EBBW Vale Rugby Club today urged the Welsh Rugby Union to make an early decision on whether they are going to enforce relegation from the Premier Division.

The Union, under threat of legal action, have said they will review the situation at the end of the season - the final game is Bedwas against Aberavon a week today.

Bottom team Vale say it's imperative they know by the end of next week if the Union are to do a U-turn and ring fence the division.

If the Union delay, Vale face losing a large number of this season's squad, some of whom are already understood to have spoken to other clubs.

A delay could also hasten legal action if Vale choose that road, because they could not afford to wait and be without a squad to prepare for next season.

"I've told the players that we expect to know something from the Welsh Rugby Union by the end of next week," said club chief executive Ray Harris.

"Seeing that they are the governing body, I would imagine and hope that all the problems you have spoken about they would realise.

"Every one of them belongs to a rugby club and every one of them knows the difficulties that we are going to be facing, so I trust that they will realise the need for a prompt decision."

It is understood that at least two major Union officials now favour ringfencing the division because so many clubs have been allowed to break the rules relating to the number of regional players allowed to play for a Premier side.

The Union's legal advisers are understood to have indicated the WRU are on rocky ground.

At least 14 games are believed to have been affected with Cardiff, on four occasions, the worst culprits.

Vale have admitted playing three senior regional players (only two are allowed) on one occasion, in their drawn game at Newbridge.

But they claim Cardiff took nine points from the four games when they transgressed and thus would have finished bottom.

They also claim that if all the games affected were taken into account, Vale would have finished in midtable.