Six Nations: Ban threat for England players

England's Six Nations squad could be banned for life from international competition if they persist with their new contracts.

All 12 clubs and their players joined forces this week to forge a new company called Premier Rugby Partnership.

But the RFU management board are believed to have identified three alleged breaches of their regulations over player release for international matches.

And they will give England's all-conquering squad two months' notice next week that they face an international life ban.

An RFU official said: "None of them will play for England unless they walk away from the contracts they have just signed with their clubs.

"The contracts put them in clear breach of international Board regulations on release which means they cannot go on the Lions tour of Australia or with England to America.

"We will be left with no option but to pick an alternative team consisting of players from the Second Division and promising youngsters elsewhere," the official added.

"There will be a short-term hiatus but the Union will be left with no option other than to draw up an alternative structure. They are asking us to agree the impossible.

"There is no way we can meet the clubs' demand for one-third of our international match income.

"That would put the Union into a £10-12m loss situation. International Board rules make it impossible for us to entertain the idea, even if we wanted to.

"If we do not abide by those rules, then the Board would suspend the RFU and with it the whole England team. This is a huge threat to the stability of the world game."

The RFU's 12-man board will discuss the crisis next Thursday when Leicester chief executive Peter Wheeler's position on the board will be called into question given his involvement in the new partnership.