Wasps legend Lawrence Dallaglio is cautious over talk of expansion © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Baron stands firm on expansion snub

News: Scarlets defeats hurt Exiles - Catt

News: Cipriani could return to Wasps

News: Premier Rugby tight-lipped over salary cap claims

News: Sharks call in Brewer as Robinson leaves

News: RFU closes door on expansion

News: Vickery backs expansion plans

Match Pack: Leeds condemn Warriors to drop

News: Meehan keeping a level head

News: Premiership could be set for expansion

Reaction: Ruddock unsure over future

News: Tigers book home semi-final

Players/Officials: Lawrence Dallaglio

Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership

Teams: England | Wasps

Wasps legend Lawrence Dallaglio has sounded a note of caution amid suggestions that the Guinness Premiership could be expanded to 14 teams.

Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty raised the possibility in an interview with a Sunday newspaper, prompting talk of suspending relegation from the top flight. World Cup-winner Dallaglio, now a director at Wasps, believes that all possible avenues should be explored, as long as it is with the intention of improving England's game at domestic and international level.

"Fourteen seems to be a fashionable number," he told ESPNscrum. "The southern hemisphere has gone to 15 now, but France is the Top 14. I think all of these things should be explored, but at the end of the day we have to think about the implications of everything we do.

"The important thing for English rugby is that we have a very competitive and strong domestic competition. We also want to have a very competitive and strong European presence within European Cup rugby and, this is probably the most important one, a strong England national team.

"Whatever decisions are made by the likes of Mark McCafferty and people who know a bit about rugby, they've got to be made in the interest of those three particular areas, not just in the interest of one particular area.

"The success of the England team is important to the success of club rugby in this country and we need to work together to ensure that whatever decision is made about numbers and competitions then it's done in the interest of English rugby. I would always welcome the opportunity to explore all sorts of things but would add an element of caution in just saying that as long as it's in the interest of English rugby both internationally and domestically, then it's worth doing."

The idea of scrapping relegation has become a popular one in recent seasons, with the rigours of avoiding the drop hampering English clubs in Europe according to some commentators. This argument holds little water with Dallaglio, who believes in competition in every aspect of the league. With Worcester having slipped out of the Premiership on Sunday after defeat to Leeds he also struck an optimistic tone, suggesting that Northampton and Harlequins have come back brighter after a spell out of the limelight.

"There's talk about it every year," he said. "The excitement at the top of the table is probably only bettered by the excitement at the bottom. It's disappointing for one team to go down, especially a team like Worcester who have wonderful facilities. If you talk about investing in facilities then it seems a bit harsh to let people then get relegated. The reality is that relegation is not the end of the world in rugby, look at Northampton and Harlequins, they've probably come back as better people and better clubs as a result of their experiences. I think the essence of sport is competition, success or failure. There's arguments for both cases, but there has to be competition in the league and I don't think it has been a bad thing at all."

Dallaglio, who is also involved in a project to teach rugby's core values to young players, has recently helped to mastermind and promote Wasps' St.George's Day game against Bath at Twickenham, a game which his former side came up well short in to lose 35-19 in front of 60,000 fans. After Harlequins and Saracens also drew huge crowds, to Twickenham and Wembley respectively, there is growing belief in the Premiership that overhauling football's Championship in terms of attendances is a realistic aim. Again, though, Dallaglio is unsure.

"We mustn't get carried away," he said. "There's no doubt that with these big occasions, like Wembley and Twickenham, everyone is doing very well. But, the attendances across the board are not rising at the rates that we would perhaps wish them to. I think that the most important thing is improving the facilities of all the clubs across the board and making sure that we've all got worthy stadiums. At the moment there are one or two ahead of the rest, probably because they are in the fortunate position to own the freehold of their ground and their land. I think it's important that there are first-class facilities at every club, to make coming to a rugby ground an enjoyable experience."

Lawrence Dallaglio has teamed up with Sacla', the pesto pioneers, to launch a new range of pasta sauces, Dallaglio by Sacla'. For more details, www.sacla.co.uk.