English Rugby
Exiles turn down Selhurst Park
ESPN Staff
June 6, 2012
A corner flag at London Welsh's proposed new home at Kassam Stadium, London Welsh v Cornish Pirates, RFU Championship final second leg, Kassam Stadium, Oxford, England, May 30, 2012
London Welsh have turned down the chance to use Selhurst Park and are pushing on with the Kassam Stadium © PA Photos
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Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has revealed that London Welsh have turned down the chance to use Selhurst Park as their elected stadium for next season.

The Championship winners are set to fight the Rugby Football Union's decision to block their application for Aviva Premiership rugby next term after their elected stadium - the Kassam Stadium - failed to meet the minimum standards criteria necessary for promotion.

But Welsh look likely to continue with their original plan of playing at the Kassam, with Parish claiming that although preliminary talks have taken place regarding the Exiles using Selhurst Park, it seems unlikely that it will be followed up.

"I contacted them to find out more about the situation, but if the problem is a primacy of tenure agreement then they wouldn't have that if they shared with us either," Parish told TalkSport. "I thought it was a really nice idea, the thought of bringing rugby to south London.

"But we wouldn't give them primacy, which is what they need. They said thanks for the offer but they are pretty committed to the stadium in Oxford. It was an offer of help but I won't interfere in their problems and I hope they get it sorted."

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