Così scrum.com:
http://www.scrum.com/39_4361.php
"Currently, none of the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs or leading French sides such as Toulouse, Stade Francais and Biarritz will play in the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup beyond this season. The existing tournament accord ends next month. But European Rugby Cup shareholders have agreed there will be a competition next term, including teams from all six current participating nations - England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy. If Premier Rugby and their French equivalent Ligue Nationale de Rugby remain on the outside, then European silverware could be contested by National League One clubs such as Doncaster, Rotherham and Cornish Pirates. There is also the bizarre prospect of Northampton, presently propping up the Premiership, being relegated and then gaining an invitation to participate in Europe. Saints chairman Keith Barwell, meanwhile, is an outspoken Rugby Football Union critic".
http://www.scrum.com/39_4357.php
Intervista del 27 marzo a Blanco:
http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,1825 ... 86,00.html
Blanco demands shares and respect 6aprile:
http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,182 ... 13,00.html
Rugby Football Union (RFU) chairman Martyn Thomas believes the Anglo-French boycott of next season's Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup could "devastate northern hemisphere rugby".
http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,182 ... 20,00.html
10.4.07 il parere dei tifosi europei su planet rugby:
http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,1825 ... 64,00.html
6.4.07 The Professional Rugby Players' Association (PRA) have reacted angrily to the ongoing row which forced the Anglo-French boycott of next season's Heineken Cup.
http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,182 ... 07,00.html
9.4.07 The International Rugby Board (IRB) is formulating a response to the Anglo-French boycott of next season's Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup competitions.
http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,1825 ... 58,00.html
10.4.07 Wasps chief executive David Davies has responded witheringly to IRB chairman Dr Syd Millar's attack on the Anglo-French boycott of Europe, calling his statement a "tantrum".
http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,1825 ... 00,00.html
10.4.07 Premier Rugby (PRL) has requested a meeting with the International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Dr Syd Millar to discuss the impasse regarding the future of the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup competitions.
http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,182 ... 52,00.html
11.4.07 The European Rugby Cup Ltd directors and shareholders begin a series of meetings in Dublin on Wednesday which could prove vital to the immediate future of the Heineken Cup.
http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,182 ... 41,00.html
ERC insist euro tournament will go ahead
11 April 2007, 6:56 pm
Tournament organisers have vowed to press ahead with plans for a "European club rugby tournament" next season - despite the damaging Anglo-French boycott.
Currently, none of the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs or leading French sides such as Toulouse, Stade Francais and Biarritz will play in the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup beyond this season. The existing tournament accord ends next month.
But European Rugby Cup shareholders have agreed there will be a competition next term, including teams from all six current participating nations - England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy.
If Premier Rugby and their French equivalent Ligue Nationale de Rugby remain on the outside, then European silverware could be contested by National League One clubs such as Doncaster, Rotherham and Cornish Pirates.
There is also the bizarre prospect of Northampton, presently propping up the Premiership, being relegated and then gaining an invitation to participate in Europe.
Saints chairman Keith Barwell, meanwhile, is an outspoken Rugby Football Union critic.
A diluted European tournament would inevitably affect attendances and revenue, although it is understood existing broadcasters and sponsors might not to beturned off, provided there remains some kind of English and French participation.
In a statement, ERC said: ``Following a meeting of ERC's shareholders in Dublin today, it was agreed that a European club rugby tournament will be staged in the 2007/2008 season, to include teams from all six of the current participating nations.
``The structure of the tournament will be discussed and agreed by the ERC board in the coming weeks.
``The ERC shareholder meeting was attended by representatives from the sixparticipating unions, and club representatives from England and Italy and aregional representative from Wales.''
The news was welcomed by RFU management board chairman Martyn Thomas, who said: ``We are delighted there will be a European club rugby tournament involving English clubs next season.
``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.''
Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive Roger Lewis echoed Thomas' view, with the latest developments being announced just days after the Anglo-French withdrawal was confirmed and left Wales' four professional regional teams facing a possible financial crisis.
Lewis said: ``This is a significant step forward from the gloomy picture that we faced last week with the announcement that the French and English clubs willboycott next season's Heineken Cup.
``It was vitally important for the players, coaches and fans to know that there will be a European competition next season. That is the starting point for us all, as is the fact that each of the six participating unions has agreed to enter teams.
``What will follow is the fine detail, but the Welsh regions can look forward to playing European rugby next season.
``We have been here before in Europe. There were only teams from four nations in the first year, and we had to live without the English clubs in the 1998/1999 season, but the show went on and the Heineken Cup has grown in stature year on year as a result.
``Last week, we made contingency plans to ease the financial pain our regions would feel if there were no European tournaments. Now, they can look forward to a much brighter financial picture next season.
``As a union, we will continue to discuss, in conjunction with our regions, every possible way to maintain the highest standard of European competitions.
``Ideally, we would like the Guinness Premiership and French Championshipclubs to remain in the fold, and the door remains open for that possibility.
``However, there is now a clear mandate for a European competition to take place next season and we will work as hard as possible to ensure it is a success.''
Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty, who attended the ERC shareholders' meeting, believes the talks did not produce any ``seismic shift'' with regard to a major breakthrough for next season.
Speaking before ERC announced next season's plan, McCafferty said: ``There were reasonable discussions, with an exchange of views and ideas. People are still making suggestions, but I wouldn't say there was any seismic shift.''
The six unions have have proved determined to find a solution, while they also have the support of the International Rugby Board, whose chairman Dr Syd Millar launched an astonishing attack on the Anglo-French clubs earlier this week.
The Anglo-French clubs claim the RFU have reneged on an agreement struck last autumn, something the Twickenham top brass flatly deny.
Both Premier Rugby and LNR blame the RFU's refusal to pass half their ERC shares to the English clubs as the reason for their withdrawal.
