If we don’t have that in rugby the Premiership will be virtually sterile after Christmas. What would the bottom six clubs have to play for?”Duckworth, a successful businessman who has lived in Worcester for 40 years, set about transforming the club five years ago when rugby was declared open by the International Board.Worcester quickly won a series of promotions, but in recent seasons their relentless rise has stalled, leaving them second-best to Rotherham and Leeds in Allied Dunbar Premiership Two.This season Rotherham were promoted at Bedford’s expense after a two-leg play-off, but Club England’s proposal, under which the top clubs will be split geographically and will buy into a franchise, is that there will be no change to the Premiership for the next three years.On Tuesday, Duckworth became the elected spokesman for the Second Division when he was voted in as chairman. He is also on the RFU Council and at a meeting next Friday he will lead the fight for the reintroduction of promotion and relegation.If he fails to win over the Council he will raise the matter again at the RFU’s annual general meeting in London on 9 July. Duckworth says he has the support not only of clubs in Premiership Two but also of those in the lower national leagues “The battle is on,” Duckworth said.

“I’m writing to every club in the country to ask for their support. This is critical not just for the smaller clubs but for the future of rugby Morally, the RFU know they have a problem with this. Ring- fencing is a nonsense and I think a lot of people realise it.”Duckworth, who has spent £6 million on Worcester, recently dismissed Les Cusworth as director of rugby, with the former England coach Geoff Cooke taking over the coaching duties. Ten players from the squad have been released and Duckworth is again recruiting. He has also bought another 12 acres at Sixways, increasing the size of the complex to 40 acres and the number of pitches from three to seven.”We are a really thriving club,” he said. “We have 450 juniors, plus youth, colts and ladies teams, but if we don’t win this fight we’ll go back to being an amateur club in a very short space of time.

We’d have to de-scale the operation because we would have nothing to aim for.”. He’s only 20 and it’s his first trip to the French Open, but Juan Carlos Ferrero is fulfilling all the promise shown by his meteoric rise in the ATP rankings last year. He’s only 20 and it’s his first trip to the French Open, but Juan Carlos Ferrero is fulfilling all the promise shown by his meteoric rise in the ATP rankings last year.
Today, the 16th-seeded Ferrero secured his place in the quarter-finals, beating Australian Mark Philippoussis 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and setting up an all-Spanish clash against No. 10 Alex Corretja.Ferrero beat Corretja in Mallorca last year to notch his first singles title. So far this year, he has won no titles but made the finals in Barcelona and Dubai.A Roland Garros newcomer he may be, but Ferrero was taking his success Sunday very much in his stride.”I am very happy but I don’t usually show my feelings very much,” he said.This calm spirit has served Ferrero well, and it may help him in what promises to be a long battle against Corretja.”I am still very young, but if I play well, nothing scares me, and I believe I can reach a very high level this year – maybe not the final, but I’m not ruling it out,” the Valencia-born player said.Corretja, who is chasing his first Grand Slam title in Paris, has no doubt about his rival’s ability.”It’s going to be long rallies and it’s going to be tough because he’s 20,” he said. “He’s the player who has most improved in the last six months.”Ferrero was more precise in his match forecast.”Alex is very solid. He doesn’t make any mistakes, so to win the point you have to work very hard.