ERC chief 'confident' cup deal can be hammered out

ERC chief, Derek McGrath says they are no closer to agreeing terms of a Heineken Cup campaign beyond this campaign with the Anglo-French clubs but is confident a deal can be hammered out.

For the last year the English and French representatives have threatened to pull out as their participation agreement ends after this season, to start up their own competition.

In a statement last week, Premiership Rugby and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby announced a name for such a competition - the “Rugby Champions Cup".

The competition would be based on the principles of qualification on merit, a strong competition format, equality between the leagues, higher commercial values for the teams and expansion into new European markets.

McGrath, speaking at yesterday’s Heineken Cup launch in Dublin, said: “We are fifteen months into a two-year notice period, there has been a lot said and positions exchanged, we have a lot of work to do to ensure that the future continues.”

“We have had at this stage 15 different meetings but what we haven’t had is proper engagement and discussion and a focus on the competition continuing," he added.

“You have got to have confidence that the competitions will continue and discussions will begin properly but clearly at this point, 15 months in, we understand the frustration of the fans who must be wondering why a bunch of administrators cannot come up with the right solutions for what has become the greatest club competitions in the world.”

The IRB have come out in recent days to say it would not approve of a breakaway competition while the IRFU also said they would not have teams compete in another un-sanctioned European competition. More recently, the FFR in France have said they wouldn’t approve either.

This has led analysts to suggest that if the IRB were not to sanction a breakaway, that it would be in breach of European law and the ERC could find themselves in front of a European Court.

McGrath says, “I don’t think it is very helpful to suggest that you are willing to offer something and then suggest that if you don’t do it or take it that we will take you to court.”

He added: “What we have seen is a proposal which has already been rejected by the FFR in France, the other unions and the IRB have said they will not sanction competitions that are not approved by the unions.”