The Premiership Rugby play-offs are set to be relocated to a neutral venue from the 2029-30 season, moving away from the current system where the top two regular-season teams host semi-finals.
League executives envision a weekend event with both semi-finals played on consecutive days in a single city, similar to the European finals format. Cities like Liverpool and Brighton are early contenders to host the event.
This season's semi-finals were sell-outs at Northampton's Franklin's Gardens and Bath's Recreation Ground, each with capacities around 15,000. Premiership Rugby CEO Simon Massie-Taylor believes moving to larger stadiums can boost commercial and sporting appeal. He pointed to France's Top 14, which holds its semi-finals at the 67,000-capacity Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
"The semi-finals we just had were awesome in terms of the rugby spectacle, and they're sell-out games with their home crowds," Massie-Taylor said. "But I think they would sell out larger venues and neutrals would go as well. This is about the long term. In the long term, it will be more valuable if you are playing in bigger stadia."
Club reactions are mixed. Some are excited about the potential for larger crowds in destination cities, but others note that clubs currently earn between £600,000 and £750,000 from hosting a play-off. The financial model must ensure clubs are compensated sufficiently to make the switch viable.
There are also concerns that losing home advantage could reduce motivation for teams to finish in the top four. To address this, proposals include prize money or a greater share of play-off gate receipts for top-two finishers.
Beyond commercial benefits, holding play-offs in a host city could expand the league's reach to underserved regions.