11/4/02 - Kilfoyle backing top level shake-up

The Liverpool-born coach, whose side were crowned champions of National One on Saturday following a walloping 72-7 win over Manchester, thinks rugby would be the winner if it restructured its top flight.

Speculation has been rife over the past couple of months about an expansion of the Zurich Premiership from 12 to 14 teams if one of rugby's big hitters fall through the relegation trap door. With Harlequins and Bath struggling this season to stay out of relegation trouble, rumours have been circulating about clubs talking expansion rather than allowing one of rugby's elite to be lost to Division One.

And Kilfoyle is certain that revamped a Premiership, featuring two tiers, would be a big success.

"This was first suggested half way through last year by Premier Rugby and it has always had credence that we would move towards it," said the Rotherham chief.

"It's now being banded about again to a solution to a league without Bath or Harlequins. In all honesty, I think it will come at some stage. Whether it will come as early as next season, I don't know but I'm sure it will come.

"The desire to have the present 12 is there. The desire to have Worcester and ourselves and even Orrell and Exeter there are compelling ones. That would mean you would have the whole country covered and the supporters could watch a truly National game which would only be second to football."

Kilfoyle - whose side are looking to reach an incredible 1,000 points when they play Birmingham & Soli-hull on Saturday - is sure that an expanded Premiership split into two regional divisions would be a true crowd-puller.

"The PRA system that they were talking about was two leagues of seven or eight teams where you play the opposition, in your league, home and away and the teams from the other division once either home or away in alternate seasons.

"The suggestion was that they would split it east and west. Then you would have more local derbies home and away. Then Worcester would have derbies with Bath and Gloucester and they would really bring the crowds in. It would be an exciting proposition.

"That also releases the odd Saturday and lends itself to a great Premiership final. The access for the Divi-sion One sides would be via a play-off I think because they see that as the best route.

"One of the advantages of this system would be that you would be playing home and away every week. In the Premiership at the moment, the players can go five weeks without a game. The only problem is har-monising all the different aspects of the game."

Kilfoyle is now deep into the process of trying to harmonise the RFU auditors as Rotherham look to fi-nally win their deserved place in the Premiership. After agreeing a ground-sharing move with Rotherham United, Kilfoyle's club now has to satisfy strict entry criteria for the top flight.

"Now we have won the league, it is mathematically certain, this process is a little tiresome to be honest. Now we have the uncertainty to deal with. As far as we're concerned, we expect everything to be satisfac-tory."

BEN Clarke looks to have played his final game for Worcester Rugby Club after a long-standing neck injury.

The former British Lion, who signed in at Sixways in August on a one-year deal, will not be risked accord-ing to Sixways head coach John Brain.

"The specialists tell us that we have to manage the injury very conservatively," he said. "He is still com-ing to the club but the likelihood of him playing again is slim because he is running out of games. I think it would be unwise to risk him because we have to act on the medical advice. With this type of injury, you have to be very careful."

"The specialists tell us that we have to manage the injury very conservatively," he said. "He is still com-ing to the club but the likelihood of him playing again is slim because he is running out of games. I think it would be unwise to risk him because we have to act on the medical advice. With this type of injury, you have to be very careful.