Gallagher Prem shake-up: Promotion and relegation to be scrapped as English rugby's top tier heads for franchise league
The Gallagher Prem will split from the rest of the English rugby leagues to become a franchise league that will initially expand from 10 to 12 teams by 2030, and to 20 teams by 2040; it comes as teams in lower divisions struggle to meet the Prem's standards
Friday 27 February 2026 14:21, UK
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has confirmed a major overhaul of English rugby's top tier that will see the Gallagher Prem expanded but fundamentally changed.
Promotion and relegation is set to be scrapped in this major restructure at the top of English club rugby.
A landmark agreement to reform the structure of professional rugby in England was approved "overwhelmingly" during a vote by the Rugby Football Union Council on Friday.
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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, and 20 teams by 2040.
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.
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney welcomed the move, saying: "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."
A vote was put forward after months of work with leading stakeholders like the RFU, Premiership Rugby, Championship Rugby, Premiership Women's Rugby and Rugby Players' Association (RPA).
Mike McTighe, chair of men's Professional Rugby Board, added: "This is an important step forward for professional rugby in England.
"It's long been clear that the previous system was not delivering the financial sustainability or long-term confidence the professional game needs.
"This agreement therefore represents a collective responsibility to change that, with all of the stakeholders involved coming together to design a model that provides greater certainty for investors, a clearer pathway for ambitious clubs and stronger foundations for the whole rugby ecosystem.
"We know there will be scrutiny, and rightly so. The proof will be in delivery: in improved stability, in renewed investor confidence, in tangible benefits to the women's game and in sustained support for community rugby."
Premiership clubs included in the top flight will have to operate a team in Premiership Women's Rugby or fund a meaningful regional women's development plan, or face fines for non-compliance.
An Expansion Review Group (ERG) will be set up to assess the readiness of the league, appetite of investors and which clubs are prepared for the expansion before clubs eager to join go through a formal Expression of Interest and tender process.
Premiership chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor explained: "We are now firmly on the path to a more prosperous and brighter future for Prem Rugby.
"Our vision is to become the best league in the world - for fans, players and investors in current and future Gallagher Prem clubs - and these important changes throughout the game will help us achieve this.
"The changes agreed today show unity across the game and will allow current and future club investors to confidently invest in our new growth plan and the wider English club rugby eco-system.
"We are extremely proud of what the Prem has achieved in the last few years and we are unbelievably excited about the opportunities that are now in front of us."
