England Rugby Limited will try today for a second time to decide if Rotherham should be promoted from the First Division but moves are already afoot to ensure there is no automatic relegation from the Premiership after next season.
Rotherham's fate hinges on a ground-share agreement they have signed with their soccer neighbours Rotherham United, a deal which fails to satisfy the criterion for membership of the Premiership which stipulates that clubs should have primacy of tenancy at the stadia they play at, a rule which is not retrospective.
ERL discussed Rotherham's position last week but deferred making a decision, asking for more information about Rotherham's deal to play at Millmoor rather than their Clifton Lane ground which does not meet the Premiership criterion in terms of capacity.
The Rotherham chief executive Jim Kilfoyle is confident his side will be competing in the top flight next season: "We are assuming that we will go up and all our plans revolve around that," he said.
A number of clubs want the Premiership ring-fenced for at least five years to encourage investment while others would settle for a play-off between the bottom side and the First Division champions.
"I can understand the attitude of the Premiership in wanting time to build commercial and spectator bases but the same goes for clubs in the First Division and below," said Ian Bremner, the rugby director of Exeter, who came third in the First Division.
The RFU may be asked to intervene in the dispute between Newcastle's director of rugby Rob Andrew and the Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam which blew up after the Premiership match between the clubs last December. Andrew accused Azam of racially insulting Newcastle's Epi Taione and he claimed there was a racist element among the supporters at Kingsholm. The Gloucester Rugby Supporters Association has given Andrew until Friday to apologise publicly for his remarks, otherwise they will launch an action for defamation. Azam has set the same deadline for his apology; if he does not receive one, he will consider asking the RFU to charge Andrew with bringing the game into disrepute.
Saturday evening kick-offs are likely to become a feature of the Six Nations from next season. Leicester have offered their hooker Richard Cockerill, a target for Montferrand, a new two-year contract while the French lock Olivier Brouzet has confirmed he will leave Northampton at the end of the season; Castres and Toulouse are possible destinations. Harlequins' relegation crunch game with Leeds on Friday will be screened live on Sky Sports 2.
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