Lower-league clubs rage at ‘terrible decisions’ by RFU over game’s future

The Rugby Football Union is coming under renewed pressure from semi-professional clubs in England to clarify the future shape of the domestic game amid mounting calls for reform at Twickenham and significant disquiet about the effects of the new tackle-height directive set to be introduced in the community game.

With no firm agreement yet reached on precisely how many teams will feature in the Premiership and the Championship from September 2024, a growing number of National League clubs are pleading for greater clarity.

There is widespread concern about “terrible decisions” affecting the wider club game as well as the unintended consequences of not introducing the revised “belly tackle” initiative at every level this summer.

Gary Reynolds, the chief executive of Rams in third-tier National One, is among those urging the RFU to get off the fence and offer some long-term certainty. “I’d almost take anything as long as we can plan and know what it’s going to be,” said Reynolds, whose table-topping team could still win promotion to next season’s Championship if their rivals Cambridge slip up against Birmingham Moseley on Saturday.

“Trying to explain what is happening in the leagues at the moment is an absolute joke. I’m concerned that if the Championship goes to 10 teams in future we may be told there is no promotion. Does that mean we won’t be playing for anything? That’s no good for anyone. I would like to see certainty for the Championship and the Premiership. It’s got to a point where it doesn’t matter what that is.”

The Rams still believe their home town of Reading, with a catchment area of around 340,000 inhabitants, could support a Premiership rugby side with London Irish having now relocated back to Brentford. Along