The Rugby Football Union has announced there will be no relegation from the Gallagher Premiership at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The RFU Council took into consideration the impact of Covid-19 on the game and voted with a “strong majority” for the moratorium on relegation.

The news may come as a relief to Gloucester, who currently sit bottom of the Premiership having lost seven of their eight games this season.

Gloucester host west country rivals, and table toppers, Bristol Bears at Kingsholm tonight.

The RFU say that, as long as the winner of this season’s Championship is eligible for promotion under the RFU’s current Minimum Standards Criteria, the 2021-22 season will consist of 13 teams in the Gallagher Premiership and 11 in the Greene King IPA Championship.

Six Premiership games have already been called off this season as a result of coronavirus cases in playing squads. Questions had been raised over the allocation of points from these fixtures.