Duckworth feels there should be a review of top-level club rugby

Worcester Warriors chairman Cecil Duckworth has come out in support of a plan for a 14-strong Premiership with no relegation for an agreed period.

Warriors were relegated last season but their chairman says this has no bearing on his backing of this proposal.

Duckworth told told BBC Hereford and Worcester: "There are only about 14 clubs that currently meet the criteria for grounds so it would be sensible.

"The Championship should also be 14 clubs," he added.

"That way they would have time to establish themselves both on quality of players and on grounds which isn't there at the moment," he continued.

What is needed is some vision of the big picture going forward not short-termism Worcester chairman Cecil Duckworth

"They should be putting their facilities in place and building up their structures so they could compete in the Premiership.

"Then access [to promotion] should be made either by way of automatic promotion or play-offs but there ought to be a review to establish the way forward," he added.

But Duckworth admitted such changes will inevitably take time.

"We agree it one minute and then have some reservations about it the next minute," he said.

"It is certainly on the agenda and is thought about a lot and maybe that is the way forward.

"It would give the Premiership the ability to build facilities because it is an expensive game and we don't particularly want to be playing on football grounds as we want to control our own fixture list," he added.

"We have to be able to offer our sponsors the full package - if they want to mark the pitch [with their logos] for example, then they should be able to do it.

"What is needed is some vision of the big picture going forward not short-termism."

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