The decision by Premier Rugby and the 12 Premiership clubs to continue the Premiership campaign during the forthcoming Investec Challenge has the support of the clubs, players, and - it seems, the fans.

The clubs have played during the three Autumn International weekends since 1998 and fans have shown loyalty to their club by continuing to support the Premiership during the International period. Crowds during this period have increased on the previous weekends - 18% in 2000/01 and 6% in 2001/02 - proving that the Premiership campaign remains important to the supporters.

The International release period means that several clubs are without some of their International players. Over the forthcoming three weeks, it gives some of the younger members of the squads a chance to shine. Charlie Hodgson made his debut for Sale Sharks on 1 December 2000, whilst England were beating South Africa at Twickenham, and Robbie Morris from Saints made his debut for Northampton Saints during last year's England match against the Romanians.

The previous league structure, which saw the Premiership Winners decided by the 22 round Premiership alone, meant that three weeks without key players could be crucial to a club's title ambitions, and was sometimes seen as disadvantageous to those clubs who provided the majority of the England players. The new play-off format ensures a fairer solution for all 12 clubs, as poor league results over three weeks does not have such a significant effect on a club's Championship bid as any of the top three clubs can reach the Zurich Premiership Final and be crowned Champions.

Howard Thomas said, "The alternative to playing through the Autumn Internationals is to have three mid-week games at a later stage in the season but this is never ideal and not very popular with our fans. On the other hand, crowds actually grow during the November Internationals despite some of the profile players being away from their clubs. The increase in media coverage and general exposure to rugby union during this period appears to have a positive effect on Premiership crowds, particularly as the clubs plan their fixtures to avoid a direct clash with the England games."

Damian Hopley, Chief Executive of the PRA, also endorses the decision to play during the International matches: "The competition for places in every squad is so fierce these days that playing during these Autumn Internationals offers a valuable opportunity for the younger players to make their mark on the Zurich Premiership."

There is a fantastic line-up of English and International stars who will be playing in the Zurich Premiership over the coming weeks such as Andre Vos, Paul Grayson and Henry Paul.

Some of the potentially thrilling encounters to watch out for include: Northampton Saints v. Leicester Tigers (Saturday 9 November) NEC Harlequins v. London Wasps (live on SkySports, 15.00 Sunday 17 November) and Gloucester v. Leeds Tykes (live on Sky Sports, 14.30 Sunday 24 November).