Rugby Leaders Remain Apart

The future of European Rugby remained unclear after yesterday’s meeting of the European Rugby Cup Board and an angry reaction to the previous days ‘sabre rattling’ by English and French clubs.
A statement issued yesterday by ERC outlined that all sides remained committed to a negotiated deal but that no date had yet been set for a reconvening of the parties that need to sit around the table.
There was talk of threats and ‘deplorable’ action on the part of individuals who were suggested did not have the broad interests of rugby at heart.
This is hardly the language of compromise and understanding and it is our contention as expressed yesterday that a new competition will emerge, perhaps for logistics purposes  under the jurisdiction of ERC Rugby but which will give greater control to the larger clubs from England and France.
Irish media reports focus on Philip Browne’s strong words and insistence that nothing can happen without full agreement but elsewhere the picture painted was one of change being inevitable rather than impossible.
English Premier Club Saracens’ chairman Nigel Wray used that word, adding: “Under the current structure, the two nations – France and England – who provide the vast majority of revenues are permanently out-voted by the four other nations [Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales]. In that system, you have to leave if you want change. That is what we are doing.”

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Rob Kearney, speaking after his election as President of the Irish Rugby Union Players Association, indicated the view of the players that they would need to be playing at the top flight of club rugby or that they would likely be forced to play abroad in order to do so.
Rugby is not acting in a bubble.  The same arguments and tensions existed prior to the creation of the UEFA Champions’ League and that tournament has gone from strength to strength.
It has given considerably more power to clubs over country but that is perhaps an inevitable transition once a sport has committed in full to professionalism.
English Premier League clubs met in London with the English Rugby Football Union last night.  With the RFU concentrated on delivery of a successful Rugby World Cup in 2015 this is the last thing they need, hence our belief that the existing structures may still remain in place.
The ERC Statement in full from last night reads as follows:

It was agreed at a scheduled ERC Board meeting in Dublin today (Wednesday, 11 September 2013) that ERC would facilitate the discussions and that the current points of difference, including the share of central revenues, qualification and season dates, would all be on the table.

The Board reiterated that European club competitions must be organised by ERC and that any purported cross-border club tournaments needed the approval both of the IRB, and of the relevant Unions who are shareholders of ERC.

Surprise was expressed at the timing and content of yesterday’s media announcements by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) and Premiership Rugby, and representatives of both bodies were invited to explain their positions.

It was pointed out that there was a range of proposals made by stakeholders, none of which were acceptable to all parties, and it was agreed that the negotiations towards a definitive solution needed to begin again in earnest.