Local rugby clubs to have final positions confirmed

Oundle were sitting in second place in Midlands One East when the local rugby season was ended early

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) ended the local seasons early as as a result of COVID-19 and proposals from the governance committee to conclude the campaign for those leagues at both professional and community level were yesterday ratified by the RFU Council.

It was agreed that final standings for the Greene King IPA Championship and men’s and women’s community game would be calculated on a best playing record formula maintaining promotion and relegation for those leagues.

RFU President, Peter Wheeler, said: "We believe that the decisions made provide fair and balanced outcomes for the game and maintain the integrity of the competitions.

"We have listened to recommendations from the heart of the game and the approach has been ratified by the RFU Council.

“This has been a difficult decision to make in the most unprecedented of circumstances. There is no single solution that will suit every club, but the approach taken is one that we believe best reflects the nature of league rugby in England.

“With 80 per cent of the season complete for the community game, we believe our approach is fair and the right one for our leagues. We have clubs that are clear league leaders and those who have said they would benefit from relegation to play more meaningful rugby.”

Final league tables will be available on www.EnglandRugby.com by 6pm tomorrow.

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