French rugby’s Top 14 clubs have said they will boycott the competition in an ongoing row about the extent to which clubs should have a say in the overall running of the event.
Premiership clubs are in dispute with the Rugby Football Union over shares and voting rights in European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC), the body that runs the competition. Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation representing top-flight clubs in England, wants its clubs to become direct stakeholders in ERC, giving them more say in how the competition is run. The Rugby Football Union will not agree, saying it wants first to negotiate a new agreement with the clubs over the management of elite players.
France said they would pull their clubs out of the competition because of the row and English clubs will follow. "A European Cup without leading French clubs is not a genuine competition," a Premier Rugby statement said. The 12 English Premiership clubs voted unanimously on Monday to follow the decision of the French clubs, who decide on Thursday whether or not to go through with their boycott threat.
The French and Italian unions have already agreed to transfer ERC shares to clubs, and Premier Rugby's statement added: "Premier Rugby is seeking that their clubs have equal shares and votes with the RFU in a new five-year commitment to European competitions.
