European club competition in crisis

European club competition in crisis

c/o Rugby Heaven,
Tuesday, April 3, 2007

English teams will not take part in European club competitions including the Heineken Cup next season if French clubs continue their boycott of them, Premier Rugby said on Monday.

The French national league (LNR) announced in January it had decided to pull its clubs out because of an internal dispute between England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership clubs.

"A European Cup without the leading French clubs is not a genuine European competition and Premier Rugby's clubs have today agreed unanimously not to participate in any such competition without the French next season," Premier Rugby said in a statement.

At the time of the announcement of their boycott, the LNR said the move had come because the English conflict had led to uncertainty over the future of the competitions.

The English clubs are in dispute with the RFU over voting rights and shares in European Rugby Cup (ERC). The clubs want the RFU to give them 50 per cent of its stake and voting rights.

"Premier Rugby has been negotiating for the last 16 months with its other European partners to establish a new agreement once the current one comes to an end after this season," the statement said.

"It is a point of frustration that an agreement in principle reached in October 2006 with our European partners has so far been rejected by the RFU."

There was no immediate comment from the RFU.

The boycott will not affect this season's competitions, with Premier Rugby saying participants remain committed to them.

Three of the four semi-finalists in the Heineken Cup are English - Northampton, Leicester and Wasps.

ERC also organises the second-tier Challenge Cup.

Since the Heineken Cup began in 1995/96, French and English clubs have won nine of the 11 finals between them and a tournament without them would be weakened.

"Premier Rugby will continue to work strenuously over the next few weeks with all existing partners to find a solution leading to genuine European competition," the statement said.

Reuters

The plot thickens...

RFU threatens to sue clubs

From correspondents in London, England
April 03, 2007

THE Rugby Football Union (RFU) has threatened to sue English clubs if they follow their French counterparts and pull out of next season's European Cup.
The warning came after Monday's revelation by the 12 English Premiership sides that if French clubs boycotted the competition, they would follow suit.

The row that has brought the European Cup to the brink was triggered by the premiership clubs' call for some of the RFU shares in European Rugby Cup Limited, in addition to greater voting rights.

Premier Rugby - the clubs' umbrella body - argues the European Cup would not be a genuine European competition without the French teams.

But RFU management board chairman Martyn Thomas insisted the clubs were contracted to participate in the European Cup and confirmed Twickenham would pursue legal action against them if they refuse.'

"We have a contract with our clubs which we signed in 2001 and in relation to Europe it is very simple," he said.

"It says the clubs will compete in the European Cup or the European Shield. That lasts until 2007 so I am at a loss to understand their statement last night that they believe they can pull out."

Asked whether the RFU would have to sue Premier Rugby, Thomas added: "Regrettably that would be the case. Unfortunately again it is a situation of rugby having to resort to the courts."

The LNR, which represents the top 14 French sides, is likely to decide by Thursday whether or not to walk away.

Concern at the RFU's refusal to hand over share and voting rights - plus anxiety over fixture congestion next season, which starts with the Rugby World Cup - are behind the militant French stance.

Thomas remains hopeful an agreement can be reached but Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty is less optimistic.

"I'm going to continue to find a way to pull the French clubs back in but today the prospect of that, when the French clubs decide on Thursday, doesn't look great," McCafferty said.

Thomas and the RFU believe the European Cup issue forms part of a wider picture of negotiations on how the game is run in England and should not be taken in isolation.

"We have always maintained the critical issue is to sort out the difficulty of the season and the production of good elite players in England," Thomas said.

"The Heineken Cup is very important but it is part of the bigger picture and the most important picture is about player welfare and a successful England."

The English club's threatened boycott was greeted with bitter irony by French Federation chief Bernard Lapasset, who had won a reprieve from the French clubs last week to delay their deadline over the boycott.

"I find the English clubs' decision, extraordinarily courageous," he said sarcastically.

"I do not find this very courageous. All it does is send the ball back into the French court."

Agence France-Presse

and thickens... :eek: (Any chance of an update from on the streets Flat Top???)

Euro rugby kicking on without clubs

Thursday, April 12, 2007

A European club rugby tournament will be staged for the 2007-08 season, despite the decision by top English and French clubs to boycott the current competition.

European Rugby Cup (ERC) said the tournament would include teams from England, France, Wales, Scotland, Italy and Ireland.

The structure of the tournament - and the level of the clubs taking part - has yet to be decided and will be discussed by the ERC board.

Representatives from the six unions attended Wednesday's ERC shareholder meeting.

Last week, teams from France's Top 14 competition voted to boycott next season's Heineken Cup and second-tier European Challenge Cup and England's Premiership clubs followed.

They are protesting their lack of profit and involvement in the competitions. The growing international schedule was another concern.

The Rugby Football Union said it hoped its top clubs would reconsider their boycott.

"We are delighted that there will be a European club rugby tournament involving English clubs next season," RFU management board chairman Martyn Thomas said.

"We hope that these will be from the Guinness Premiership and as rugby's national governing body we are committed to English club participation in the competition."

APP

Anglo-French Cup boycott averted

From correspondents in London
May 20, 2007

ENGLISH and French clubs will play in next season's European Cup, French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Bernard Lapasset confirmed overnight.

Both parties had threatened to boycott European rugby's showpiece tournament.

The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) and PRL, the body which runs the English Premiership, are at loggerheads over the Premiership's demands for an equal say with the governing body in the running of the European Cup.

That triggered the boycott threat from the English clubs. Their French counterparts have raised similar issues although they are seen as having been motivated primarily by concern at fixture congestion in the early part of next season, when the World Cup will be held in France.

But Lapasset was upbeat after a meeting at Twickenham with Serge Blanco, president of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), RFU boss Martyn Thomas, PRL head Tom Walkinshaw, International Rugby Board president Syd Millar, Jean-Pierre Lux, president of tournament organisers ERC, and Gareth McGrath, director of the European Cup.

"It's sure, the clubs are coming back. We've signed a protocol agreement,'' Lapasset said.

The new protocol will come into effect at the end of this season for a minimum of seven years.

"It's not only for the good of French clubs, it's above all good for rugby in its entirety,'' Blanco said.

"It will allow us to advance, to have another vision of the future. Today a new era has begun.

"All that we asked for has been accepted.''

Agence France-Presse