Sunday 6 January 2019 14:00, UK
Premiership Rugby has played down reports of a rift with the Rugby Football Union.
The Mail on Sunday claimed to have seen board meeting minutes discussing an "unregulated competition" if the RFU refuses to scrap promotion and relegation.
The subject has been on the agenda for many years, mainly for financial reasons and has seen success in other leagues, such as the NFL.
However, Premiership Rugby insists it has an eight-year agreement with the RFU, which covers various issues, such as the release of England players into training and the use and payment of academies.
Anything that changes that agreement would have to be discussed and voted on.
Premiership Rugby told Sky Sports News: "As anyone would expect the Premiership Rugby Board will discuss a number of issues at each meeting, with only some of those ever coming off the drawing board and into reality.
"Our board meetings are a forum for ideas to be discussed but until there is an agreed policy on any issue, these are just ideas.
"The topic of promotion and relegation from Gallagher Premiership Rugby has been discussed since the game turned professional and is of course a topic raised at many of our board meetings.
"If proposals on promotion and relegation are agreed by our Board it will be presented to the RFU. We are in partnership with the RFU under the Professional Game Agreement."
