Premiership: Relegation to be reintroduced in 2023/24 according to CEO

England’s top-flight stopped relegation due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they did allow Saracens to be promoted to increase the league to 13 teams.

They intend to expand that further to 14 sides but they prevented Ealing Trailfinders from going up on the basis that its ground did not meet minimum standards.

Massie-Taylor insists that they still harbour ambitions to increase the size of the Premiership and that demotion will return in two years’ time.

“The intention was that we were moving to a 14-team league so it was disappointing that Ealing didn’t pass the standards and come up,” he told the Telegraph.

“The expectation is that there’ll be promotion next season, then the agreement is promotion and relegation after that. That was what was agreed by the RFU council.

“It is still the intention to have relegation going forward after this moratorium that was really important from a Covid recovery perspective.

“It was the right decision in order to preserve the 13 clubs that have existed within the Premiership. It’s a miracle that they’ve survived after what has gone on over the last few years.”

Worcester Warriors are currently bottom of the table with Bath and Newcastle Falcons just above them.

World Cup winning scrum-half Faf de Klerk signs for Yokohama Canon Eagles