We need English clubs in Europe, but only if...

THE end is in sight, even if we are not quite there yet.

The IRFU must have enjoyed one giant sigh of relief last week as the English club owners received a massive setback to their plans for a new European competition, having been left high and dry by their French counterparts, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

That said, the war isn’t over, even if Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) have been holed below the waterline. The Heineken Cup appears to have survived, for another season at least, albeit a watered down version of the tournament we have become so familiar with over the last decade. There is still much to be resolved however, not least the 20 teams who will be invited to take part in next season’s tournament.