Newport's millionaire-owner Tony Brown has admitted he has entered into talks with English National League Division 1 leaders Rotherham about hopefully buying the club and with it entry into the Zurich Premiership.

The Western Mail reported that Brown has become exasperated by the lack of progress on professional rugby's future in Wales and sees playing in the Zurich Premiership as a way out of the mess.

Rotherham are hot favourites to win the National League Division 1 title but they have hit trouble as their home venue, Clifton Lane, does not meet English Premiership criteria.

Brown told the newspaper, "I would ask anyone involved in Welsh rugby what they would do if in my shoes if they had an opportunity to take their team into the English Premiership? Would they stay in the lunatic asylum or join the real world?

"It is obvious after what happened at Twickenham on Saturday that English rugby has sorted itself out and that Welsh rugby is in a mess.

"Yes I have spoken to Rotherham. They are frustrated about problems over their facilities that are blocking their path to the top flight of English rugby.

"And we are frustrated by the state of Welsh rugby, the unresolved debates over the structure of the game here and the inability of the Welsh Rugby Union to come up with a viable plan for the game."

Rotherham would need to redevelop their home ground to gain access to the English Premiership or move to Rotherham United's Millmoor soccer ground.

Another rule states that clubs cannot enter the Zurich Premiership unless they are the prime tenants of their home venue. At the local soccer club, Rotherham RFC would cede primacy of tenancy to their soccer-playing counterparts.

Mike Yarlett, Rotherham rugby club's biggest shareholder, said, "It appears that Mr Brown is fed up with the politics of Welsh rugby and he regards the English Premiership as a better proposition.

"I have been contacted by an agent acting on Mr Brown's behalf and by Mr Brown himself and he has expressed an interest in buying Rotherham.

"I would prefer to keep the club in Rotherham but if we are not allowed to play at Millmoor I will not be able to continue to attract the players needed to keep the club at this level and I will have to do something."

The newspaper estimated that it could cost Brown £1m to buy Rotherham rugby club and relocate their playing base to Rodney Parade.

"I have spoken to Mike Yarlett," said Brown. "These talks leaked out from Rotherham, perhaps because they want to concentrate a few minds as to what is at stake.

"I would also like a few minds to be concentrated in Wales on the situation here.

"We have not spoken about money as yet and at the moment we are at a premature stage in what could and could not happen.

"But if such a deal were to come off, £1m would represent about 18 months-worth of losses playing in Wales."

Obviously major hurdles would have to be cleared for Newport to find themselves having more than an affiliated membership of the RFU.

International Rugby Board rules could preclude such a move. The WRU would surely try to block the idea.

And English Rugby Partnership - the joint RFU, premier clubs' management company - would have to approve the move.

Brown added, "The English clubs know us. They know how much travelling support we have built up in recent seasons and they know about the very good crowds we get at Rodney Parade.

"I think Newport is a club that could offer a lot to the Zurich Premiership."