London Welsh have warned the Rugby Football Union that they will do whatever is necessary to take their place in the Premiership next season after winning the Championship on Wednesday.
The Exiles have never appeared in the top flight and the RFU's board of directors ruled last week that they did not meet the minimum standards criteria, earning Newcastle a reprieve. London Welsh have since beaten Cornish Pirates over two legs in the Championship final and will not just appeal against the decision but also explore their legal options.
The board ruled London Welsh failed to meet the minimum standards criteria on various counts but cited only one – the fact that by moving from their Old Deer Park ground to share with Oxford United the club would not have primacy of tenure and their nominated second ground, Brentford's Griffin Park, was outside the stipulated 30-mile range of their home.
"We shall be lodging an appeal in the very near future," said the London Welsh chairman, Bleddyn Phillips, a senior partner in a leading legal firm. "In parallel we are pursuing all other available opportunities to make sure we can take our rightful and deserved place in the Premiership."
The appeal which has to be lodged by next Wednesday, will be heard by an independent panel, which is probably just as well after their captain, Jonathan Mills, described the RFU as consumers of prawn sandwiches after this week's victory over the Pirates at the Kassam Stadium.
"As soon as people start making decisions off the pitch to see who's the best side in the league, it means nothing," said Mills. "It is a sad fact when it comes down to what people with prawn sandwiches are saying rather than the players on the pitch. It will be a disgrace if we do not go up.
"We have shown what we can do and we will offer something to the Premiership. The Kassam is as good as any ground going and I hope the RFU can sort out this issue. If we are playing the likes of Northampton and Leicester next season, we will get big crowds."
Leicester's director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, has signed a new three-year contract in the week after the Tigers' second successive defeat in the Premiership final. He has been in charge since the beginning of 2009, when Heyneke Meyer, now the South Africa coach, took compassionate leave. "This is a very special place to work and to play your rugby, and I have been fortunate to be involved in some very successful teams in my time here," Cockerill said. "We have a very good squad and a strong team behind the scenes."
