Cornish Pirates hooker Dan Frost says the Championship is underestimated by the Rugby Football Union.

The league, which restarted after a 12-month Covid-19 hiatus last week, saw its funding reduced in February 2020.

"I just think there's no respect towards the Championship," Frost told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

No team will be relegated from the Premiership this season, while the Championship winners will be promoted to the top flight - raising concerns that the top tier could be ringfenced.

The RFU slashed central funding to second-tier clubs before the pandemic, with money dropping from about £534,000 per year to 2015 levels of £288,000 per club from the 2022-23 season onwards.

"The amount of players that it produces for the Premiership - players like Sam Simmonds have come from here, Sam Matavesi's just gone to Northampton and played for Fiji - there's so much hidden talent that doesn't get picked up and the Championship's the perfect place," said Frost.

"As a forward my set-piece has gone through the roof just from being in this league. It's such a tough league and you learn so much from it and I just think it's underestimated by the RFU."

Frost was part of a Pirates pack that dominated a Saracens set of forwards that included South Africa World Cup winner Vincent Koch, the USA's Kapeli Pifeleti, former Scotland lock Tim Swinson and seasoned top-flight players like Mike Rhodes and Jackson Wray.

"We're underfunded and it's really disappointing," added Frost.

"I feel that if the RFU did fund it it'd be much more competitive for the teams coming down."