Ealing Trailfinders are top of the Championship by 20 points, but the west London club still cannot secure promotion to the Premiership because their ground does not meet RFU requirements.
The Rugby Football Union says Trailfinders Sports Ground falls short on minimum capacity and required safety compliance assurances. Ealing’s ground holds 6,000, while the Premiership minimum is 10,001. By comparison, the Premier League’s minimum stadium capacity requirement is 5,000.
Without promotion, though, expansion is difficult to fund and justify. Previous attempts to increase capacity have so far stalled, with little clear communication on what happens next.
It is also worth noting that the Premiership’s Minimum Standards Criteria were recently revised to give promoted clubs more time to comply. A club can still play in the Premiership if its ground has a full statutory safety certificate and reaches a capacity of 10,001 by the start of its fourth season in the league.
Trailfinders Sports Ground is also home to Trailfinders Women, who already compete in Premiership Women’s Rugby. The venue has also staged Premiership Cup matches and London Broncos Super League fixtures, which supporters say shows it can host top-level sport.
Fans have now launched a petition calling for Ealing to be promoted to the Premiership, and it has already attracted more than 1,500 signatures. Campaign leader Adrian Mooney described the situation as a bureaucratic blockade, calling it “red tape designed to keep teams out”.
Lifelong Trailfinders fan Alec Kerr said he shared that concern. He said: “It does feel like the powers that be, Premiership Rugby clubs and others, are now actively restricting Ealing’s ambition to grow as a club.
“For me, the biggest question as a fan is: what do the RFU and Premiership Rugby want us to be? The club has reached a point where it is of Premiership quality.”
Ealing’s fan Petition. Credit: Change.org
Beyond the sporting argument, petitioners say promotion would bring clear economic benefits to both the club and the local area.
Supporters estimate Premiership rugby could generate £5 million to £10 million a year through matchday spending and increased footfall. The RFU has suggested a groundshare as an alternative, but fans say that would bring major financial risk.
Some point to Wasps, who collapsed in 2022 after mounting debts linked to their move to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Ealing, by contrast, are backed by long-term investment rather than borrowing, and supporters argue that model should be rewarded, not blocked.
There is also frustration at what fans see as an uneven system. Some say struggling Premiership clubs have been protected while ambitious Championship sides are left behind, weakening the second tier and closing off a pathway for players.
Ealing’s dominance has added to the tension. Since 2021, Trailfinders have won more than 85% of their league games and are currently 17 from 17 this season. That has made them the team many rivals love to beat, but also strengthened the argument that they have outgrown the Championship.
Calls for Premiership expansion continue, and there has been speculation about other routes forward, but communication from both Ealing and the league has gone quiet. For now, the club remains stuck in the Championship.
City News has contacted the RFU and Premiership Rugby for comment. No response had been received at the time of publication.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineChampionship leaders Ealing remain shut out of Premiership
Short HeadlineEaling win on the pitch, but promotion remains out of reach
StandfirstThe Ealing Trailfinders cannot secure promotion to the Premiership Rugby despite winning the Championship three out of the past four years.
Ealing Trailfinders are top of the Championship by 20 points, but the west London club still cannot secure promotion to the Premiership because their ground does not meet RFU requirements.
The Rugby Football Union says Trailfinders Sports Ground falls short on minimum capacity and required safety compliance assurances. Ealing’s ground holds 6,000, while the Premiership minimum is 10,001. By comparison, the Premier League’s minimum stadium capacity requirement is 5,000.
Without promotion, though, expansion is difficult to fund and justify. Previous attempts to increase capacity have so far stalled, with little clear communication on what happens next.
It is also worth noting that the Premiership’s Minimum Standards Criteria were recently revised to give promoted clubs more time to comply. A club can still play in the Premiership if its ground has a full statutory safety certificate and reaches a capacity of 10,001 by the start of its fourth season in the league.
Trailfinders Sports Ground is also home to Trailfinders Women, who already compete in Premiership Women’s Rugby. The venue has also staged Premiership Cup matches and London Broncos Super League fixtures, which supporters say shows it can host top-level sport.
Fans have now launched a petition calling for Ealing to be promoted to the Premiership, and it has already attracted more than 1,500 signatures. Campaign leader Adrian Mooney described the situation as a bureaucratic blockade, calling it “red tape designed to keep teams out”.
Lifelong Trailfinders fan Alec Kerr said he shared that concern. He said: “It does feel like the powers that be, Premiership Rugby clubs and others, are now actively restricting Ealing’s ambition to grow as a club.
“For me, the biggest question as a fan is: what do the RFU and Premiership Rugby want us to be? The club has reached a point where it is of Premiership quality.”
Ealing’s fan Petition. Credit: Change.org
Beyond the sporting argument, petitioners say promotion would bring clear economic benefits to both the club and the local area.
Supporters estimate Premiership rugby could generate £5 million to £10 million a year through matchday spending and increased footfall. The RFU has suggested a groundshare as an alternative, but fans say that would bring major financial risk.
Some point to Wasps, who collapsed in 2022 after mounting debts linked to their move to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Ealing, by contrast, are backed by long-term investment rather than borrowing, and supporters argue that model should be rewarded, not blocked.
There is also frustration at what fans see as an uneven system. Some say struggling Premiership clubs have been protected while ambitious Championship sides are left behind, weakening the second tier and closing off a pathway for players.
Ealing’s dominance has added to the tension. Since 2021, Trailfinders have won more than 85% of their league games and are currently 17 from 17 this season. That has made them the team many rivals love to beat, but also strengthened the argument that they have outgrown the Championship.
Calls for Premiership expansion continue, and there has been speculation about other routes forward, but communication from both Ealing and the league has gone quiet. For now, the club remains stuck in the Championship.
City News has contacted the RFU and Premiership Rugby for comment. No response had been received at the time of publication.
