Ealing Trailfinders fail to meet Premiership promotion criteria

There will be no promotion and relegation between the top tiers of English rugby this season after Championship league leaders Ealing Trailfinders failed the minimum standards criteria.

Trailfinders, who have a 13 point lead at the top of the Championship table, applied for promotion and the chance to face the bottom-placed Premiership team in a play-off.

But the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced Ealing didn't meet the requirements around ground capacity, as well as assurances over safety compliance.

Doncaster Knights did pass the standards but sit 29 points adrift of Trailfinders in eighth, while third-placed Coventry also failed the minimum standards.

It comes with the Premiership's bottom team Newcastle Falcons in a precarious situation, and looking for additional financial support in order to be able to complete next season's campaign.

While the RFU insist they will continue to support aspirational clubs, this is another setback for Trailfinders in their bid to join English rugby's elite.

"We know how hard those clubs with aspirations to join the Premiership are working both to generate the required investment to be sustainable within that league and to ensure they have the required infrastructure to support themselves," Mike McTighe, Men's Professional Rugby Board Chair said.

In June last year, the minimum standards were tweaked to allow clubs to reach the required capacity of 10,000 over the course of four seasons.

It was hoped this would enable more clubs from the Championship to meet the required stadium size, but the RFU admit this hasn't had the desired effect.

"While right now only one Championship club is meeting the requirements that would enable them to come into the league, we are working hard to ensure that is not always the case and that we apply the right flexibility and support where it's appropriate," added McTighe.

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