The Rugby Football Union (RFU) and England's leading clubs yesterday announced an eight-year agreement that should finally end the in-fighting that has dogged the sport since it turned professional 12 years ago.

"We have put club v country behind us and can now talk about club and country," RFU elite rugby director Rob Andrew told a Twickenham news conference. "It is an English solution to an English problem and this is clearly a very important day for English rugby."

The main breakthrough is in the structure of the season, which has now been designed, starting next year, to allow the England squad time off from club commitments in the week before internationals and to minimise the weekends when international matches clash with the Premiership.

In return the RFU will fund the clubs up to an extra €155 million over the eight-year period, including "compensation" as an encouragement to develop and employ more England-qualified players and giving them a share of any extra November internationals.

New guidelines on how many matches players should play in a season (33 or 34, including 10/11 internationals) and how much rest they should have (10/11 weeks) as well as the concept of promotion and relegation in the Premiership were nailed down.

There will also be changes in the structure of the various groups committees who run the game, with increased representation from the clubs and players.The agreement incorporates an independent resolution process in case of any future breakdowns. "We are both absolutely determined not to end up in court again," said RFU chief executive Francis Baron.