Premiership CEO makes 2024 promise on promotion and relegation

Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor has insisted promotion and relegation will return to the top flight. Championship winners Ealing were denied a place in the Gallagher Premiership next season after their ground failed to meet the minimum capacity requirement.

But Massie-Taylor said the league is still committed to expanding the top tier from 13 to 14 teams, after which promotion and relegation will return. “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,” Massie-Taylor told the Telegraph.

“The expectation is that there will 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.”