Ealing again denied shot at Premiership over ground size

English Championship leaders Ealing Trailfinders have been told they will not be able to compete for a place in the Premiership after again failing to deliver the necessary guarantees about the development of their west London home.

The winners of the Championship were due to take part in a playoff with the Premiership's bottom side, likely to be Newcastle, at the end of the season.

However, the RFU issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Ealing and third-placed Coventry failed to meet the "minimum standards criteria", but that Doncaster - out of the running for promotion - had been passed by an independent audit.

Last year the Premiership and Championship clubs agreed a new, phased approach that would give a promoted club four years to reach the minimum standard capacity of 10 001, via phased increases.

Ealing are on course to finish top of the Championship for the third time in four years but their failure to develop, or show planning to develop, their home, which is effectively one stand, has always been a problem and has led to repeated rows between the club's owner and the RFU as they have been kept out of the top division.

Relegation from the Premiership was frozen in 2021, since when Wasps, Worcester and London Irish have all dropped out after going into liquidation, leaving it as a 10-team league.

Tuesday's announcement means that the bottom club will stay in for next season.

The latest slap in the face for the Championship, which has been denied promotion opportunities since Saracens went back up in 2021 after their punishment demotion, is hardly likely to improve their mood ahead of next week's Special General Meeting when RFU CEO Bill Sweeney is facing a vote of no confidence.