Griffiths pledges to save Championship

EDWARD Griffiths, the former chief executive of Saracens, is confident he can chart a way forward for Championship clubs worried about their future.

- NICK CAIN

Griffiths says he will complete a report within a month which will be aimed at making the Championship a vibrant, commercially viable league with a sustainable business model.

His hope is that this will alleviate the swingeing RFU cuts announced last month which reduced the funding of Championship clubs from £530,000 a year to £288,000.

Griffiths, also a former chief executive of the South African Rugby Union, says this will involve them taking control of the second tier league’s broadcasting and sponsorship rights, which are currently held by the RFU.

Griffiths, who has been signed up by the clubs, said: “The Championship is in a difficult position with funding reductions, and have asked me to come in with a fresh pair of eyes, and experience within the game, to develop a plan for the league going forward.”

He stressed the key role the Championship plays in the English game, and why it must be safeguarded.

“The Championship has to be the bridge between the amateur and pro game, where young players, coaches, referees, administrators, and strength and conditioning specialists get the chance to develop.

“It contains clubs with historic names and good core support, and you can wrap it up into a product which is attractive to broadcasters and sponsors.

“Everyone agrees it has an important role in English rugby, and the challenge is to produce a model which fits a group of clubs with different ambitions and financial circumstances that they can all sign up to.”

Girffiths argues that the Championship have to find their own solutions – some of them radical – rather than transplant a model from countries with a different rugby structure where the second tier is thriving, such as France.