ROB Andrew admitted defeat yesterday in his quest to revolutionise rugby union when he quit as chairman of the RFU taskforce.

The former England ace resigned after becoming increasingly frustrated with English rugby's governing body's inability to implement his blueprint for the future including a five-year moratorium on promotion and relegation from the top flight.

Worcester's Cecil Duckworth said he was not surprised by Andrew's decision but thought it would have little bearing on the RFU's future plans.

He said: "Rob's decision does not surprise me but to put all the blame on the RFU I don't think is fair.

"The fact is that the First Division (Premiership) clubs have to shoulder some of the blame in this situation because even if the promotion and relegation issue had been resolved, many of the clubs were still sceptical of other areas of the plan."

Andrew said: "I feel very disappointed that the RFU have not been able to implement the Club England Plan. The original plan called for a five-year moratorium on promotion and relegation. EFDR have improved the position by offering play-offs from the end of this season."