Tier 2 Board confirms new clubs for 2025-26 season

The makeup of next season’s expanded Championship has been confirmed.

After two years of intensive work, the Tier 2 Board with the RFU and Championship clubs, is announcing a new and improved league, starting next season, with a vision to inspire and engage current and future generations of rugby fans, while also bringing commercial sustainability and growth to its clubs.

An open tender to the whole game, approved by RFU Council, has been conducted in recent months to join the league from 2025-26, if the league’s minimum operating standards and growth strategy are met.

As a result, from next season the league will be made up of 14 teams which will include all 12 current Championship clubs, the promoted National League 1 club (subject to meeting the league’s Minimum Operating Standards) and Worcester Warriors.  The club is under new ownership, after the new owner bought the rugby assets from the administrator of the insolvent entity, and brings with it exciting new plans, as well as seeing Championship rugby strengthened in the West Midlands. 

Worcester Warriors has been through a rigorous process for selection into Tier 2.  As part of the conditions to join the league, the club’s new ownership has provided a financial security guarantee, held by the RFU, as well committed to paying off debts left by the previous owners to rugby creditors. In addition, the new owners have already made substantial payments to the administrators and have entered into an agreement with the relevant parties which will result in the remaining contractual funds from the administration being paid to DCMS and HMRC by the end of the year.

Starting in the 2025-26 season, the Tier 2 Board will both launch the league and drive further improvements in the Minimum Operating Standards for the clubs and the league, with a phased approach to its development allowing time to establish club composition. 

Simon Gillham, Tier 2 Board Chair stated: “The vision for this league is really ambitious and so much work and collaboration has taken place over nearly two years to establish a path towards a vibrant and self-sustaining competition. 

“Today marks a significant step forward with Worcester Warriors returning to professional rugby under new ownership in a heartland for our sport with the club’s new owners having provided a financial security guarantee, held by the RFU, as well committing to paying off debts left by the previous owners to rugby creditors.

“Worcester Warriors brings with them a fanbase, history, commercial value and infrastructure that will be important to the league; we’re really pleased see their return to professional rugby as I’m sure are their fans.

“National 1 is a highly competitive league with some ambitious clubs and we look forward to welcoming the promoted club from National 1 as well as continued collaboration with the current Championship clubs into next season. 

“There is a great deal still to achieve and we will be working at pace over the coming months to prepare for the 2025-26 season and beyond.”

Tier 2 Board member and RFU Council Member for the Championship Clubs, Simon Cohen said:“Current Championship clubs have worked diligently over much of the past year to reach the new standards we’ve set for the league and I thank them for all their hard work.  Our league comprises many vibrant clubs, some of whom aspire to reach the Premiership and we need to support them to achieve this by developing a thriving and commercially viable league.  Our plans very much aim to do this, and I look forward to working with existing Championship clubs and our two incoming clubs to realise this goal.”

Christopher Holland, Worcester Warriors owner said: “We are really pleased to be bringing rugby back to Worcester and have made significant progress in stabilising the Sixways business as well as successfully navigating the detailed application process for entry of the club into the second tier of professional rugby in England.

“After careful consideration we chose to make the application to the new league under the name Worcester Warriors to preserve its history and legacy. As a result, we are required to settle rugby creditors and acknowledge and fully own this process and the responsibility that comes with it.

“We now enter a defined period in which to provide financial guarantees, and to identify, validate, and agree all inherited rugby creditors. The completion of this process is the key to success and requires the collective support of all involved. We are committed to resolving this swiftly.”

John Inverdale, Chair of National League Rugby and RFU Council Member for National League Rugby, said: “Driving up standards and supporting clubs to develop in all aspects that will see them thrive is crucial in a competitive commercial landscape. I am hugely supportive of the goals of the Tier 2 board and I’ve no doubt that the promoted National 1 club will add great value to the league next season.” 

Further details on competition format, new branding and commercial strategy will be announced as we move towards the new season.

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Process undertaken to select clubs  

In June 2024, RFU Council gave approval in principle for Tier 2 to expand to 14 teams and over recent months the Tier 2 Board has been working on:

• a self-assessment and gap analysis of the current 12 Championship clubs.
• an audit of the potential winners of National League 1 against the new Minimum Operating Standards (MOS).
• an evaluation of responses to the Request for Proposals to join the league. The Tier 2 Board is also considering what needs to happen longer term to clubs who have expressed an interest at this stage and may wish to come into the new Tier 2 in future, as well as the potential impact of any change on National leagues and below.

At its November 2024 meeting, RFU Council agreed that the Tier 2 Board should move forward with a phased delivery of the new league from 2025/26 season to allow the Board time to properly consider proposals from interested clubs and to allow clubs sufficient time to prepare for possible entry into the league.  This is considered critical in building towards that vibrant, relevant and sustainable Tier 2 that we have set out to deliver.

The Tier 2 Board, under delegated authority from the RFU Council, have confirmed that the league to be made up of:

• The 12 existing Championship clubs – it is acknowledged that that there are areas in which some clubs will need to focus efforts over for the remainder of this season to fully meet the MOS and growth strategy requirements in order to remain in the league beyond next season. However, it was felt appropriate to allow clubs who have earned their place in the league, further time to meet the standards. 
• The promoted National League 1 club – the highest placed club which also meets the league’s MOS will be promoted.  This could include Birmingham Moseley, Plymouth Albion, Rams and Richmond who have already been assessed against the league’s MOS and have expressed interest in joining Tier 2. Rotherham are currently undergoing the MOS assessment. Rosslyn Park will not be eligible for promotion having not submitted information for an MOS audit. If a club tops the league but does not meet the MOS, the place in the Tier 2 league will be offered to the next club in the table who has met the standards. 
• Worcester Warriors will join the league in the 14^th place, with the board satisfied that the club has a clear and funded business plan in place to deliver future success.  Worcester Warriors undertook a thorough evaluation process and were assessed against the league’s minimum operating standards, the league’s central objectives, as well as a commitment and ability to repay rugby creditors. 

 

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