director of the club, has said, "You cannot have a situation where the movement between the Premiership Rugby and the Championship is suddenly prohibited,
it just doesn't work on any level. I don't really see how the RFU can be happy with that."
It is good news for Newcastle Falcons who finished bottom of the Premiership, and it ensures that they will stay in the top tier.
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