H-Cup doubts delay contract talks with Reds stars

Munster head coach Rob Penney has warned that some of his star players are “hesitant” to sign new deals while the row over the future of the Heineken Cup rumbles on and has urged the warring factions to resolve the crisis.

With tournament organisers ERC and the six stakeholding unions at loggerheads with English and French clubs over the future direction of Europe’s premier club competition, the new campaign, which started last night, threatens to be the 19th and final edition of the Heineken Cup unless some middle ground can be found.

Yet while the stand-off continues, Penney has expressed fears that if no agreement on a new accord is reached by Christmas, it will be increasingly difficult to tie down players such as Conor Murray and Donnacha Ryan, out of contract at the end of this season, to new deals keeping them at Munster. Penney did not name those players but told the Irish Examiner: “We are in negotiation with a couple of players who are hesitant at the moment.

“It is an issue but we’re not at the pointy end yet. I’d say that by Christmas, if we haven’t got some really clear direction about where things are going then things are going to get more anxious around those issues.”

Penney, whose side open their Pool 6 campaign today against Edinburgh at Murrayfield, said the tournament was too good to lose and he did not want to see the English and French going it alone.

“The Heineken Cup is such an important competition here. Personally I think it’s really important that there’s some contact with the Italians. I think the benefit for European rugby with the Six Nations and the Italians getting the odd result is great.

“You’d hate to see Scotland ever isolated out of European competition and similarly Ireland.

“There has to be a way, it can’t just end up being the Poms and the French.

“How they come to that conclusion is up to the powers that be but I think there’s room. I think you can accommodate all the needs and have a great competition.”