WE know well enough that things move excruciatingly slowly at rugby's HQ.

But three months on, after potentially devastating evidence was handed to English rugby's governing body alleging misconduct throughout the sport, there is still no word from the bigwigs.

Cecil Duckworth is a patient man. You have to be when dealing with such people. However, he could be forgiven for beginning to wonder just what the RFU inquiry will lead to when hearing the attitude of the Premiership clubs involved.

Worcester Rugby Club's chairman sparked the inquiry in December when he handed over the evidence of an alleged plot by Premiership clubs to pay off Rotherham in return for their acceptance of another season in National One.

But with no resolution on the matter expected until June, Duckworth is going to have to get a few more rounds of golf in before the picture becomes clear.

"The inquiry is moving along, albeit slowly," said Duckworth. "The Premiership clubs have been slow in co-operating but they, belatedly, are now. I can't understand why they should not co-operate if they have nothing to hide. We all know, though, that's not the case. So I think we are confident that things are moving now.

"Graeme Cattermole (chairman of the RFU's management board) is a man of his word. He's a very honest man and I think when the information is put in front of him, I'm sure he will say that this is not right and not acceptable.

"That's my view but what retribution he will take, I'm not quite sure. My feeling is that we've been cheated both last year and this year. Hopefully that will be recognised."

With the season now reaching its finale, attention has firmly switched to the other major debate in rugby. The vexed question of promotion and relegation. The RFU have said that, depending on ground regulations being met this season, there will indeed be promotion for the top National One side. Cynics, however, still believe that the decision is yet to be made and there are still the options of two clubs up and no relegation while a conference system has also been mentioned.

As many as 16 professional teams, spread across the country, would be split into two conferences of eight sides, with the top four in each playing off in a repechage system to reach the equivalent of a Champions League.

And for Duckworth, that idea holds some water.

"The Conference system sounds quite a good way forward," he added. "There are a few clubs in National One who are getting themselves organised. Exeter have a new ground coming on. Orrell and Coventry are improving so I feel there is a great potential for expansion of the game.

"We've got these academies working now through the top clubs and so many players will be coming out of them. But where are these players going to go to if there are not enough clubs? We have a limited number of professional clubs in this country.

Expansion

"The England team is improving, is ranked as the best in the world. I would have thought this is the time for expansion, not ring fencing."

Duckworth remains defiant that scrapping relegation from the Premiership would have a detrimental effect on the game. And his case is hard to argue against.

"I watched London Irish v Harlequins on Sunday," he said. "All the interest was about relegation. There was an 18,000 crowd and a real buzz around the fixture.

"You cannot tell me that the game would have attracted such interest if there was nothing to play for.

"It was a meaningful match not a dead fixture. You look at our game with Rotherham here on April 12. We could have sold the stadium out twice such was the demand for tickets. That's what sport is all about. I cannot understand the thinking at some Premiership clubs."