The Oxfordshire RFU have pledged to do all they can to help London Welsh bring Premiership rugby to the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.

The Exiles were told by the RFU’s board of directors last week they would be ineligible for promotion even if they complete a victory in their Championship play-off against Cornish Pirates at the Kassam Stadium tomorrow.

Plans to ground-share with Oxford United failed an audit, due to a lack of primacy of tenure – even though several top-flight sides operate under a similar arrangement with football clubs.

London Welsh are exploring the best route to challenge the decision and they will be backed all the way by the Oxon RFU.

Chairman Colin Baldwin, who is also the county’s representative at the RFU, said: “We are fully in support of them and have let them know that.

“We will be there tomorrow and I’ll be asking them if there’s anything I can do to help in my role as the county’s RFU representative.

“What we don’t understand is how Saracens, Wasps and London Irish can all play at a football ground without primacy of tenure and London Welsh can’t.”

Baldwin is keen to get answers from the RFU and plans to round up support from across the country ahead of the next council meeting, on June 8.

He said: “Once I have got London Welsh’s thoughts, I will ring round across the country and get as much support as possible.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to in Oxfordshire has been contacting me to see what I’m going to do about it.

“It’s not my domain, but I can certainly ask questions and put it before the council.

“If London Welsh are willing to challenge it, I think it could be a test case.”

One man with a foot in both camps is Paul Murphy, a long-serving member of the Oxon RFU and also acting chairman of the RFU.

The latter role gives him a seat on the board of directors which ruled against London Welsh, but he was unable to explain the decision when contacted by the Oxford Mail.

He said: “They have still got a match to play and that’s got to be won.

“There has been muted talk about them appealing, so at the moment I’m not in a position to comment.”

Those planning to attend the second leg (7.45) have been advised to buy tickets online.

Tickets will only go on sale at the ground two hours before kick-off, so to avoid queues, the club are recommending visiting www.london-welsh.co.uk/tickets.

Adult tickets cost £20, concessions £12.50.