Welsh clubs given Euro cup ultimatum

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The four Welsh regions have been given a deadline of October 31 to commit to joining the breakaway European tournament or to risk being left out in the cold.

With the future of the Heineken Cup increasingly in doubt, the Rugby Paper reports that Premier Rugby Ltd, the group leading the breakaway, are to hold talks with the Welsh regions to try to persuade them to throw in their lot with the new competition.

“We are pushing on with arrangements for the Champions’ Cup,” PRL chief executive Mark McCafferty told the Rugby Paper. “We have various meetings with the French clubs over the next ten days.We will also be talking to the Welsh regions during the coming week to get further clarification of their position.

“They probably do want to be part of the Champions’ Cup but there are various issues to be discussed. Ultimately, they need to decide for themselves with the Welsh Rugby Union. I have sympathy for their position. Various teams from different countries would like to join and are in the process of deciding.”

He said the end-of-October deadline was necessary as that was cut-off point to allow commercial discussions to be stepped up. “We very much hope they will be a part of it. They are closer to the club set-up than most in the European theatre.”

The Welsh regions face serious financial implications if they decide to stay out as the income from the rump of the Heineken Cup – assuming the French and English clubs stay out of it – is likely to be significantly reduced even if it continues.

McCafferty said he was confident the new tournament would start without the courts being involved. “If for any reason people want to oppose the Champions’ Cup, the question they then have to ask is: ‘What’s the viable alternative?’ We don’t believe there is one. What we do believe is that Rugby Champions’ Cup represents the best solution for all the stakeholders.”

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Article source: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/british-and-irish-lions-v-queensland-reds-player-ratings-8650576.html

Welsh clubs given Euro cup ultimatum