Celtic League Shenanigans

[Dewi Barnes]

Of course it all may have been a cunning plan by the Celtic League plc.

There is no such thing as bad publicity and the Celtic League has enjoyed a higher profile over the last few weeks than it has had in the previous 4 years. I suspect there will be real rivalry now between the West English and the Irish and Scottish sides when things do get sorted.

You never know but this who-ha may just bring in the sponsor that the league needs.

Now if only Carlsberg did Celtic Leagues!

[Rooster]

You may be right Dewi it actually crossed my mind at the start
If all teams are back in league together the Welsh comments about Irish and Scottish teams will add extra meaning to the games.

[browner]

RFU seeks assurances from clubs over extra release days
By Mark Souster
ENGLAND’S chances of retaining the World Cup in 2007 could hinge on the outcome of crucial negotiations between the RFU and the Premiership clubs over their participation in the proposed Anglo-Welsh Cup next season. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the English clubs have signed up for the new tournament, which will be sponsored by Powergen and broadcast by the BBC.

The RFU, however, is holding out until it receives assurances from the clubs over extra release days for England’s international players. “It is a game of high stakes,” a source said. “There has to be give and take.”

It is the issue that prompted Sir Clive Woodward’s departure from England, frustrated as he was at the lack of progress. Next season the proposal is for only 16 extra days, which is at least 50 per cent short of what Andy Robinson, the present head coach, feels is the bare minimum he requires if England are to launch a competitive defence of their title in France.

Twickenham supports the new cup concept, which will be worth £6.7 million over four years, in the knowledge that revenue will filter through to clubs at all levels. But in return it wants agreement, at least in principle, on the number of days Robinson will have with his players. “We have been asked to take things on trust but we have to have something definite in place,” the source continued. “It is a vital issue.”

The situation has been complicated by a serious injury to David Thompson, the Newcastle Falcons owner and the acting chairman of Premier Rugby which has ruled him out of negotiations. He was hurt in a boating accident in France and in his absence Tom Walkinshaw, of Gloucester, was voted back in, to widespread surprise.

A decision is required soon as the fixture list has to be finalised for next season for all those involved. There are also implications for the Celtic League, which will collapse without Welsh involvement. The WRU is meeting its counterparts from Scotland and Ireland in Cardiff tomorrow in an attempt to resolve their differences. Steve Lewis, the WRU’s general manager, said: “It is important for all concerned and as responsible governing bodies that we sort things out.”

[ding dong2u]

All very messy

[colinh]

Well ....... just add more weight to the view that the GP clubs may not be taking it quite so seriously .. The Powergen Cup that is.

Colin

[browner]

WRU chief Lewis bids to save Celtic League

Jun 17 2005

Dave Roberts, Western Mail


WRU chief executive Steve Lewis will do "everything in my power" to get the Scots and Irish to resurrect a full-blown Celtic League campaign for next season.

Lewis will lead the Welsh delegation at a showdown meeting in Heathrow Airport today at which the whole future of the professional club game in the three Celtic nations will be on the line.

When the countries last met last month it ended in acrimony with the Scots and Irish throwing Wales out of the tournament and agreeing to play among themselves next season.

They were unhappy at the way Wales had successfully negotiated a deal with the RFU to take part in an Anglo-Welsh Cup competition over the next four years.

The argument from the Scots and Irish was that Wales had not been "open and honest" with them about their dealings with England, that by taking part in the tournament Wales were undermining the integrity of the Celtic League and that the five dates required simply could not be fitted into the calendar.

But in a "clear-the-air" memo to the Scottish and Irish unions, as well as the Celtic League broadcast partners, Lewis has moved to set the record straight on several issues ahead of today's meeting.

"The first principle is that the WRU and its four regions are totally committed to the Celtic League," said Lewis.

"It is our bread and butter, our main ranking tournament for European competition.

"Ever since the WRU moved to bring the Scottish teams into the Welsh/Scottish League, and then backed the addition of the Irish to make it a proper Celtic League, we have given our utmost support to the tournament.

"We believe that the format of the last two seasons, where there are 20 fixtures on a home-and-away basis, is near perfect to meet the needs of everyone in the three nations."

Lewis said it was the prospect of being dragged into a 'Rainbow Cup' involving South African provinces, and then excluded from meetings that tried to get four Italian teams into a reshaped Celtic League played on a home-or-away basis, that forced the WRU to re-examine fixtures for the regions.

"That's why, having initially rejected an offer from the RFU and their Premier Division clubs to play in an Anglo-Welsh Cup we were forced to reopen negotiations with them," he said.

