THE RFU will consider how many professional teams the country can sustain as they review the first season of the Championship.

The second tier was cut from 16 teams to 12 at the end of last term to form the rebranded Championship.

It was supposed to be the start of an exciting new era for the professional game in England, with the second tier supporting the Premiership.

But the inaugural campaign has been dogged by financial problems at a host of clubs, as well as several rule changes during the season.

RFU management board chairman Martyn Thomas admits they have not got it right in the Championship this season.

And he said the next step will be to decide whether they can continue to have 24 clubs striving to be professional.

"I am the first to put up my hands and say we didn't get it all right at the beginning, I fully accept that," Thomas told Echo Sport.

"Clubs in the old FDR (the body that looked after National League One) came to us and asked 'are we professional or are we amateur — we want to know where we stand in the rugby union'.

"We decided and made a policy with the RFU council that the Premiership and Championship is the professional game in England, below that is the recreational game.

"We couldn't afford to have 16 professional clubs (in the second tier) and had to knock it down from 16 to 12 and that concentrated resources.

"We have got to look at whether in the Premiership and Championship 12 teams is too many. What can we afford to sustain in the professional game? It's hard to know what's sustainable."

Despite the problems this season and the criticisms that have followed from all corners, Thomas believes the Championship has been a success.

He believes the fact that attendances are up at several clubs is a positive sign — despite the fact that all nine games Exeter have played this term against sides they faced last season drew smaller crowds this time around.

And Thomas thinks Premiership coaches are now looking at the Championship more than ever before for new recruits.

"I am very confident about the Championship," he said. "The game Sky showed before Christmas — Bristol against Coventry — led to people saying it was the best game they have seen on TV this season.

"That's very positive and crowds in the Championship from last year are up 30 to 40 per cent and that means people are voting with their feet and like watching the better rugby that's being played.

"I think the Championship has been a success and I think it can improve. Sky will be showing the play-off games (one semi-final and both finals) and that will go up next season when they show six or eight games.

"From that point of view we will see a lot more Championship rugby on TV.

"The other big thing the Championship has done is allow young English players to play a better standard of rugby.

"There's no doubt the Championship is better than FDR and is a good level for young English players to play under the dual registration system.

"The Premiership are now looking at the Championship rather than abroad because they know the talent is there."

Thomas also said that despite what the RFU may want to do with the Championship, it is up to the clubs to run it as they want. That includes the fixture list, with Thomas claiming the RFU were not allowed to work blank weekends into the calendar in case of bad weather.

He said: "When you sit down with people who own rugby clubs and are concerned about revenue and say the weather might not be good we need to have blank weekends, they won't have it.

"They want to be open — if you go to Harrods on a Saturday they will be open.

"They want to be open for the bar, car parking and attendees — it's that way in the Premiership and it's the same in the Championship.

"As the union we would write in probably two weekends a season for bad weather. That's not what they (the clubs) wanted."