Heineken Cup dispute likely to end up in law courts again

RUGBY is heading to the law courts for the second time in less than a year with the England RFU and Premier Rugby refusing to concede any ground in their dispute over the Heineken Cup.

The 12 Guinness Premiership clubs have voted to withdraw from the competition if their French counterparts carry out a threat to boycott the tournament, with their decision expected tomorrow.

Concern at the RFU’s refusal to hand over share and voting rights – plus anxiety over fixture congestion next season, which starts with the Rugby World Cup, are behind the French stance.