IT was utterly predictable that when the RFU presented their criteria for Zurich Premiership entry there would be more than a few hurdles for National One clubs to negotiate.

Therefore there was little surprise at Sixways when Worcester officials thumbed the pages of the eagerly awaited document when it was finally published, almost two months late.

A sense of bewildering unfairness and injustice but no apparent surprise on the faces of Cecil Duckworth or Geoff Cooke as they read through the guidelines which must be in place by March 31 if they are to be promoted.

Worcester have become accustomed to the double talk which manifests itself in rugby's governing body and are constantly trying to predict the next attempt at barring them from the elite division.

The good news for Worcester supporters is that there is nothing in the guidelines to worry them, they pass with flying colours. The only problem now is beating Rotherham to the number one spot and promotion should, and I stress should, be granted.

The problems, though, are mounting for Rotherham. As it stands the South Yorkshire club would not be allowed back into the Premiership should they pip Worcester to the title. With a capacity of 5,000 and only 300 seats, there would be no return to the big time for Jim Kilfoyle's team. Under the new rules a club would need a minimum capacity of 4,800 of which 2,000 seats would have to be in place.

The ground would also need floodlights, which Rotherham does not, to cater for night matches. A way around this would be for Rotherham to join forces with a local football club and ground-share. However, the RFU have seemingly ruled this out because any club entering the Premiership would now need to be the 'principal tenant' or owner.

The National One leaders are far too street-wise, after the battles they fought on and off the field last season, to panic at the new criteria. However, they face an uphill struggle if they are to convince rugby's executives over their ground. And with senior sources within the RFU adamant Rotherham will not be admitted back into the top flight, the future looks far from certain for Worcester's main rivals.

Anyone thinking Rotherham's misfortune could be a silver lining at Sixways, however, should think again. Second place will mean absolutely nothing to Worcester if Rotherham are not allowed up. If the winners of National One are not eligible for promotion, the RFU will simply shut the gates.

Indeed, if Rotherham won the league and were denied access it would suit rugby's governing body down to the ground. Promotion would have been offered but no-one was willing to accept it - that would be the line. If Wasps finished bottom of the Premiership this season, wouldn't it be perfect for the power brokers to oversee a year without relegation.

It's not to say Rotherham would not win a thing. At present there is a £750,000 compensation package up for grabs for a team who finishes top but cannot go up. Two thirds of that amount would have to be spent on improving ground facilities.

This cash, however, should not mask the shuddering hypocrisy hidden behind this criteria. The fact that many Premiership clubs do not comply with the guidelines does not seem to worry the RFU. And the clause which dictates that clubs should own their own stadium is particularly galling for Rotherham supporters when you consider Saracens, Wasps or London Irish are simply tenants of their grounds, not landlords.

With only two years left of guaranteed promotion, time is running out for the likes of Rotherham. That they do not comply with these new rules should not bar them from the top flight when you have double standards operating quite openly inside the game.

The Premiership, far from being the promised land, is fast resembling more of a Masonic Lodge than the base for a professional game. And if we believe everything we read, the handshakes are becoming more complex by the minute while the black balls have just doubled in size.