Oct 24 (Reuters) – The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has offered to centrally contract top internationals like captain Sam Warburton to prevent them being poached by English and French clubs while the row over European tournaments continues.
The uncertainty caused by the threat of an Anglo-French breakaway tournament means the four Welsh provinces, which on Tuesday backed the new league, were concerned they would be unable to offer new deals to players approaching the end of their contracts.
The WRU, who are centrally involved in negotiations over the future of European club competition, said they had therefore stepped in to “help and support” the Cardiff Blues, the Ospreys, Scarlets and Newport Gwent Dragons.
“The WRU has offered to immediately assist to enable the regions to retain their leading Welsh qualified players in Wales,” read a WRU statement on Thursday.
“The WRU has offered to contract all of the regions’ leading Welsh qualified players who are out of contract at the end of this season, on appropriate terms to be agreed.
“Once the negotiations regarding the European tournament are successfully concluded the WRU would permit the regions to revert to the current position with the agreed contracts being reassigned back to them.”
The WRU said they would draw on the 33 million pounds ($53.35 million) earmarked to pay out to the regions over the next five years to fund the contracts.
“I want to make it clear to our players that we have full confidence in the future of the elite game in Wales,” WRU chief Roger Lewis said in the statement.
“It is important that any player considering his future right now fully understands the level of support the WRU is prepared to offer.
“Our squad is about to embark on a demanding Autumn series of international games and it is vitally important that all of their minds are completely focused on the task in hand.”
The English and French leagues announced last year they planned to withdraw from the Heineken Cup and second-tier Amlin Challenge Cup after making no headway in negotiations with the Celtic unions over qualification criteria and income distribution.
Disagreements about the tournament’s voting structure and future television rights – with newcomers BT coming into conflict with long-standing Heineken partner Sky – were also stumbling blocks.
The Celtic unions and tournament organisers European Rugby Cup (ERC) continued to ask for more talks and said they were confident the competition, currently in its 19th year, would continue next season with all the major European countries taking part.
The English and French clubs, however, were adamant they had done enough talking and were committed to a new competition and on Tuesday the Welsh regions offered their backing.
The WRU said in its statement on Thursday that it was “confident” of a “positive outcome” from the negotiations over the future of European rugby.
“It would be inappropriate to go into details about any negotiations or discussions which rightly have to be concluded in private,” Lewis said.
“But I respect the concerns of the players at a time when our talks on Europe are continuing.” (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyleague/10389669/Rangi-Chase-at-home-leading-Englands-Rugby-League-World-Cup-charge.html
Rugby-Welsh offered central contracts as Euro row rumbles on
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