columoc wrote: Interesting positions by the French clubs.


there no point being a valiant loser, they can't afford Irish rugby to get isolated, that is the biggest risk.They must have a Plan B and do what is bets for the game here, even if it's not perfect.

Really, world rugby is the opportunity : Anglo-French want their 20 clubs competition?? Let's negociate for ours, the time is ideal with S-A and Argentina not sure to be in Super XV 2015.

Pro12 + the 6 South African provinces + 3 Argentinians franchises + 1 guest (Russia/Roumania/Pacific/Japan)


Ok the addition is 22 clubs, but you can't remove who you want

Interesting positions by the French clubs.

Either they are very confident that they can pull of a successful Anglo/Competition competition or its just a bluff. I guess a bit of both. Even if not a success it would have big implications for Pro 12. Probably force Connacht and most others into semi pro status.

The best hope for ERC is to isolate the French from English, it shouldn't take much to do that if negotiators are good enough. The French public and rugby fraternity see more benefit and credibility in HEC than in another competition. Even now, French clubs, if they lose a few matches in HEC lose interest, only Clermont & Toulouse always focused on it, plus more recently Toulon. My bet is that French clubs would focus more on Top 14 than any media driven competition. Equally, in England, there is a marked difference between Northern and Southern clubs. Leceister (and Wheeler), N'hampton, Sale etc would have more traditional view of HEC than wideboy clubs like Saracens and Quins who are managed to gain an audience.

I think that this whole thing is being driven by the BT Sport Agenda. They may issue some carrots to Scottish clubs to force the issue, it is no coincidence that they have recently sponsored them. I think this is potentially their trump card. If the Scots split, we will have no choice but join a new competition. I don't think even BTthink an Anglo French competition would get the audience without other countries. It depends on how much Sky want HEC; and how SKY react to areas such as 6 Nations; this may adjust opinions. Best IRFU can do is to get the French onside to isolate the English. But there no point being a valiant loser, they can't afford Irish rugby to get isolated, that is the biggest risk.They must have a Plan B and do what is bets for the game here, even if it's not perfect.

On a seperate note, some Australians want to get back to Free for View, Pay for View is too restrictive, an omen for the future where rugby is a minority sport? www.theaustralian.com.au/media/rugby-has...frg996-1226715499166

rossie wrote: Connachta- there is an interview with paul goze of LNR on WWW.rugby365.fr/coupe due Europe. It went up tonight at 20.45. When you get a chance can you have a look and let us know if it was made since etc meeting ended or before. Also if there is anything of interest. Thks

I know It's weird but Goze's interwiew was indeed yesterday, don't konw if it's before or after Dublin meeting

In it, Goze repeats LNR position, dare I say more violently

1) Not to participate Hcup in this configuration isn't a threat, it's a firm decision followed by ALL top14 clubs
2) According to him IRB can't oppose to their new competition, clubs are " in command of the situation "
3) French aren't following English, they are asking for a rebuilding since 2012
4) He already planned meetings to launch the new competition 2014-15, working on marketing, administration

Apparently his interview was before the meeting. It was posted on the guardian or telegraph on 10/9 at 10.26. Amazing the way these guys do business.
Philip Browne is in the times saying as much today also. At least it implies that irfu are not prepared to do business at all costs.
If it becomes Everyman for himself which is what they want then its difficult to see the pro12 surviving this.

Ok, I'll watch this tomorrow!

Connachta- there is an interview with paul goze of LNR on WWW.rugby365.fr/coupe due Europe. It went up tonight at 20.45. When you get a chance can you have a look and let us know if it was made since etc meeting ended or before. Also if there is anything of interest. Thks

It'll be interesting to see if there’s any attempt at counter-proposals or just straight forward surrender and let them have the proposals made last year. I hope not - all parties need to feel they have some sort of stake in this else it’ll just lead to even more bitter recriminations in the future.

And I really don’t want to see the competition dictated by the PRL and LNR, everyone needs to have some sort of say and the means to get their ideas through. Swapping the ERC in its current form where the French and English couldn’t get anything through because they were always outvoted for a version where the Celts or Italians can’t be heard is not the answer and won't make for a successful template.

This is the rest of it - the ERC have shat themselves, I think


It was agreed at a scheduled ERC Board meeting in Dublin today (Wednesday, 11 September 2013) that ERC would facilitate the discussions and that the current points of difference, including the share of central revenues, qualification and season dates, would all be on the table.

The Board reiterated that European club competitions must be organised by ERC and that any purported cross-border club tournaments needed the approval both of the IRB, and of the relevant Unions who are shareholders of ERC.

Surprise was expressed at the timing and content of yesterday's media announcements by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) and Premiership Rugby, and representatives of both bodies were invited to explain their positions.

It was pointed out that there was a range of proposals made by stakeholders, none of which were acceptable to all parties, and it was agreed that the negotiations towards a definitive solution needed to begin again in earnest.
Attendees at today's ERC Board meeting
Jean-Pierre Lux (ERC Chairman)
René Bouscatel (Ligue Nationale de Rugby)
Olivier Keraudren (Federation Française de Rugby)
Philip Browne (Irish Rugby Football Union)
Peter Boyle (Irish Rugby Football Union)
Peter Wheeler (Premiership Rugby)
Roy Headey (Rugby Football Union)
Ian McLauchlan (Scottish Rugby)
Dominic McKay (Scottish Rugby)
Roger Lewis (Welsh Rugby Union)
Stuart Gallacher (Regional Rugby Wales)
Fabrizio Gaetaniello (Federazione Italiana Rugby)
Derek McGrath (ERC Chief Executive)

Sounds like the tails attempt to wag the dog hasn't worked. I'm sure some kind of compromise is on the table. LNR and premiership rugby were represented at meeting today.
www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/22269.php#.UjCEcrwVyI4

Darkest night and all that.

www.thescore.ie/heineken-cup-2-1079264-Sep2013/

"FOLLOWING THE MEETING of stakeholders in Dublin today the ERC have released a statement to say that parties in England and France have re-affirmed their commitment to signing a new Accord.

- More to follow."

Erc have released statement that all parties including England have committed to signing up to a new accord. More to follow.

The translation is pretty good, but I haven't found more than this exerpt, from sport newspaper "l'équipe" September the 5th (so, before LNR announcement)

Connachta( or anyone else who can speak French)-
There is a quote attributed to president of FFR over on babbling brook thread on this subject. The rough translation posted beneath is " as usual the English make the mess and the French are left to tidy it up"
Was it said today and is there more to the interview in the French press?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea - on the contrary the potential for getting fans on board and the amount of money you'd make from TV are staggering - just that I don't see the clubs, especially the English clubs, and even more especially the likes of Nigel Wray, being farsighted enough to adopt such a proposal.

And isn't it the case that the NFL, NBA etc. have ultimate control over the clubs? Once you have different factions at the top, it quickly becomes an 'I'll have mine' situation.

Anyone know when the ERC meeting is finished?

Might I point out that the central problem with this (asides from the smaller fixable issues like fewer interpros): this is an idea predicated on the American tradition of fairness in sport, as evidenced by their draft system, as opposed to the current behaviour of the English clubs, which is about creaming off the money for a hadnful of top clubs á la the Champions League?