London Welsh are set to play in the English Premiership next season after winning an appeal against a Rugby Football Union (RFU) decision to block their promotion.

Despite winning the second-tier Championship, London Welsh were originally denied a place in the top flight after being told they had failed to meet the minimum standards required of a Premiership club.

But their appeal was heard on Thursday and an independent panel spent most of Friday considering their verdict before finding in favour of the Exiles, one of the most celebrated clubs during the ‘golden era’ of Welsh rugby in the 1970s.

The verdict condemned Newcastle to relegation after the north-east club finished bottom of the Premiership last season.