McCafferty: Irish teams welcome

Ireland’s provinces have been told they would be welcomed with open arms if they wanted to join European rugby’s proposed breakaway competition, as English clubs insisted they would not back down in the battle over the future of the Heineken Cup.

English and French clubs announced on Tuesday they will stage their own tournament from next season as frustration grew over a failure to agree changes to the current format and TV deals.

In response, ERC yesterday stated that they would hold urgent meetings with all stakeholders in a bid to secure the future of the Heineken Cup.