IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said yesterday the union would not be held to ransom by the contract it signed with Eddie O'Sullivan prior to the rugby World Cup.
But he also insisted there was no immediate plan to move against the Irish rugby coach, who signed a lucrative four-year deal just days before the World Cup began. "At this point in time Eddie O'Sullivan is the coach and that is very much the position and we are looking forward to working with him over the next period," said Browne, who until now has resolutely defended the coach following Ireland's exit from the World Cup.
He said the IRFU would undertake a professional review of the causes for Ireland's elimination in the group stage. Outside consultants may play a role in this review, which would look at all aspects of the team including logistics, medical, fitness, players, coaching staff and administration, he added.
Asked what impact O'Sullivan's four-year contract would have on the union's ability to act, Browne replied: "We will not be held to ransom by contracts or anything else."
Pressure has been mounting on the IRFU to come up with answers for Ireland's poor showing in France. This has intensified following the swift decision by the Welsh and New Zealand rugby boards to sack their respective coaches, Gareth Jenkins and Graham Henry, in the wake of disappointing World Cup performances. "It has been a huge disappointment not only for the public but also for the IRFU. We have put a lot of time, effort and money into the team, the coaching staff also put a lot of time and effort in the players," said Browne, who added he did not expect the poor performance in France to undermine the finances of the IRFU. He said all the 10-year season tickets for the new stadium at Lansdowne Road had already been sold and Ireland's early exit would not affect that "end of things".
Browne made the comments before four of the main Irish sports organisations - the IRFU, the GAA, the FAI, and the Irish Olympic Committee - joined forces in a delegation to lobby the European Commission on its draft sports policy. The delegation, which was organised by the four Fianna Fáil MEPs in Brussels, met internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy and culture commissioner Jan Figel.
Liam Mulvihill, the chief executive of the GAA in Ireland, said the meeting was important because it marked the first time the sports organisations had united to lobby on an issue. "Such a meeting would not have happened five years ago," he said.
Eoin Ryan MEP said it was essential the Irish sports bodies made their case that grassroots sports needed to be supported by the EU.
The commission published a white paper on sport in June, which proposed extending the role of the EU into several areas related to sport such as: coordinating anti-doping strategies; preventing violent and racist incidents; and the lucrative area of TV rights and copyright issues.
Irish sports organisations such as the FAI also want to ensure existing EU rules do not undermine their activities. For example the G14 - a group of 18 of soccer's richest clubs - are taking a test case to Europe's highest court arguing they should be compensated when players play for their country. If the court backs the rich clubs, which include Manchester United and Real Madrid, the FAI argues it could restrict its ability to play the best players due to pay claims and insurance costs.
The IRFU is also concerned about judges deciding sports policy.
Meanwhile, Pat Hickey, president of the Irish Olympic Council, dismissed growing calls for EU states to boycott the Olympic Games in China next year due to its human rights record. Hickey said boycotts had never worked in the past and it would be wrong to use "the athletes as a pawn" in the situation. He said: "The position . . . is we are not a government agency, we cannot enforce our rules of law on democratically-elected governments or undemocratically-elected governments. We are only a sporting agency."
He said the Olympics were changing China and it would be better to adopt a gradual approach to seeking change in the country. "Gradual moves forward are better than to have a chaotic situation such as the collapse of the Soviet Union," he added.