The Welsh Rugby Union has promised that changes implemented ahead of this season’s Principality Premiership will ensure it becomes a “vibrant, competitive, well-supported league that provides top level rugby opportunities”.
The Premiership kicked off on Saturday September 3 in a new-look 16-team format with a two-tier split midway through the season.
Speaking at the league’s launch at Eugene Park – home of current champions Ebbw Vale – on Wednesday, August 24, WRU Chief Executive Martyn Phillips said: “The Principality Premiership is a critical part of our player, coach and club strategy, and in line with the new format and ring-fencing of the league, we have a three-year strategic plan for the division developed in conjunction with the clubs.
“The Premiership is a breeding ground for future professional players and we need to ensure those players, and developing coaches and referees, can progress in a high-performance environment.
“We are adopting a collaborative approach to marketing, ticketing and commercial deals, and as with all levels of the game in Wales, we want to attract more supporters, more often and also invest in club administrators to ensure we safeguard the future sustainability of these historic clubs.”
The Welsh Rugby Union has only released 15 rounds of fixtures, up to the weekend of January 7 2017, after it was announced that the Premiership would split into two conferences at the half-way point of the 2016/17 season.
After 15 matches, the division, which has been increased to 16 teams to include Bargoed, Merthyr, Swansea and RGC, will split down the middle into two separate tiers of eight teams.
Tier One will house the top eight teams who will battle it out for the title, with the top four teams entering the semi-finals for a place in the Premiership final. Each team plays each other once.
The second group will see the remaining eight teams also play each other once, before the top four enter the Tier Two play-offs to determine final standings.
Tier Two clubs cannot be relegated, after the Premiership was ring-fenced until the 2018/19 season to aid the development of potential professional players.
The play-off rules remain the same, with the team in first place booking a spot in the final, while those in second and third face each other in a semi-final.
The mid-season split means that not every team will play each other at home and away, and puts more onus on picking up points pre-January, in order to make the cut in the top group.
WRU Head of Rugby Performance Geraint John said: “We hope the changes will add intensity to an already competitive league.
“The first 15 rounds of the season will add jeopardy to the division with all clubs vying to reach the top eight for the second half of the season. And, with only eight teams in the fight for the play-offs, I expect to see a significant step-up in standard in all Tier One matches.
“Tier Two clubs will also be looking to prove a point and finish as high as possible in the table order to gain momentum for the following season.
“We know that the Principality Premiership has produced countless professional and international players since its inception 13 years ago. In order to improve the standard of regional rugby, we need to increase the quality of the league that underpins it, and we hope these changes will assist the clubs in their undeniable efforts to produce quality players and coaches.”