There is no commercially viable alternative to the current Celtic League format, but the chances of four Welsh teams joining the English Premiership full-time is still remote and there are conflicting messages coming from the Welsh Rugby Union. Their "loyalty to the Celtic League is a priority", according to WRU spokesmen, but "Welsh support for the Anglo-Celtic Cup is unequivocal".

IRFU CEO Philip Browne was crystal clear, meanwhile. "In taking five weekends out of the Celtic League to facilitate playing in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the WRU have ripped the heart out of it," he said. "Their fixture document does not address the fundamental issue of not playing on international weekends. Scotland, for example, simply does not have enough players to play then. We must have a meaningful Celtic League to make it commercially viable. Wales are claiming the nuclear option... accept our decision or else. I'm not quite sure how we are going to resolve the impasse."

This article was posted on 9-Jun-2005, 08:38 by Hugh Barrow.