Premiership play-off's revised

The Principality Premiership championship play-off system has been streamlined from an eight to three-team battle for the coming season.

The second and third-placed sides will face each other with the winner taking on the regular season's top team.

The top five sides automatically gain places in the British and Irish Cup and the sixth-placed team will be settled by a sixth-to-eighth play-off.

North Wales side RGC 1404 can reach the Premiership in end-of-season play-offs.

The Premiership bottom club, qualifiers from Swalec League Division One East, West and North or RGC 1404 will be involved in the play-offs.

However, rules surrounding criteria for playing in the Premiership could also come into play.

Any Premiership club that fails to meet the relevant criteria by 31 January risks demotion and any club serious about winning promotion must also meet standards laid down by the Welsh Rugby Union.

WRU head of performance Joe Lydon said: "After consulting with the clubs, we were conscious of the demand on clubs and players and these amends to the play-off system have a number of advantages.

"Firstly, the changes mean a reduced number of games on the fixture list for Premiership clubs and an increased competitiveness of the play-off matches themselves with the winner of the grand final being crowned Principality Premiership champion and the final British and Irish Cup place going to the winner of the ... qualification play-off.

"At the bottom end of the table too we see a change with the champions of Swalec Divisions One East and West, and the north Wales champion, subject to criteria, having a chance to compete for a place in the Premiership.

"It was our stated objective to give north Wales rugby a chance to compete at this level of the game and provided they prove themselves on the field, and off the field with the financial and administrative standards required, they have that potential opportunity, along with the winners of Divisions One East and One West."