Rotherham Titans Rugby Union Club have once again agreed a deal to play at Oakwell if they are promoted to the Premiership for next season.
The Titans and Barnsley FC have made an 'identical' arrangement to the deal they signed 12 months ago that would have earned the Reds around £250,000 while the rugby club were expected to drop the Rotherham from their name.
Three days after Barnsley's play-off dreams came to an end against Notts County at Meadow Lane – the Titans, who occupy the fourth and final play-off spot in the Championship – won 21-10 there over fifth-placed Nottingham who now have to catch up a points difference of more than 100 points in the last match tomorrow.
"It's an identical deal to last season," said Titans chief executive John Lewis who has not been able to find a Rotherham-based replacement for the Titans' current Clifton Lane ground which is too small for the top flight.
Lewis praised his Oakwell counterpart Ben Mansford who confirmed the deal and added: "We wish the Titans all the best for the rest of the season."
With the 2015 Rugby World Cup being held in this country, Lewis believes the Titans will attract new fans from Barnsley who want to see some of the best rugby players in the world at Oakwell.
He said: "The minimum attendance in the Premiership is about 6,000 so we would want to get at least that. It's a fantastic opportunity to get into the Premiership in a great stadium at a time when people will have been attracted to the sport after the World Cup."
The Titans narrowly lost out last year to Bristol in the semi-finals and will be even bigger underdogs when they play their two-legged semi-final against one of wealthy duo Bristol and Worcester who have dominated the league and meet tomorrow.
Lewis said: "Nobody would have bet on London Welsh last year but they shocked Bristol in the final. We are looking to do the same."
Barnsley fans have previously expressed concerns about the state of the Oakwell pitch if it was shared with a rugby team.
Lewis said: "With the amount of investment in pitches and new technology available, sports like rugby and football are no longer uneasy bedfellows. We don't foresee any problems with the pitch and it has not been a stumbling block in negotiations. A lot of rugby clubs share stadia with football clubs."
The Titans are set to use Sheffield RUFC's ground in next month's play-off semi-finals.
