French Clubs Make Heineken Cup U-turn

England’s Aviva Premiership rugby clubs could yet play in next season’s Heineken Cup, despite previously threatening to set up a rival tournament, after France’s Top 14 clubs voted to stay involved in the existing European competition. 

The French teams had previously backed the new breakaway Rugby Champions Cup but will now commit to the Heineken Cup, as long as their English counterparts do likewise, according to media reports.

English and French clubs gave notice last year that they intended to leave the European club competition and organise a new tournament, following disagreements about the cup’s qualification criteria, voting structure, income distribution and future television rights.

Premiership Rugby, the umbrella body of the English top-flight clubs, said its teams would not participate in any tournament organised by European Rugby Cup, which runs the Heineken Cup and second-tier Amlin Challenge Cup.

Irish, Scottish and Italian clubs are already committed to next year’s Heineken Cup, while the four Welsh regions have offered their support to a breakaway.

The Heineken Cup is in its 20th season, with a new structure proposed for next year’s tournament.

The number of participating teams will be cut to 20 from 24 and revenues will be split evenly between the three leagues – the English Premiership, France’s Top 14 and the Pro12, which features Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh clubs – should teams from all three competitions take part.

There is speculation that if the English clubs remain isolated, they could set up a tournament involving South African clubs, or even increase the number of teams in the Premiership – however, according to the BBC, the French club’s reluctance to follow through on a breakaway has seen the stance of their English counterparts soften.

If English clubs fail to reach a compromise with the other five unions who have signed up to continue in the Heineken Cup, it could leave the competition with no Premiership sides playing in the tournament next season, in what would be a repeat of the 1998/99 campaign.