London Welsh Win Appeal to Play in Aviva Premiership

London Welsh will be playing in the Aviva Premiership next year after winning their promotion appeal resigning Newcastle Falcons to relegation.

The Falcons finished bottom of the table last season, and should have dropped to the Championship automatically. However, London Welsh were denied promotion to Rugby Union’s top flight after the club failed to meet the criteria set by the Rugby Football Union.

London Welsh appealed against the decision and have now won, sealing the Falcons’ fate.

According to the Telegraph the Welsh won their appeal based on the idea they would use alternative venues to their Kassam Stadium if that didn’t meet the minimum standards criteria. 

Welsh back-up venues to the Kassam were Brentford, MK Dons and Newbury.

The Kassam Stadium initially didn’t meet the criteria due to Welsh not having a primacy of tenure.

But the fact that clubs like London Irish, Saracens, Sale and Wasps did not enjoy primacy of tenure last season appears to have been an influencing factor in the panel’s decision.