The Heineken Cup has been plunged into crisis after French clubs said they would boycott next year's competition.
France's leading 14 clubs say they are playing too many matches in a World Cup year and also are concerned about the club v country row in England.

"French clubs will not be participating in next season's tournament," said a League Nationale de Rugby statement.

European Rugby Cup, which runs the competition, says talks over the future of the Heineken Cup are "ongoing".

There have been lingering doubts over the competition's future for months because of threats of a French boycott while in England, the Premiership clubs are demanding a greater say in running the event.

And the French statement comes after months of negotiation failed to find a solution to the problem of fixture congestion.

We are convinced that if we did not do this our domestic championship will be dead in 2009

LNR president Serge Blanco

France will host the World Cup in September and October, thereby delaying the start of the Top 14 campaign, and the clubs say there is no room to squeeze in the Heineken Cup.

Top 14 games could take place during the World Cup but League Nationale de Rugby, the umbrella organisation representing France's top-flight clubs, believes its members would suffer because of the huge decrease in television and sponsorship revenues.

"Due to the gravity and urgency of the situation, the LNR has consulted with all the presidents of the Top 14 clubs," said the statement.


"They have all unanimously indicated the conditions do not exist for the LNR to sign the new agreement governing the European Cup (due to take effect in 2009) and, because of this, French clubs will not be participating in next season's tournament."

And former France international full-back and LNR president Serge Blanco says his organisation was left with no choice but to take drastic action.

"We are convinced that if we did not do this our domestic championship will be dead in 2009," he told the Daily Mail.


Now there is too much uncertainty about the future of the English clubs

Serge Blanco
"Next season in England 10 of the 22 rounds in the Premiership will be played during international weekends, which is ridiculous.

"Our championships are losing their value."

Earlier this month, European rugby bosses agreed on a new set of rules and regulations for the competition at a meeting in Dublin but French clubs refused to take part.

Meanwhile Premier Rugby, LNR's equivalent in England, is determined to see Premiership clubs become direct stakeholders in European Rugby Cup Limited (ERC).

The Rugby Football Union is reluctant to agree, saying it will not negotiate a new agreement with the English clubs until they agree a new arrangement over the management of elite players.

Blanco has alleged that the RFU went back on an agreement to split equally its shareholding with the Premiership clubs, which is the case in France.

"The RFU changed their mind," Blanco claims. "Had they not done so, we would have signed the new agreement for the future of the Heineken Cup.

"But now there is too much uncertainty about the future of the English clubs."

ERC is adamant the row will not affect the negotiations over the Paris Accord, the agreement detailing the structure of the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup, which runs out in July 2007.

"ERC is aware of the statement issued by LNR," said an ERC spokesman.

"The six stakeholder nations are currently undergoing a process of reviewing and re-negotiating the Paris Accord.

"The last stakeholder meeting took place in Dublin on 13 January, when the French Union but not the French clubs were represented, and the next will take place on 14 February."

This article was posted on 17-Jan-2007, 12:03 by Hugh Barrow.