London Welsh to appeal against 'unfair' RFU decision to deny them promotion to Aviva Premiership

Full steam ahead: Max Lahiff breaks through a Pirates tackle as London Welsh secure victory and a showdown with the RFU

London Welsh are optimistic they can persuade the Rugby Football Union’s appeal panel to overturn what they described as the “inequitable, unreasonable and unfair” decision by the governing body’s board to deny the championship club the chance to win promotion to the Aviva Premiership. 

The RFU board ruled on Wednesday that London Welsh — who hold a 16-point advantage going into the second leg of the championship play-off final against Cornish Pirates – did not meet the minimum standards to be promoted. The RFU said the primary failure of London Welsh’s application, which was independently audited, was that the club did not hold primacy of tenure at the 12,500-capacity Kassam Stadium in Oxford.

London Welsh, however, insist they have a legally-binding agreement with the owners of the stadium that includes a provision for flexibility to meet the scheduling demands of the Premiership.

The club, who beat Pirates 37-21 in the first leg on Wednesday just hours after receiving the RFU board’s decision, will launch an appeal, which will be heard by an independent panel appointed the governing body’s disciplinary manager, Bruce Reece-Russell, within 14 days.

Bleddyn Phillips, the chairman of London Welsh, onThursday night suggested the club were also prepared to take legal action, claiming the club had received a groundswell of support since the decision.

Phillips said that he had still not received full details of the decision despite submitting a request to the RFU within an hour of the decision on Wednesday.

“If we win our match against the Cornish Pirates in Oxford next week, given the fact that we have a legally-binding agreement to use a top-notch stadium and that other clubs appear to be allowed to groundshare with other Football Association clubs, to my mind I would think it highly inequitable, unreasonable and unfair if we are told that we can’t go up,” said Phillips

“That would to my mind, and I think to other impartial observers, appear harsh.

“I would hope that if we can demonstrate that we have a legally-binding agreement to use a top rugby venue, that would be enough to persuade the RFU that they should allow us entry to the top flight.

“We have had a lot of support from neutral and impartial observers. Our best hope however is to persuade the RFU, if we win, that it is in the interests of the game and in the interests of the spirit of the game that London Welsh should be allowed to go up rather than have this legal argument, which nobody really wants, but if necessary we will follow up.”

Within minutes of the final whistle of their victory in the first leg, London Welsh are understood to have had three QCs offering their services free for a battle that now looks likely to end up in court. The RFU declined to explain or defend its position yesterday.

London Welsh are also frustrated that they have been denied a place at the top table despite the fact that this season London Irish, Saracens, Wasps and Sale did not enjoy primacy of tenure, a position that was allowed following a ruling by the Office of Fair Trading in 2002.

“This is a massive issue; it’s about the professional game in England,” said John Taylor, the former Wales and Lions flanker who is now managing director of London Welsh.

“You cannot have a situation where the movement between the Premiership Rugby and the Championship is suddenly prohibited, it just doesn’t work on any level. I don’t really see how the RFU can be happy with that.”