Today's rugby news as Welsh star wins awards after Wales snub and England make major announcement

Here are the latest rugby headlines on Saturday, June 15.

Ratti scoops award double

Ospreys star James Ratti scooped both coaches' and players' player of the year at the region's end of season awards, just a week after missing out on the Wales squad.

Ratti has played in the back row and second row throughout a successful campaign that saw the Ospreys reach the URC play-off quarter-finals. He has proved to be a fantastic signing after re-joining from Cardiff last summer.

Powerful Ratti had been tipped to figure in Wales' summer squad after previously being part of training camps, particularly for the match against South Africa with the likes of Dafydd Jenkins unavailable, Will Rowlands rested and Adam Beard injured.

Warren Gatland instead opted to recall Cory Hill, who is currently playing in Japan, along with Dragons locks Matthew Screech and Ben Carter.

Major England rugby announcement

By PA Sport Staff

Championship clubs have welcomed the approval of promotion to the Gallagher Premiership as a "new era" for the professional game in England.

The Rugby Football Union's council has ratified a two-match home and away play-off between the bottom-placed Premiership club and the winner of the Championship, starting from the 2025-26 season.

It means there could be movement between the top two divisions for the first time since Saracens returned to the top flight in 2021 after receiving a 105-point deduction for salary cap breaches, resulting in their relegation 12 months earlier.

In addition, Friday's meeting saw the RFU council vote to relax the minimum operating standards for promotion, with the deadline for achieving those standards spread over four seasons.

An independently chaired Tier 2 board is also to be set up, giving the Championship greater control over commercial deals.

"We have got what we came for. Now our clubs - and every club - can realistically dream of promotion to the Premiership," Championship chairman Simon Halliday said.

"There is now a genuine path for ambitious clubs to rise. The top tier is reconnected to the rest of English rugby and we can use our commercial potential to fund the growth that rugby sorely needs at our level.

"This is a result that brings common resolve to our sport, guaranteeing that English rugby remains open and fair from the lowest league to the highest."

URC team of the season sees Welsh players ignored

The URC team of the the season has been named and is dominated by Ireland and South Africa-based players.

There is no Welsh involvement, with the regions enduring difficult campaigns, albeit with the Ospreys making a successful late push for the play-offs.

The "Elite XV" was decided by a media vote and a stipulation that a player must have made at least nine appearances to be considered

Cameron Hanekom, who was once on Warren Gatland's radar for possible Wales selection, makes the cut, along with seven other South African-based player. Five Irish-based stars are named, while Sione Tuipulotu and Jamie Ritchie represent Scottish clubs.

Elite XV: Warrick Gelant (DHL Stormers), Jordan Larmour (Leinster Rugby), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Nankivell (Munster Rugby), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Jack Crowley (Munster Rugby), John Cooney (Ulster Rugby); Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Akker van der Merwe (Vodacom Bulls), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby), Ruan Nortjé (Vodacom Bulls), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls).