Unions get tough as they reiterate backing for Heineken Cup

The latest twists in the already serpentine bid to reach agreement over the future of European club rugby’s flagship competitions came last night with what was, ultimately, a hardening of resolve on both sides of the barricades.

Five of the Six Nations unions met in Dublin to discuss the torturous and tangled web of issues — the RFU, interestingly, was not invited — and announced their intention to hold firm on the crucial matter of governance by declaring their support for the ERC which organises the Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cups.

Premiership Rugby (PLR) who, along with their French club counterparts (LNR), refuse to continue under the ERC’s umbrella beyond the current accord which ends in May, subsequently insisted that it remains all systems go for their planned Rugby Champions Cup.