Heineken Cup Replaced

[scrum5]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/25431795

Restriction of Trade, Restriction of Trade, Restriction of....Oh wait

[Setanta]

And these are the guys to run European rugby?

[Big Smoke Culchie]

L'Equipe

Canal + and NRL heading for showdown in their row over rights
and the attempt by the NRL to throw the 2014-18 coverage
rights out to tender.
http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/ ... lnr/425880

That's pretty funny. Is there anyone in European rugby who won't be in court over the next year?

[Rooster]

This is in tonights Guardian, does not look good for the future

Wales's four regions are writing to local MPs and Welsh assembly members to get political backing as their dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union heads to the courts.

The regions have said they will not continue a participation agreement with the WRU for another four seasons because they have not been offered an increase in funding at a time when their wage costs are rising, and no meeting is planned with the union before the 31 December deadline to commit. They are writing to politicians pointing out that the future of organisations with a combined turnover of £30m plus who swell their local economies by £50m annually is at stake, along with more than 1,000 jobs.

"The next couple of weeks will be pivotal in terms of planning our future," said the Scarlets' head coach, Simon Easterby at a media conference on Wednesday to promote the Welsh derbies over the festive period. "There are a number of people involved in the regional game: players, coaches, support staff and those who work at the grounds.

"There is more to this than the political side and perhaps that has been forgotten. So there is a lot riding on the next couple of weeks and it is important that the time is used to resolve matters." Phil Davies, the Cardiff Blues' director of rugby, has seen a few disputes in his time in Welsh rugby as a player and a coach, but he feels that the current one is the most serious.

"This is the biggest issue since the game went professional, there is no getting away from that," he said. "There is a solution out there, one which would benefit the national side, the four regions and the Welsh Premiership underneath us. We are not a big country and we need to work together.

"Other countries, like England, have envied the fact that we are a rugby nation. The people of Wales are the custodians with the support they give to local teams, the regions and the national side. Everyone is in this together and there is enough rugby and commercial ability in both the WRU and the regions to sort this out."

Six Wales internationals are out of contract with their regions at the end of the season, including the Wales captain, Sam Warburton, and Leigh Halfpenny at the Blues. The latter has been linked with Toulon, while Warburton has stated publicly he wants to remain with the Blues, but the regions have been able to make only conditional offers because of the uncertainty surrounding their future.

Warburton has told the Blues that any decision he makes will be announced through them. Ospreys have the second-row Alun Wyn Jones coming out of contract, along with the prop Adam Jones, who is believed to be close to agreeing a new deal with the region.

Talks have been held with Premiership Rugby about setting up an Anglo-Welsh league from next season and the regions are prepared to go to court to win the right to organise their own fixtures. The plan was on Wednesday endorsed by Dean Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby. It would mean they would not be part of a European club competition next season and neither organisation will be in Dublin on Friday for another attempt to save the Heineken Cup.

The Rugby Football Union's chief executive, Ian Ritchie, has been trying to secure a six-nation tournament from next season after the other five unions on European Rugby Cup Ltd agreed to set up a tournament next season without the English, but as the Dublin meeting is being conducted under the auspices of the mediator hired by ERC to resolve the impasse, Graeme Mew, the English and Welsh sides are staying at home.

Premiership Rugby has fined Northampton £60,000 for breaking one of its regulations by releasing the Wales wing George North outside the International Rugby Board's official window. The Saints will not appeal but Premiership Rugby has not said whether the sanction will apply every time there is a rule breach.

Wales will want North, who has a release clause in his contract, for the Six Nations campaign next year and for two weeks before it starts.

[Jackie Brown]

I wouldn't trust a word of what is written in the Guardian regarding this.

[Big Smoke Culchie]

The welsh clubs are finished. I can't see how they can survive as viable professional clubs after the end of this season. The WRU will stop funding them and the English will use and abuse them until there is nothing left but an empty husk. Slap it up em.

[rumncoke]

Writing to MPs and Assemble Members as they go to court.

What that says to me is they have been told "Financially your fecked and legally you haven't a leg to stand on"

And no MP will try to influence the decision of a judge for fear of being found in contempt of Court.

Exactly why and what grounds they have to take the WRU to Court are escapes me.

Firstly the WRU control the cash secondly the Regions are contracted to existing Competitions any action to join any other competition leaves those Regions in Breach of those Contracts

Exactly what do the Regions expect the Court to do give them immunity from the consequences of their breach of Contract.

There is really only one solution that the WRU buy out the Interests of the RRW that then gives rise to the next problem put a valuation on 4 bankrupt regions playing in grounds owned by local Authorities what Assets do the Regions actually own.

From a players point of view would you rather have a Contract backed by the Union or Jonny Comelately


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[BR]

secondly the Regions are contracted to existing Competitions

. You know that for a fact?

[BaggyTrousers]

Welsh Regions to play in England.

Sounds simple doesn't it? Now I thought that cross border competitions required Union approval. Can somebody please explain how its going to happen given the WRU would hardly appear disposed to granting such approval?

[BaggyTrousers]

secondly the Regions are contracted to existing Competitions

. You know that for a fact?

They aren't from 1/1/2014, unless they sign the new participation agreement. If they don't they are financially screwed. If they don't how do they get approval for a cross-border competition? I can't believe the LV tin pot thingy gives carte blanche for further dalliance with the enemy of all right-thinking people.

[Red]

Still think the WRU should offer the owners something to get out of the game. £, $ or whatever they need. Courts make people nervous and it always, and I mean always, get fudged.

[BR]

So what we're saying is that Rum (like so many commentators on this subject) is just making stuff up. I think that largely puts this entire thread into some perspective.

[Snipe Watson]

Still think the WRU should offer the owners something to get out of the game. £, $ or whatever they need. Courts make people nervous and it always, and I mean always, get fudged.

I don't know that they have to Red. I think the WRU can starve them out of existance as the honourable member for Armagh Central says. If the teams don't sign a new deal, the money dries up and the regions wither on the vine. They can't up sticks either like an NFL franchise. They are more or less stuffed legally as the EC cuts sporting bodies considerable slack when it comes to controlling their sports.

[Snipe Watson]

So what we're saying is that Rum (like so many commentators on this subject) is just making stuff up. I think that largely puts this entire thread into some perspective.

I agree, which is why I went off and contacted people on other sites. Asked for links to cases, regulations and agreements and actually bothered to read them. There is an incredible amount of inaccuracy and lack of actual knowledge being spouted on both sides of the argument. It was astounding that PRL representatives, for example, didn't appear to know that Arts 131 and 132 of the Code du Sport actually existed let alone affected the FFR/LNR relationship.

It seems clear that RRW and WRU will litigate this. It's the Newport and Pontypool cases and from reading them RRW will lose. That is probably why they are trying to enlist supporters groups and politicians. But that is supposition on my part as to their tactics.

What grounds do they think they have? Surely not that old chestnut again?
Having said that, they have a better shout at restraint of trade than the PRL had.

[rumncoke]

Baggy if the WRU are contracted and the Regions are affiliated to the Union to fulfil that contract then failure to complete would put them in breach of Contract.

Thus if the others in the Pro12 sue the WRU the WRU would have the right to sue the Clubs.

Between a rock and a hard place they are boyo


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