I agree with you Ummm. The IRFU would definitely not mind all 4 provinces being in it, but it would definitely be opposed by other unions.... Italy and Scotland would be the losers in that rules change I think.

The lv cup place has nothing to do with us, it's down to the participating unions. If a crap English team wins it doesn't affect anyone except the more deserving English team that loses out as a result.

Not having the lv cup wouldn't benefit Irish teams HEC qualificationin any way, it would just mean the Welsh and English teams would have to decide on a different way to fill their HEC quota, but the numbers remain the same.

The winner of the LV Cup shouldn't get a place in it, I think that's a disgrace because it's a piss of a competition and doesn't become serious til the semi final

That would free up an extra space that would allow both us and the Dragons in automatically. Also, with 3 Irish winners in the last 4 years, and 4 in the last 7, surely an extra space should be granted on that footing?

It's the same for the four Welsh Regions gents, only three go through to the Heineken Cup unless one of the Provinces or regions wins one of the Eurpean Cups on offer as did Leinster last season and the Cardiff Blues who won the Amlin Cup the season before allowing the Scarlets into last years competition. The dragons are now in the Amlin Cup or whatever it is called these days.

The IRFU would probably be in favour, and why not? Max income from Europe. It's the other unions that would oppose it.

IRFU don't want us there on a full time basis because then the onus would be on them to increase our funding to a proper level they won't push for it

:evil: Why cant there be 4 provinces in the hc?, precident with scotland, could easily make even numbers if wanted from addition of extra english/ french teams_ wouldn't take from rabo as they are separate, would`t make a jot of difference to europes best but would be a huge benifit to us, attract better players/ more revenue/ bigger crowds etc etc, myth of competition amongst irish provinces doesn't add up as leinster, munster guaranteed a place and much better resourced ulster just need to finish above us, the main reason for not resourving us properly would be gone and we could become a true conduit of the best of the young talent and older players not making it at the other provinces, this would also be of great benifit to the irish team, surely a no brainer, where are our lobbyists?_