Premiership II plans announced

I understand this view, and as an Ealing fan, I'm probably more jaded than most about the Minimum Standards Criteria. However, I think that the biggest benefit of this set up will be having regular rugby to go watch. With 26 league matches, and no cup, that means that every team gets a nice, predictable schedule where we can play every team once each home and away. 

While I'll miss the challenge of playing the prem teams, and a couple of bumper crowds, overall the league should be stronger with no teams going 6 weeks without a match, and not needing to wait for Premiership breaks. Instead, it can just be rugby every weekend on a nice, consistent schedule. I've seen times this year where Ealing has played one home game in a month - absurd. We've also played London Scottish four times - also absurd.

As Camquin alludes to, Chinnor and Cambridge have gone a lot longer than one home game in a month, and have had no fixtures against Premiership clubs, so we have little sympathy for the comments on behalf of Ealing. 

And as to Ealing having to play London Scottish four times, Chinnor and Cambridge had to play the Not The Prem Cup in order to have some rugby, so will have played each other 4 times......................

We do need a 31 January transfer deadline again like last time (barring exceptional circucmstance loan) we had playoff to stop any mass signings just before both playoffs.  Still remember Birmingham Solihull or Pertemp Bees they may have been recruiting a lot of players ready for the relegation play offs!