French dig in as rugby row intensifies

The French Rugby Federation is on a collision course with clubs from the Aviva Premiership and Top 14 as the dispute over the future of the Heineken Cup continued to escalate.

Just hours after Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty declared he expects Celtic and Italian teams to join the ‘Rugby Champions Cup’, the French Rugby Federation responded with a strongly-worded statement backing European Rugby Cup.

Approval from the Rugby Football Union, FFR and International Rugby Union is required if the Anglo-French breakaway is to go ahead and any teams from the RaboDirect Pro12 participating will need the same support from their unions.