Rugby unions make progress on European competition

Progress has been made “on a number of issues” in the ongoing tussle surrounding European club competitions, independent mediators Graeme Mew and Stephen Drymer said on Thursday.

Two days of meetings in Dublin, attended by representatives from the English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, French and Italian unions, ended with the two men issuing an upbeat statement confirming the support by consensus for a continuing existence of two European tournaments, each made up of 20 teams, and a possibility of a third-tier event.