LONDON, May 16, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A six team promotion play-off for the right to play in English rugby union's top flight will be a part of next season's rebranded second-tier, officials announced Thursday.

The division, to be known as Champ Rugby from the 2025/26 season, will consist of 14 teams, including the 12 current Championship sides, along with Richmond, who have been promoted from National League One, and Worcester -- now under new ownership after going out of business as a Premiership side in 2022.

Champ Rugby teams will play each other home and away over 26 rounds of the regular season.

Clubs who finish in the top six will qualify for the play-offs, starting with quarter-finals between the third to sixth-placed teams followed by semi-finals for the winners of those matches against the top two sides.

The winner of the final will be crowned league champions and will then face the bottom team in the Premiership in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off.

The winner will play in the top flight the following season, subject to meeting minimum standards criteria.

"We are excited to announce the structure of Champ Rugby, which will bring a highly-competitive and gripping conclusion to the season, providing both aspiration and jeopardy," said Tier Two board chairman Simon Gillham, also the vice-president of French Pro D2 side Brive.

Premiership Rugby initially suspended relegation for the 2020/21 season, as well as for the 2021/22 season, due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite finishing top of this season's Championship, Ealing Trailfinders were denied a shot at promotion after the London club failed to meet the minimum standards requirements.

Many current Championship teams are wary of promotion to the Premiership given the huge extra costs involved.

Gillham, asked Thursday what could be done to narrow the funding gap, told reporters: "That's something we're discussing right now.

"We've started exchanges with the RFU (England's governing Rugby Football Union) and the Premiership. It's absolutely right that the current gap in funding makes it difficult for someone who goes up then to stay up."