Coventry executive chairman Jon Sharp blasts premiership rugby’s restrictive entry rules, arguing that the sport risks collapse if new clubs remain locked out while financial turmoil deepens.

English rugby is facing a crisis. As clubs fight for survival, the Gallagher Premiership refuses to open its doors, leaving ambitious teams stranded. Coventry executive chairman Jon Sharp has issued a scathing attack on the league’s restrictive policies, warning that its reluctance to expand will suffocate the sport’s future.

The controversy erupted after rugby authorities confirmed that no teams would be promoted to or relegated from the Premiership this season. Despite topping the Championship table, Ealing Trailfinders failed to secure promotion due to strict entry requirements. Coventry, currently third in the league, also fell short due to stadium capacity rules, which mandate a minimum of 10,001 seats. Even Doncaster Knights, the only club to meet the Premiership’s standards, languish in eighth place, far from a realistic contender.

Sharp condemned the system, calling it an artificial blockade that stifles competition at a time when the Premiership is already struggling. The top-flight league has shrunk from 13 clubs to 10 after Worcester Warriors, Wasps, and London Irish collapsed under financial strain. Yet instead of embracing growth, the Premiership remains exclusive, protecting its own at the expense of the sport’s expansion.

“They need new blood in the Premiership,” Sharp declared to BBC CWR. “They should be opening it up to make the league 14 or even 16 teams. Instead, they’re making it impossible.”

His frustration has been amplified by recent reports that Newcastle Falcons, one of the Premiership’s struggling clubs, received a £4 million bailout from the other nine teams to stay afloat. Sky News reported that CVC Capital Partners, the private equity firm holding a stake in the league, has played a role in securing Newcastle’s financial survival.

Coventry is determined to fight for a place in the Premiership. The club underwent the league’s rigorous assessment process to understand what it would take to secure a spot by 2026. Their home ground, Butts Park Arena, currently seats only 5,250—far short of the 10,001 required. Sharp insists the club is working on a stadium expansion plan, with support from Coventry City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

“We will develop the stadium,” Sharp vowed. “We’ll make ourselves the strongest club in the Championship and we will win the league. And don’t write us off this season yet. We’ve got players coming back from injury, and that’s already making a huge difference.”

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) argues that its phased stadium requirement—starting at 5,000 seats and increasing to 10,001 over four years—makes promotion more attainable. But Sharp remains sceptical, calling the conditions unrealistic.

“It’s a million quid just to get planning permission,” he said. “Why should we spend that kind of money when we don’t even know if we’ll win the league? It’s madness.”

Before 2022, clubs needed a 10,001-seat stadium to qualify for Premiership promotion. The phased system now offers a supposed pathway, but Sharp calls it an illusion. “It’s not just about having the seats in year four. They expect clubs to prove they’ll have it before they even get a shot at promotion. The system isn’t designed to let new teams in—it’s designed to keep them out.”

As Premiership officials dig their heels in, the battle for English rugby’s future intensifies. Will the league adapt and welcome fresh competition, or will it cling to exclusivity, strangling the ambitions of clubs that could revitalise the sport? For Coventry and others like them, the fight is far from over.