European Cup stand-off:ERC have confirmed there will be "a European club rugby tournament" next season following a series of meetings in Dublin. The first concerned the ERC shareholders, who convened yesterday morning, while ERC board of directors met to discuss developments in the afternoon. The only tangible thing to emerge from yesterday's discussions was a consensus to go ahead with a tournament.
The proposed competition will include representatives from all six participating nations: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Crucially, there are no details as to the specific identity of some of the participants, in particular who will represent France and England.
The ERC statement read: "Following a meeting of ERC's shareholders in Dublin, it was agreed that a European club rugby tournament will be staged in the 2007/2008 season, to include teams from all six of the current participating nations. The structure of the tournament will be discussed and agreed by the ERC board in the coming weeks."
The ERC shareholder meeting was attended by representatives from the six participating unions, club representatives from England and Italy and a regional representative from Wales.
France's League National de Rugby (LNR) are considered the main culprits in undermining the tournament because of their decision not to play next season, and furthermore enticing the Premier Rugby (PRL), the umbrella body for the Premiership clubs in England, to follow suit.
The PRL were represented in Dublin and there is the possibility, however faint, that an agreement could still be brokered that would allow them to participate in next season's tournament.
But the PRL want the English RFU to hand over half their shares in ERC, an outcome that remains highly unlikely.
The chairman of the English RFU management board, Martyn Thomas, sounded a cautiously optimistic note in the wake of yesterday's discussions.
"We are delighted that there will be a European club rugby tournament involving English clubs next season," he said. "We hope that these will be from the Guinness Premiership, and as rugby's national governing body we are committed to English club participation in the competition."
The English RFU did meet Geoff Cooke, the chief executive of FDR, the body representing English first division clubs on Tuesday, but the discussions with regard to a European tournament were brief and circumspect.
It is interesting to note the LNR didn't send a representative to Dublin. ERC chairman Jean Pierre Lux is a member of the LNR's board of directors, but for previous shareholder meetings the LNR has sent a second representative, until yesterday.
The Six Nations committee meet today, and one of the items up for discussion will be the European club tournament.
As far as the ERC is concerned, they will begin teasing out a structure for the new competition, a process they believe may take two to three weeks. The IRB is also due to meet today and there will be a crossover in terms of the respective agendas.
In a statement, the IRFU offered their endorsement to yesterday's resolution.
"The IRFU welcomes today's decision by the ERC board that there will be a European Cup tournament in the 2007-2008 season involving participants from all of the six competing unions."
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne added: "Today's outcome is certainly welcomed by the IRFU and is a step in the right direction to securing the future of the tournament. Although this is only a starting point, it is good news for Irish rugby and we will be working with our fellow board members within ERC over the coming weeks to formulate a structure for the tournament."
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis chipped in his comments: "This is a significant step forward from the gloomy picture we faced last week with the announcement from the French and English clubs.
"It was vitally important for the players, coaches and fans to know that there will be a European competition next season. That is the starting point for us all, as is the fact that each of the six participating unions has agreed to enter teams.
"What will follow is the fine detail, but the Welsh regions can look forward to playing European rugby next season. Last week we made contingency plans to ease the financial pain our regions would feel if there were no European tournaments, now they can look forward to a much brighter financial picture next season.
"Ideally we would like the Premiership and French championship clubs to remain in the fold and the door remains open for that possibility. However, there is now a clear mandate for a European competition to take place next season and we will work as hard as possible to ensure it is a success."
Yesterday's resolution means even if the LNR and PRL clubs refuse to take part next season, there will be representatives from France and England, a fact endorsed by the French Rugby Federation's Bernard Lapasset.
In an interview with Sud Ouest newspaper, the FFR boss admitted his anger and embarrassment over the decisions made by Serge Blanco and the LNR to withdraw from next season's European Cup.
"I've already laid everything on the table. We will now decide where this tournament will go next. We made ourselves look ridiculous in the eyes of European rugby. I'm still furious. The LNR took the English hostage and, by doing this, have risked the future of Irish, Scottish and Italian clubs who, until now, have been our partners.
"I have a strategy to ensure that the European Cup can be played again next year. I will fight until the end."
There are suggestions in France that the country could be represented by Catalan and Basque regional teams or clubs from the first division, a situation that will become clearer over the next fortnight, much like the format and participants of the tournament itself.
