South Essex rugby clubs admit their end-of-season plans are in turmoil because of the RFU's forthcoming League restructuring programme.

Under the RFU's plans announced so far, London Leagues One and Two are to be reduced to 12 clubs from 17, while the rest of the divisions will be restructured to around ten clubs in each.

The idea is that streamlining the Leagues will allow each club to play each other twice, home and away - currently most teams play each other just once in a year.

But the plans have yet to be finalised and clubs go into the crucial end-of-season run-in this weekend not knowing what they need to do to secure a place in their current League.

Thurrock, for example, don't know how many points they still need to secure a place in London One next year.

Secretary Brian Godden revealed: "We're totally in the dark. There are lots of rumours but we are not sure of anything until we see it in black and white.

"It's a ridiculous situation to be in and it is a lack of organisation at the top."

Only this week it was discovered that only one club from the ten Leagues will be promoted - the club who finish at the top of London One will go into the National League.

As a result, local clubs Stanford-le-Hope, Rochford and possibly Basildon, who are all doing well in their respective Leagues, will probably not be promoted should they finish on top of the pack.

The RFU is waiting until all the fixtures have been played before settling on a format for next year - meaning clubs must wait until the end of April at the earliest to learn their fate.

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