England’s rugby authorities are poised to shut the door on any Vodacom URC move for London Irish or the Ealing Trailfinders.
City AM reports that the RFU has made it clear it would not sanction either club joining the URC, despite growing speculation that the multi-national competition is exploring options to add a London-based side.
Reports from Wales this week suggested URC officials are open to expanding their footprint after the WRU was granted permission to cut the number of regions competing in the league from four to three. That decision would leave the URC with an uneven number of teams, prompting discussions around potential replacements.
While another South African franchise or even a United States-based team has been mentioned, London Irish and the Ealing Trailfinders have also been loosely linked to the conversation. However, any English club would require approval from the RFU – and that approval is unlikely to be granted.
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According to sources familiar with the talks, the RFU is keen to keep both clubs within the English rugby system rather than see them drift into a cross-border competition.
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