CVC Capital Partners, the former owner of Formula 1 and one of Europe’s biggest private equity firms, has made a bid to take over Premiership rugby, believed to be worth around £275m.

If accepted by the league's stakeholders, the deal would see CVC take a 51 per cent controlling interest in Premiership Rugby.

Premiership Rugby will discuss the bid at a meeting next week, although no decision is expected to made until later this year.

If accepted, the deal would see the Premiership shareholders – the current 12 top flight clubs plus London Irish – receive a one-off cash payment of around £16m.