European Rugby Cup (ERC)

European Rugby Cup (ERC), the organiser of the Heineken Cup, has deferred paying the latest instalment of participation money to the tournament’s clubs amid ongoing doubts about the future direction of the European rugby union competition.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) believes “positive and constructive” progress has been made in the effort to break the impasse surrounding the future of the European club game, following a meeting of Six Nations unions and clubs in Paris today (Wednesday).

Italian rugby union club Benetton Treviso has said it will exit the Pro12 at the end of the current season due to uncertainty over the league’s future.

The International Rugby Board (IRB), rugby union’s global governing body, is ready to call the sport’s six top national unions in Europe to a summit in a bid to broker a deal in the long-running dispute over the future of the continent’s top club tournament, according to the Press Association news agency.

Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie has said he is optimistic that a pan-European rugby union competition can be salvaged for next season.

English top-tier Premiership rugby union clubs have confirmed they will refuse to participate in a revamped Heineken Cup European competition next season.

The ERC (European Rugby Cup)’s Heineken Cup may still include all six countries, as French and English rugby union top tiers have revealed they are open to negotiations.

English Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty has revealed 30 of the 38 ERC (European Rugby Cup) clubs are ready to proceed with a breakaway competition, along with another two proposed clubs from Europe's emerging rugby union nations.

The six national rugby unions whose teams currently play in the Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cups have agreed to participate in a new format of European club competition.

The ERC (European Rugby Cup) board has confirmed Milan’s San Siro stadium as host of the Heineken Cup 2015 final.

The ERC (European Rugby Cup) has encouraged all stakeholders in the Heineken Cup to meet later this month to avoid a breakaway rugby union tournament.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has affirmed its backing of a pan-Europe tournament and will not sanction the breakaway Rugby Champions Cup.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has clarified its chief executive Brett Gosper’s comments about an Anglo-French breakaway competition, by “naturally supporting” the European Rugby Cup (ERC).

International Rugby Board (IRB) chief executive Brett Gosper has revealed that the body would back a new Anglo-French competition should their domestic rugby unions approve the proposal.

Rugby Football Union’s Saracens club chairman Nigel Wray thinks that the top-tier leagues of English and French rugby union would be “crazy” to stay as part of the ERC (European Rugby Cup) Accord.