Ampthills local rivals Bedford Blues feel similarly hard done by.

"We are extremely disappointed by the latest developments," said Bedford chief executive, Gareth Alred.

"It's hard to swallow the Premiership receiving a per-club increase from just over 2m to 3.3m each, when we have just suffered another blow.

"In the last cycle in 2016, we received 650,000 per club, now we are down to our lowest ever central investment of 133,000, yet they say they want us to be competitive."

Cambridge RFC have felt the financial squeeze more than most.

Along with Chinnor, they havent been included in this season's Premiership Rugby Cup, a competition between clubs in the top two tiers. It's cost them 125,000.

"We have been left out in the cold," said Cambridge chairman Tim Hague.

"The compensation is not adequate and we didnt think the overall funding would be this low.

"We can survive, but we will have to look at our costs and our investments."