Rugby set for European boycott?

Updated 09.24 Mon Apr 02 2007

Keywords: European Cup, boycott, rugby, sport

Guinness Premiership clubs are set to pull out of next season's Heineken Cup if their French counterparts decide to boycott the competition at a meeting on Thursday.

The French clubs are unhappy with the scheduling of matches and do not believe the competition should be staged in the same year as the World Cup.

"The scheduling of matches is key to this boycott but in World Cup year something has to give" - Premier Rugby Limited

English clubs are thought to have similar concerns and a spokesman Premier Rugby Limited said: "The scheduling of matches is key to this boycott but in World Cup year something has to give."

English clubs could face legal action from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) if they decide to pull out of European club rugby's premier competition next season.

This latest news arises after the stalling of talks between the RFU and Premier Rugby over a new system of co-operation.

Wasps chief executive David Davies has been quoted as saying: "If the RFU persists with its current standpoint, it is questionable whether there will be any European competition next year. That would call into question the future of the tournament."

Davies continued: "It is not unreasonable to grant Premier Rugby a shareholding in its own right, and there is a growing feeling that the clubs who bring most to this competition should have a voice in how it is run commercially, having long expressed our concerns about its commercial performance.

"It is the denial of this voice which is bringing the Heineken Cup to its knees."

A record three English teams - Leicester, Wasps and Northampton - have qualified for this season's European Cup semi-finals.