European Rugby Cup Future Resolved
The European Rugby Cup has confirmed that the leading French and English clubs
will compete in next season’s Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup, ending
months of speculation over the competitions’ future.
ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux commented: ‘I would like to thank all of ERC’s
stakeholders who have been involved in the discussions and I am delighted to be
able to confirm the future of both tournaments. ERC’s stakeholders will meet
shortly to finalise the agreement that will secure the long term future of both
tournaments.’
The announcement ends the ongoing impasse over the control of European rugby
with the clubs and the RFU both battling for the greater share of the voting
rights on the committee.
The dispute had led to the both the French and the English clubs threatening
to boycott next season’s competitions – a threat that has now been resolved.
The RFU reacted positively to the conclusion of the row with management board
chairman Martyn Thomas stating: ‘We are delighted that the Guinness Premiership
clubs will be participating in the European competitions next season. This is
excellent news for the players, spectators, sponsors and broadcasters.
‘We will continue our discussions with Premier Rugby Ltd next week to find a
long-term and lasting solution to the issues affecting the English game.’
The exact nature of the compromise deal will become clear in the coming
weeks.
