Top officials at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have come under severe criticism from former England international Simon Halliday, who has accused the governing body of betraying the game. Halliday, a key member of England’s 1992 Five Nations Grand Slam-winning team, has been actively involved in negotiations regarding the future of the sport below the Premiership level. He has called for an urgent review of the RFU’s management, citing significant failings by its executive directors, which he believes are threatening the health of the game in England.
Halliday, who previously chaired European Professional Club Rugby and represented Championship clubs, has been pushing for greater funding and clearer guarantees regarding promotion and relegation. In a scathing letter addressed to the RFU’s chair, Tom Ilube, he claims that Tier 2 clubs (those outside the Premiership) have been misled and stalled in their efforts to push for better conditions. He further argues that recent actions by the RFU executives are undermining the game’s future.
One of Halliday’s main points of contention is the RFU’s failure to honor agreements made during a council meeting in June. At that meeting, it was reportedly agreed that discussions would continue to explore ways to soften the minimum standards criteria for Premiership promotion, to make it more achievable for Championship teams to ascend to the top tier. Halliday states that while there was written evidence and legal counsel supporting this agreement, the RFU has since failed to follow through, leaving clubs frustrated and unable to progress.
A key part of the issue is the new requirement that Championship clubs seeking promotion must have a stadium capable of holding at least 10,000 spectators, along with confirmed plans for expansion. This stipulation effectively prevents all Championship clubs from achieving promotion, with the exception of Doncaster, who are currently the only team in a position to meet the criteria. This move, according to Halliday, is damaging and leaves Championship clubs with little hope of advancement, despite their efforts to compete at a higher level.
The new conditions have been described as a de facto end to promotion and relegation between the Premiership and the Championship. Halliday has urged Ilube to make a clear statement either affirming that promotion and relegation is no longer a viable part of the game, or to launch an immediate review of the situation. He stresses that, under the current rules, no Championship club can be promoted in a sustainable manner, which he believes is an unacceptable state of affairs.
Halliday also highlights concerns over how decisions regarding the promotion criteria were made. He alleges that key meetings, such as those involving the Professional Game Board, were not properly constituted, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the decisions taken. According to Halliday, the RFU’s legal team has been working to protect the existing status quo, obstructing meaningful change and failing to uphold previous agreements made with Championship clubs.
The letter also raises concerns about the lack of progress in addressing the funding gap between Premiership clubs and those aspiring to move up from the Championship. Despite repeated requests for discussions on the matter, Halliday claims that the RFU has not followed through on promises to address these issues in good faith, leaving the Championship clubs in an increasingly precarious position.
This is not the first time the RFU has faced criticism. The governing body is already under fire for its poor financial performance, with significant losses expected to be reported soon. The national team’s recent poor results have only added to the pressure, leading to questions about the RFU’s ability to manage the sport effectively across all levels. There are also concerns that the RFU’s financial situation could interfere with efforts to improve welfare support for players in the second tier.
In response to Halliday’s accusations, the RFU has pointed to the creation of a new Tier 2 Board, led by an independent chair, which is tasked with overseeing matters related to the second tier of rugby. The RFU claims that the board is working collaboratively to implement a reimagined structure for Tier 2 rugby starting next season, but it remains to be seen whether these efforts will address the concerns raised by Halliday and other critics.
