Senior figures within the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have been accused of undermining and deceiving the sport by a former England international who has been instrumental in negotiating the future of rugby below the Premiership level. Simon Halliday, a key player in England's 1992 Five Nations Grand Slam victory, has also called for an investigation into the "substantial" failings of certain RFU executive directors.

Halliday, who chaired European Professional Club Rugby for seven years until 2021, has recently been advocating for Championship clubs, pushing for increased funding and solid assurances from the RFU regarding promotion and relegation. In a scathing letter addressed to RFU chair Tom Ilube, which was obtained by the Observer, Halliday alleges that tier 2 clubs have been "stalled, misled, and misinformed," and warns that recent governance issues "pose a threat to the sport" in England.

Specifically, Halliday claims that RFU executives have backtracked on promises made at a council meeting in mid-June to further discuss easing the Premiership's minimum standards criteria, making it more viable for teams to be promoted to the top tier. "With the assistance of our legal advisors, I explicitly stated that certain matters were not agreed upon and required further discussion," Halliday wrote. "This was endorsed by the RFU executive, and I have the written proof, along with our lawyer's confirmation. Since then, we have faced delays, deception, and misinformation, with no indication of a more progressive stance on this crucial aspect of the game."

A two-leg playoff between the Championship's top team and the Premiership's bottom team was initially celebrated as a way to maintain promotion and relegation. However, a significant change in the fine print now demands that clubs without an existing ground with a capacity of over 10,000 must secure advance planning permission and financial guarantees ensuring their stadium expansion will be completed within four years. This effectively bars all Championship clubs, except for ninth-placed Doncaster, from being promoted.

Halliday, who resigned as chair of the Championship board in August, has urged Ilube to either "clarify that promotion and relegation is no longer viable" or to "conduct an immediate review" before the 1 December deadline for applying for a facilities audit. "You potentially have no club that can be sustainably promoted," Halliday wrote. "How is this acceptable? It is the RFU's responsibility to oversee the entire game. Instead, you are alienating the very clubs... for whom you are accountable."

The letter also alleges that efforts by the Tier 2 Board to negotiate fair and reasonable ground capacity criteria were undermined by decisions made at a Professional Game Board meeting that was allegedly not properly constituted. Halliday believes "the legality of what has occurred is clearly questionable" and states that aspiring Championship clubs have been left in "an unacceptable situation" by the RFU. "Your executive directors have failed significantly in managing this process," he told Ilube.

"Recent actions by the RFU legal team appear to be aimed at obfuscating and preserving the status quo, which is clearly inconsistent with RFU Council decisions. This jeopardizes the sport in our country given its seriousness. Furthermore, the commitment by Bill Sweeney and the RFU executive to discuss in good faith the funding gap between the promoted club and the existing Premiership clubs has not been honored despite numerous requests."

The RFU is already facing criticism on multiple fronts, with substantial year-end financial losses expected to be reported soon and the national team having lost seven of their last nine Tests. There are also concerns that the financial situation at Twickenham may hinder a plan by the Rugby Players' Association to extend essential welfare support to tier 2 players.

In response, the RFU emphasized that a new Tier 2 Board with an independent chair is now in place. "It is through this board that all matters relating to rugby's second tier are raised and managed," said a spokesperson. "The board members are working collaboratively to deliver a reimagined tier 2 from next season."

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