"What has come out of those negotiations is a four-year deal to play in a cross-border cup competition with England's top dozen clubs over five weekends.

"The Scots and the Irish say they cannot find a way to accommodate those five weekends. We will be presenting them with further plans that should allow them to find a solution."

[colinh]

Some comments ahead of today's hoedown:

Playing at weekends is thought to be crucial to the Anglo-Welsh Cup's planned BBC TV deal. However, Keohane said it was his understanding that a television deal for the Anglo-Welsh competition had not yet been signed.

The competition threatens to drag the BBC to the table with possible implications for their coverage of the home countries' blue riband Six Nations Championship.

He warned: "Our broadcasters will leave us, sponsors will walk away and the fans simply won't have the same level of rugby to watch. We believe we have found more than one way for the Celtic League season to support our plan to play in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

"If the Scots and Irish turn down those plans then they will simply be cutting their own throats along with ours."

What is certain is that the Scots and Irish representatives will take some persuasion to let the Welsh back in.

"The WRU and its four regions are totally committed to the Celtic League. It is our bread and butter, our main ranking tournament for European competition.

THE chances of today’s Celtic League meeting producing a peace deal rose significantly yesterday when Steve Lewis, the chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, issued a statement that amounted to a plea to be allowed back into the competition.
“We simply have to find a way through this or we are all going to suffer,” the statement read. “Our broadcasters will leave us, sponsors will walk away and the fans simply won’t have the same level of rugby to watch.”

Is this porky pies?

Lewis said it was the prospect of being dragged into a 'Rainbow Cup' involving South African provinces, and then excluded from meetings that tried to get four Italian teams into a reshaped Celtic League played on a home-or-away basis, that forced the WRU to re-examine fixtures for the regions.

"That's why, having initially rejected an offer from the RFU and their Premier Division clubs to play in an Anglo-Welsh Cup we were forced to reopen negotiations with them," he said.

This is totally different from what was quoted in the BBC.....selective reporting!!

"In the early part of this year we were faced with the prospect of being dragged into a 'Rainbow Cup' involving South African provinces, and then excluded from meetings that tried to get four Italian teams into a re-shaped Celtic League played on a home or away basis," said Lewis.

"Against such a background of uncertainty we had to find ways of increasing and improving the fixture lists for our regions - for the good of their players and their fans.

"That's why, having initially rejected an offer from the RFU and their Premier Division clubs, to play in an Anglo-Welsh Cup we were forced to re-open negotiations with them.

A bit of journalistic licence at its worst??

Colin

[browner]

Well it's time for the real talking to start, and i expect to hear a compromise announced, if not to-day then very very soon.

[BR]

Well it's time for the real talking to start, and i expect to hear a compromise announced, if not to-day then very very soon.

Is this meeting about whether or not to have a CL, or is it about how each side can save face when they announce it?

[browner]

Unfortunately it's probably a bit of both BR but as long as the end result gives the paying public a meaningful and competetive league i guess we'll have to live with the ego's that are on display.

[browner]

Celtic League agreement reached

The Scottish and Irish rugby unions have reached agreement with their Welsh counterparts over a future structure for the Celtic League.

Wales were expelled from the competition in acrimonious circumstances on May 31 after joining a new Anglo-Welsh Cup competition.

The Anglo-Welsh Cup was designed to replace the Powergen Cup in the English domestic calendar but its creation required Welsh clubs being free of Celtic League fixtures for five weekends of the season.

This was objected to by Scotland and Ireland but the Welsh Rugby Union insisted they remained full committed to the Celtic League and agreement was reached at a summit meeting at Heathrow Airport today.


A statement read: “As a consequence of a very positive and productive meeting in London today the Celtic League Association confirm that the three unions have reached agreement to accommodate the proposed Anglo-Welsh cup competition in the 2005-06 season.”

The expulsion of the Welsh regions had left them facing the possibility of just nine guaranteed fixtures per season.

But the WRU believed a solution could be found by arranging fixtures in a certain way and having Welsh clubs play in midweek.

No details of the format of the competition have yet been given, although the Celtic League Association are planning to issue a further statement on Monday.


http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/s ... =146600248

[pwrmoore]

Thank $%^& for that

[Keyser Soze]

I'll believe it when I see the fixture list.

[BR]

Out of interest - does anyone know if the agreement not to play on international weekends applies to the extra weekend Wales have included in their autumn schedule? (IIRC 5 Nov v NZ).

[Rooster]

Never thought of that one BR, I wonder did they tell the IRFU and SRU about that And they were the side who did most whinging about the Irish not taking the league seriously looks like seconds out round 2