Premiership structure simplified

The Guinness Premiership has revamped its end-of-season play-off format and European qualification systems.

The top four teams will now qualify automatically for Europe and play straight semi-finals for a place in the Premiership final at Twickenham.

The side finishing top will host the fourth-place team, with second at home to third in the other semi-final.

The complicated system of wildcard semi-finals to determine remaining European places has been scrapped.

"We wanted to simplify the structure," said Premier Rugby's Mark McCafferty.

Wasps beat table-toppers Leicester in the 2005 final at Twickenham

"We have had a number of issues over the past few seasons with scheduling wildcard games and how European finals, which come after our matches, affect qualification.

"We have had lucky losers in the past and last season we narrowly avoided a 'dead rubber', neither of which are particularly edifying for the game or easy to understand for our supporters.

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"We also wanted to treat the teams at the top of the table equitably by giving them the same playing and rest patterns.

"This way, the top four teams will all have a semi-final and potentially a final with the same gap in between."

The entry criteria for Heineken Cup qualification will now be:

Heineken Cup winner

Guinness Premiership first place

Guinness Premiership second place

Guinness Premiership third place

Guinness Premiership fourth place

European Challenge Cup winner

Powergen Cup winner

In the event that the winner of the Heineken Cup, European Challenge Cup or Powergen Cup qualifies by being in the top four, or in the event that there is no English winner of the Challenge Cup and/or Powergen Cup, then the Heineken Cup runner-up would qualify, followed by Guinness Premiership fifth, sixth and so on.

The Guinness Premiership semi-finals will take place on 13 May with the final on 27 May.