Heineken Cup Seals Rescue Deal

After months of stalemate, a meeting of the board of the European Rugby Cup
today confirmed that the Heineken Cup will go ahead next season including the
participation of the leading French and English clubs.

After the French and English top-flight clubs threatened to boycott next
year’s European competition over a disagreement over control of the tournament,
a deal has now been completed that will see the Heineken Cup continue in its
existing format.

The Guinness Premiership clubs have been in dispute with the RFU over a
greater share of the voting rights for the future direction of the competition.

The RFU had hitherto refused to back down and had previously stated that it
would regard a boycott as a termination of an agreement it has with Premier
Rugby, the umbrella body for England’s elite clubs, and would be inclined to
withhold the £25m a year it currently gives to the clubs.

However the intervention of Syd Millar of the International Rugby Board
proved pivotal in getting a deal done.