Ireland, Wales and Scotland not interested in Heineken Cup changes

The bid by England and France to change how the Heineken Cup works looks doomed to fail as Ireland, Scotland and Wales stand firm against the reform plan.

In early May we brought you the news of the changes to the Heineken Cup that the English and French clubs wanted to bring in.

It boiled down to fewer small clubs, like those in Italy and Scotland, and more time for their domestic leagues, the Aviva Premiership and Top 14.

At the time, it was dismissed as a grab for power by the two largest countries and a reaction to the perceived easier life that clubs that play in the RaboBank PRO12 have. The threat by the French and English clubs, to walk away from the Heineken Cup in 2014, was the big stick they wielded.

Now it seems the Irish, Welsh and Scottish clubs have faced down the threat by calling their bluff. Martyn Thomas, a former English Rugby Football Union chairman and an ex-director of the ERC, is quoted in The Rugby Paper today as saying the push by the English and French has failed.

"The Celtic Unions have made a pact that this time they will not roll over in the face of any threats," he said. "If they keep their nerve when the going gets tough, the French and English clubs will be forced to back down.

"The Welsh, Irish and Scottish Union are determined not to give in. If the English and French clubs don't back down and walk away from the tournament, the Celts will say: 'That's a shame but if you don't want to play in the Heineken Cup as we know it and love it, tough'.

"It's all about brinkmanship. The top English and French clubs are power crazy. They are driven by a join belief that they are the people who command the most money from television for live coverage. That rather flies in the face of the fact that five of the last six teams represented in the last three finals did not come from England. Despite that, they have no regard for the revenue generated by Welsh, Irish and Scottish teams."

"Like most things in professional sport, this is about money and the English and French teams want more. They may dress it up in all sorts of ways but that's the reality. There will be some tough times ahead."

It is heartening to hear that our Union is standing up to the bully boy tactics of the English and French. This row is far from over so let’s hope Thomas is correct about our collective resolve.