London Scottish will stay at Richmond’s Athletic Ground upon their return to the English Championship next season, the club’s president has confirmed.
The club announced that after 127 years, it ‘didn’t feel right’ to leave without one last full season at the ground.
Paul Burnell confirmed the planned ground share with Esher in Surrey was now unlikely, as Richmond FC offered them a rolling deal to stay at the RAG after their withdrawal from the 2020/21 Championship season.
The club is yet to make a decision on where it will play its home games for the 2022/23 season.
The English Championship will continue next weekend and run until June without London Scottish, who will return to the league at the start of the 2021/22 season.
Burnell also warned that the league’s future is in doubt and called for the RFU to decide how to proceed.
He said: “There’s no doubt the English Championship is itself now at a serious crossroads and the RFU will need to make a decision once and for all as to whether they wish it to continue as an Elite Tier 2 professional programme.”
The statement also confirmed the reason behind the club’s withdrawal from the English Championship league this season.
DCMS had offered ten-year loans rather than grants, so clubs could start the season without gate revenue.
Burrell stated that this offer was unacceptable and made the club’s withdrawal inevitable.
The National League South has also voted to void their season after complaints about the loans on offer by DCMS.
Some clubs added that they had been led to believe that support would be in the form of grants.
The Government will allow fans into stadiums on 17 May at the earliest.
This date is, however, subject to the UK’s COVID-19 infection rate staying low after other restrictions are gradually lifted.
Featured image credit: London Scottish
