Rugby bosses will attend a parliamentary committee next month to address the financial crisis plaguing the Premiership.
The decision comes after Wasps joined Worcester Warriors in administration, where 167 staff members, players and coaches were made redundant.
The Premiership is down to 11 teams at this stage, with both Wasps and Worcester Warriors suspended from competition.
Unconfirmed date
Representatives from the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby will appear before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on an unconfirmed date next month.
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DCMS committee chair Julian Knight said the future of the sport is a major concern prompting the need to address the financial concerns.
Knight said: “The fact that two of the country’s top clubs have now suffered the fate of falling into administration raises serious concerns about the future of the sport and its financial viability.
“The RFU and Premiership Rugby have acknowledged the need to set a more sustainable path for club rugby.
“We will be pressing them to ensure they are putting the foundations in place to guarantee the health of the sport from the top level right down to the grassroots.”
10-team Premiership?
The RFU’s chief executive Bill Sweeney supports a possible 10-team Premiership as there is a potential financial benefit for teams within that kind of structure.
Sweeney said: “I do see it as viable for a number of reasons, and we’ve been saying for quite some time now that less is more.
“I don’t know if 10 is the absolute number but that’s the one being used now, but in that and the central distribution around broadcast and commercial revenues, clearly there’s a financial benefit for less teams in that league.
“Clearly one of the major issues we’ve got to grapple with is the calendar.
“And one of the things that’s held us back in England is the overlap between the international game and the club game.
“So a reduction in the size of PRL (Premiership Rugby Limited) will help us with that.”