DIRECTOR of Rugby Dean Ryan feels he has been kept in the dark over proposals to invest more money into the Greene King IPA Championship.
As we reported last week, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) had reached a five-year agreement to hand each of the 12 sides in the second tier of English rugby a financial boost.
As part of the deal, which will kick into action next season, clubs will have to allocate a percentage of money to developing their facilities.
However, the move has angered Ryan as he believes he and Bristol director of rugby Andy Robinson should have been consulted.
“I am quite surprised that nobody has spoken to us and I am sure Andy Robinson feels the same,” Ryan said.
“We have got experience in the Premiership, we have got experience internationally and we have got experience in the Championship – that’s quite a unique combination, yet nobody has spoken to us.
“There are a lot of issues with the Championship and a lot of them are around funding. But there is not any funding model which is coming from the RFU that prepares you for the Premiership.
“There is not a huge amount of detail coming out around the funding criteria and what should improve over those five years – be it facilities, be it infrastructure or be it players.
“Now if there is a remarkable document coming out then I would be interested to read it.”
Ryan refused to be drawn into giving an opinion on proposals to expand the Aviva Premiership and scrap relegation and promotion, but he insisted something needed to change to strengthen the Championship.
“I think it is very difficult for any comments I make not to be taken with self-interest,” he said. “But you have got to look and ask the question – how does a team prepare to be a Premiership team?
“There are too many teams waiting to get their slice of the pie before they start investing in players, but that does not work.
“There needs to be something different. I am not here to tell people what it is, but there needs to be something different than the current model.”
A spokeswoman from the RFU said: “The RFU conducted lengthy discussion in agreeing the new partnership via the club’s nominated representative on the Championship Committee.”