Promotion and relegation has been an issue that has divided rugby union and dominated discussion since the dawn of professionalism in the 1990s and yesterday, the Rugby Football Union finally pulled the drawbridge up.

A landmark agreement to reform the structure of professional rugby in England was approved “overwhelmingly” in a vote by the Rugby Football Union Council on Friday. The proposal will turn the Gallagher Prem into a franchise model, with 12 teams planned to be in the division from the 2029-30 season.

From the 2026-27 campaign, automatic promotion and relegation between the Prem and Championship will be replaced by a criteria-based expansion and demotion model.

Clubs like Doncaster Knights, who for four straight years have passed the Premiership audit off the pitch but fallen short on it, began the season believing if they won the second-tier play-offs they would get a shot at the top flight via a two-legged play-off with the club that finished bottom. With three months to go until the end of the season, that possibility is now dead.

Don't dream it's over: Prem Ruggby will be a closed shop from next season (Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images)

placeholder image — Don't dream it's over: Prem Ruggby will be a closed shop from next season (Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Once again the Yorkshire club were the only one of 14 Champ clubs who passed the Prem audit and the last team to be crowned champions of the second tier and be granted promotion was Saracens in 2021 after they had been sent down as punishment for breaching the salary cap. Promotion and relegation in the decade before that was only achieved by yo-yo clubs like London Irish, Bristol and Worcester, while the only team to have emerged from the pyramid and flourished in the top flight this century is Exeter Chiefs.

Rotherham Titans twice tried and came back down, and on one occasion won the second tier but were refused promotion.

Upwardly mobile once again at the top of National One, the height of their ambition is to get back to the second tier and stabilise there. Their director of rugby Harvey Biljon knows the feeling of winning the Championship only to be denied promotion, as he was with Jersey Reds just three years ago.

For him, Friday’s announcement spells the end of a dream.

Heartbreaking: Rotherham Titans chief Harvey Biljon won the Championship with Jersey Reds in 2023 but was denied promotion.

“I can tell you how heartbreaking it is to win a championship and feel you’ve earned the right to play at the next level, the highest level in the Premiership, and it not being awarded to you,” said Biljon.

“Don’t underestimate the hard work, sacrifice and effort that goes into that.

“For players, coaches, clubs alike not to be in a position to aspire and be able to aim high…you’re taking away the dreams and aspirations of young boys and club members, to take that away is a tough space to be.

“I get that they’re leaving it open with an application with performance on the field and financial backing, but ultimately, if you’ve earned the right on the field, you should be rewarded with the opportunity to be there.”

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has welcomed the move. He said: “We recognise that moving away from a traditional system of automatic promotion and relegation represents a significant change.

“However, it is equally clear that the professional game must evolve if it is to thrive. The previous structure was not delivering the financial stability, investment confidence or wider system benefits the game now requires.

“This reform is about safeguarding the future – creating a model that is ambitious, sustainable and capable of supporting the whole rugby community, from the grassroots to the international stage.”