Why 10 teams?

Which does explain why the RFL were so keen on getting rid of them and using covid as an excuse. (not to mention all the restrictions they put on them that they fought through: No home games in the first few months, no Challenge Cup home games in Canada and you have to pay £750,000 to enter etc.)

Ah if only that was the case, Glasgow and Edinburgh play in the 1872 cup every year, it is the oldest inter district match in the world which began on the 23rd November funnily enough in 1872, so a bit before the game went pro and definitely before the word franchise had been invented, so you see my argument about history and not buying a golden ticket was true after all, just like there are clubs in Ireland that always had inter province games, so again history is on their side.

The point about Glasgow and Edinburgh is that they were very different as they had a history that Border Reivers did not, which is also right.

The borders rugby is still thriving as it always did based on fierce historical rivalry between clubs, something Reivers did not have.

I don't think Scottish fans view either Warriors or Edinburgh( who were the Gunners at their inception) as franchises at all, they refer to themselves as clubs born from regions, just like the Irish, who also consider themselves to be anything except a franchise.

Scarlets in particular still have association with their roots as a club, don't know about the other Welsh sides as I don't frequent their forums, Ospreys did have one but it seems to have vanished.

I don't doubt that I'm probably missing lots of factors surrounding this and don't know the intricacies involved, but why not take this time to reset and reconfiger the Premiership requirements (nonsensical ground capacity numbers etc) to include the existing Prem clubs and ALL those recognised fully professional clubs from the Championship (ie ET, Jersey, Cov, Pirates, Bedford (I think?) and Knights).

The Championship at level 2 itself would then include the remaining existing semi-pro Championship clubs and the top clubs from Nat 1 which are obviously semi-pro also. This seems far more logical and balanced, with more competitive and fair fixtures where clubs are on the same footing.

Aside from some anomalies (Caldy beating ET, Pirates, Blues during an amazing debut season), it is rare to see the semi pro Championship clubs go toe to toe with the fully professional clubs and take the 5 points regularly, and who could expect any other outcome really. I can't think of a single other mainstream team sport where fully and semi pro clubs compete in the same league?

In all likelihood the top tier would be ringfenced on the grounds of clubs needing to be fully professional, but so be it I say. What is wrong with having an exciting and balanced Premiership and Championship as their own entities, as it is clear to me that some clubs are not cut out to go fully professional, or just don't aspire to be and would rather stick to their means and entertain their fans week in week out which is really what it's all about in my book when you remove the £££.

The clubs at levels 3 and 4 would be adjusted accordingly. Like I say, I have no doubt missed some major details or faults with this plan, which I accept is wholly idealistic too, but thought the fully pro vs semi pro observation was worth raising as unique and a little odd, as many outsiders to rugby have commented on to me before.

What are all of your thoughts?

This is the legacy of clubs trying to keep up with Saracens  and trying to compete in Europe, now the RFU are up a creek without a paddle, if the clubs don't pay these unsustainable wages, players will go to France of Japan that England want access to.

It has taken several years for high salaries and high player expectations, it will probably take longer for it to fall. In the aftermath of covid, Tigers asked the players to take a pay cut to help out as the games were played behind closed doors with no income, some players refused, left and took the club to court. It's a business now, it's not a club game, indeed they might roughly play to the same rules as the amateur game, but it is not the same game at all. Three clubs go to the wall and some clubs and looking at the forums a lot of their fans, are still wanting to spend more, it is absolute madness. The pro game if left to the PRL system to run will be bust in a couple of years, sheer greed has taken over at some clubs with so called sugar daddies who want to be able to pay more and buy more players to try and win the European Cup. This is not clubs wanting spend money they have earnt, a couple of them have few supporters, some don't own their own ground, so are earning little funds, exactly what happened to the three other clubs one way or another, but no-one is learning any lessons here.

Someone is going to have to take charge, but I don't see who that is likely to be, maybe the RFU's new structure will sort it out, or maybe it won't.

Aside from my idealistic idea and slight fantasy leagues, what you have said actually sums up what the average genuine fan is after and makes sense. The key being sustainability for the future so that rugby union doesn't die a death like county cricket has over the decades, for example.

Just one problem. 

You now have to find funding for 32 clubs, when the game can only afford to fund at best 10.