MARTYN THOMAS, chairman of the Rugby Football Union's management board, has strongly suggested that as many as five teams could be relegated from National Division One at the end of the current season.

English rugby's second tier, in which Plymouth Albion are competing in this term, is going to be reduced from its current format of 16 teams to 12.

It was originally thought that four teams would be relegated from National Division One, with the side finishing top of National Division Two being denied promotion.

However, Thomas, who was at Brickfields on Saturday to watch Albion defeat Coventry 13-5, believes five sides will go down with the National Division Two champions forming the 12th outfit for the 2009/10 season.

"As far as the size of First Division Rugby (FDR) is concerned, I am perfectly satisfied that in the agreement the RFU signed with the Premiership clubs last November, the RFU Council, the management board and Premier Rugby agreed that it (National Division One) was going to be a 12-team league supporting the Premiership," said Thomas.

"So, as far as I am concerned, FDR becomes a 12-team league.

"We have been conducting negotiations with FDR clubs and we have made it clear to them that the decision will need to go through the RFU Council at its meeting in October.

"But FDR clubs have been put on clear notice that we are looking to move to the 12-team league, while the National Clubs Association (NCA) clubs, that are obviously affected by that, are also aware of that position.

"Everybody knows in the deal we did with Premier Rugby, that it says it is going to be a 12-team league.

"The question is 'is that done over two years or is it done over one year?'

"If it is done over one year it is going to be harsh, but it gets the medicine over in one go.

"If I was a NCA club, I would be saying can we do this over two years? I would probably be saying that if I was likely to end up at the bottom of FDR. But it has got to happen.

"However, I don't think it should be done to deny promotion to the side who comes top of the NCA."

Thomas added: "The options are no promotion at the end of the season, which I think would be wrong because I don't think any club should be in a position where they win the league and there is no promotion.

"You have then got the option of a play-off, although NCA clubs could argue that that would be very unfair because it is the one (argument) that FDR always used when they were playing off against PRL (Premier Rugby Limited).

"PRL always said lets have a play-off, while FDR said they didn't want to do that. My preferred option is that you have won the league and it is automatic promotion and automatic relegation.

"So, the reality would be that 11 would remain in FDR and the others would go down.

"It would mean five go down and it is a big hit, but one would come up."

Thomas admitted the proposals to reduce National Division One from 16 clubs to 12 were likely to affect certain clubs in a negative fashion.

But he feels the changes need to be made and that they need to be made sooner rather than later.

"Inevitably, with any restructuring or any reorganisation, there are casualties," said Thomas.

"That is sad, but we have just got to recognise the fact that we have decided we need two professional leagues in England – we now need to get on and do it.

"If we don't do it, then I believe we are actually going to damage the organisation and the deal that we have put in place with Premier Rugby.

"I think we will be hoping to bring Guinness in as sponsors of FDR and I think we need to make it clear that we have made a decision in business and we need to get on and do it and that is what we need to do here."

As for the 2009/10 campaign, Thomas revealed nothing has yet been agreed in terms of promotion and relegation from and to National Division One.

But he believes that the old format of two up and two down will again become the norm.

"It is something we have to talk about, but I would think that in the seasons following that season of adjustment there is no reason why it should not remain as it was – that is two up and two down," said Thomas."