IRB seeks to settle player-release row

The International Rugby Board are trying to negotiate a short-term fix in the row between Scotland and English clubs over player release.

Scottish Rugby lodged an official complaint with the IRB after Premier Rugby (PRL), the umbrella organisation representing Guinness Premiership teams, blocked players attending yesterday’s first training session of the new season at Murrayfield.

Premier Rugby insist they were within their rights to impose the blanket ban as they are only obliged to release players five days before an agreed quota of Test matches.

Their stance has infuriated Scottish Rugby, who want access to their players two weeks before every Test.

They are desperate for a resolution before November’s autumn internationals against New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, the results of which will determine their ranking for the 2011 World Cup draw.

The issue is complicated by the fact the IRB council are meeting that month in a bid to ratify new regulations governing all aspects of player release, a summit that will not take place until after Scotland’s Tests.

The IRB are therefore attempting to thrash out a temporary agreement between Scottish Rugby and Premier Rugby over the issue.

An IRB spokesman said: “Everyone is hoping that common sense prevails, that custom and practice prevails.

“But there is a differing attitude here towards what custom and practice is for squad sessions at the moment.

“PRL have got no problem releasing players five days before Test matches. It’s slightly different now that Scotland want release for squad sessions. We’re talking to all parties to see what the best solution is.”

Those parties include the Rugby Football Union, and although the IRB have no direct jurisdiction themselves over Premier Rugby, in theory they could advise the RFU to ban Scotland players appearing for their Premiership clubs this weekend.

That is unlikely to happen, with the IRB hoping for a peaceful settlement.

The spokesman added: “It is a delicate situation, everyone accepts that. We’re hoping we can negotiate a solution now.

“But everyone in the game recognises we need stronger regulations for player release that will fit the modern game.”

IRB Regulation 9 governs the release of players for international duty and it is this that is set to be overhauled.

Last November’s conference in Woking led to an agreement for players to be released for 11 specified Test matches a year.

But the IRB are still working on the small print for Regulation 9, which includes: the number of days before a Test a player must be released; the terms of release for squad sessions outside international weeks, including the number and duration of these sessions; what happens to players in rest weeks during the RBS 6 Nations and other tournaments; and how many days after a Test must a player return to his club.

The spokesman said: “Regulation 9 is undergoing a major review. The whole idea is to have a Regulation 9 that now fits the modern game.

“Common practice has existed now in the last five or six years between unions and clubs, a gentleman’s agreement which has worked very well.

“Hopefully, next year, we will have new regulations in place agreed by everybody which will then set the platform for player release in the future.

“We have to facilitate an agreement between all senior professional unions so everybody is happy with it. It’s quite complex and there is not an easy solution.”