THEY don't do themselves any favours do they.

When I knew the RFU were about to issue a statement this time last week concerning Premiership clubs' threat to breakaway, the adrenaline started to rush in the hope of a conclusion to the pantomime.

Like a little boy sitting in the front row, eagerly awaiting the opening curtain, I was sure the RFU would prove me wrong and come up with the goods. I knew they couldn't possibly fudge this one. They had been threatened, chastised and made to look fools by their former allies. So there was no chance of passing the buck this time, no chance of being indecisive with their response. Oh yes there was!, came the reply from the balcony, however, as the pantomime carried on with a new zest.

The RFU's 'decision' was to bring in neutral negotiators and invite First and Second Division rugby clubs to another meeting. An independent facilitator would be brought in to broker an agreement between the two parties at a date sometime in the future. This was really sharp stuff. Nobody had thought about another meeting. It had not occurred to the chairman of the top 26 clubs in England to sit down and talk through the deadlock once again! I take on board English rugby's 'governing body' are in a difficult position but people are looking for guidance and a bit a leadership wouldn't go a miss as the sport falls further into the abyss.

When the finger is pointed at English institutions such as the RFU, the accusation is always of the inability to react quickly enough in modern-day sport.

The common assertion is that there is no leadership within English rugby and so the clubs can do what they want.

Well that sounds about spot on. That is why the Premiership (First Division) clubs and National League Division One (Second Division) sides like Worcester are at loggerheads over promotion and relegation and how much money they need to survive. When the sport is losing supporters to Rugby League and football week in week out, it could do with looking half decent not the shambles it is now.

Whether or not the First Division clubs will actually attend the meeting is still in question after they blasted the RFU for "abdicating their responsibility".

The Second Division clubs, while unhappy, will meet as they seek for at least one automatic promotion place for teams such as Worcester.

For their part, the RFU believe there will be a conclusion to the show after this meeting.

Brian Baister, RFU management board chairman, said: "We have proposed that we appoint a neutral facilitator and book all 26 clubs into a hotel where they can be locked in until they reach a solution to the problem.

"The simple fact is that we have to do something to sort out this problem and we can't sit back and allow it to fester."

Well, six months and counting... the festering continues. It sounds an incredible plan, to lock in these club representatives in a hotel until a solution can be found. Let's just hope it isn't some guest house in Torquay with a Spanish waiter and a slightly eccentric owner. Come to think of it, why don't the RFU just move into Fawlty Towers full time because at least the situation would be funnier. This pantomime has really flopped for clubs like Rotherham who desperately needed cash owed to them by the RFU. They refused to pay up while arguments over promotion raged.

It's also just not funny anymore for Worcester benefactor Cecil Duckworth who has invested heavily in his dream only to see a nightmare unfold.

Rob Andrew, part-author of this Nightmare on Sixways Street, is in no doubt the delay in reaching an agreement is harming the sport's reputation.

He said: "All this is doing is giving credence to those who say the RFU moves slowly and can't react to what is required in a modern-day domestic sport."

Andrew knows a pantomime when he sees one and as the performance drags on and on, the problem is - the audience have long since had their fill and left.

"Oh no they haven't!" shout the RFU officials from behind the stage. "Oh no they haven't! boys and girls!".

The problem is, nobody's listening anymore. The ugly sisters have well and truly spoilt the ball this time around and there isn't any handsome prince in sight.

On a more positive note, Worcester notched up their first ever win at Moseley at the weekend to go through to the fourth round of the Tetley Bitter Cup. The pitch at Moseley's new Birmingham University base was top notch and a credit to the groundsman.

You couldn't help feel, however, that the pitch was a little too good and would only help the better rugby side. That's was happened on the day and aided by a predominantly friendly atmosphere, Bournbrook seemed a walk in the park compared to The Reddings. Worcester had and never will win at the old ground and Moseley really missed the aura of the place on Saturday.

What's happened is history now but I felt as if rugby had lost something without the old place.

The ferocity had gone and the culture changed. Not that Worcester cared, they were in the next round.