WORCESTER Rugby Club's millionaire backer Cecil Duckworth is threatening to sue the Rugby Football Union if the right to promotion is taken away from the second division.

The club's chairman hosts the annual meeting of English Second Division Rugby (ESDR) at Sixways today with the promotion issue top of the agenda.

But Duckworth hopes that a legal challenge will not be needed as he feels the sport is uniting against the franchise issue.

"Taking legal action would be a long-stop operation, but it's a course we've got to consider if good sense doesn't prevail," said Duckworth.

"We believe the case for promotion and relegation is building and hopefully there will be a decision before the AGM (on July 9) that they will keep promotion and relegation.

"That's the vibes coming out at the moment."

Duckworth was at Bedford on Sunday to witness Rotherham's promotion to Premiership One even though they lost 14-0 in the second leg of the promotion play-off.

The Bedford side which lost 40-34 on aggregate included former Worcester backs Duncan Hughes, Jamie Connolly and lock Dave Sims who is still contracted to Sixways.

Duckworth has spoken to Hughes within the past week but refused to say whether he will make a shock return to Worcester.

"I'm friendly with all the players, but I leave the rugby matters to Geoff Cooke," added Duckworth.

Today's meeting will see ESDR elect its officers and they will also discuss the gulf in funding between first and second division clubs compared to the rest of the game.

The meeting will be the first for the promoted sides Otley and Birmingham/Solihull, but London Welsh's move into the Welsh leagues means the full make-up of the division is still unknown.

If the Exiles do play over the border then Rugby Lions, who finished bottom but one, could be saved from relegation to Jewson One.