Bristol Might Not Being Getting Relegated After All

Pat Lam will be keeping a close eye on this one.

Bristol will avoid relegation from the Aviva Premiership if Doncaster or Ealing Trailfinders win this season’s Championship title, despite the fact that they are set to finish bottom of the Premiership this season.

But there is an outside chance they could yet survive after a Championship announcement that both Doncaster and Ealing did not apply for a required independent audit that assesses clubs’ promotion eligibility to the Premiership.

London Irish and Yorkshire Carnegie, though, applied and met minimum standards criteria, with one of them widely expected to take the Championship crown next month and therefore secure promotion. London Irish face Doncaster in the two-legged Championship play-offs, while Yorkshire Carnegie meet Ealing. The final is also over two games on May 17 and May 24.

A statement released by the Championship, read:

The Rugby Football Union has considered the findings of an independent audit report of the Greene King IPA Championship semi-finalists assessing their eligibility for promotion to the Aviva Premiership next season.

“London Irish and Yorkshire Carnegie have met the minimum standards criteria to the satisfaction of the RFU based on the following stadia: Madejski Stadium [London Irish] and Headingly Carnegie (Yorkshire Carnegie).

“Ealing Trailfinders and Doncaster Knights did not apply for the audit and therefore cannot be promoted to the Aviva Premiership.”

Pat Lam will take over at Bristol next season with the likes of Ian Madigan and Steven Luatua joining him. No doubt they will have their fingers and toes crossed as this plays out.

[ESPN]