Rotherham given hope of survival

Rotherham's survival fight continued last night following a "positive and constructive" meeting between potential club rescuers and senior Rugby Football Union figures.

Representatives of a local business consortium, who helped raise around £500,000, met RFU management board officials yesterday and the club are still hopeful of beginning their National League One campaign on schedule in 10 days' time. A business plan and budget was submitted to the RFU earlier this week, details of which are currently being debated.

"We held a very positive and constructive meeting, and members of the local consortium were very helpful in providing some of the additional information we required," said the RFU management board chairman Graeme Cattermole.

"We have agreed with them that further information needs to be made available, and this will be forthcoming shortly.

"Once this is considered, we will aim to make a decision in the early part of next week."

Allan McHale, a consortium representative, added: "The RFU were very open to the ideas that we put forward."