The vision of the RFU is to achieve a successful and thriving game across England, and for the Premiership this means successful and thriving clubs playing in the best possible stadiums.

To help raise standards, the Minimum Standards Criteria (MSC) were put in place over 20 years ago.  The MSC are now set by the Men’s Professional Rugby Board, and are independently audited.  The MSC help ensure that clubs meet legal obligations, help improve playing facilities, the experience of customers, the facilities for broadcast, and more generally improve the governance of clubs.  The requirements of the MSC include an ability for a club’s ground to achieve a capacity of over 10,000 so that the stadiums become governed by the Safety of Sports Grounds Act.

The MSC have developed in recent years to help meet the needs of clubs aspiring to be in the Premiership, by giving more flexibility to meet those standards.  Under the MSC for season 2024/25, a club which has the ability to reach a capacity over 10,000, with planning permission and a funded plan, now has until their fourth year in the Premiership to achieve that capacity.  This has extended the runway by a further year compared to the previous version to give additional flexibility.  Clubs are able to develop their own grounds while continuing to play there, they can move temporarily to allow works to take place, or clubs can move permanently to a new ground.  

A key part of club sustainability is the independent Financial Monitoring Panel.  Clubs in the Premiership, and those aspiring to be in the Premiership, must satisfy that Panel that they are able to trade for the entirety of the 2025/26 season.

Current Premiership Clubs, and Championship Clubs who wish to be considered for promotion are audited in the first half of the season to allow for certainty for the clubs involved.  If the winner of the Championship satisfies the MSC, they will play in a two-legged home-and-away play-off against the Club finishing bottom of the Premiership.