What is going on with the Heineken Cup, why are the clubs think of Boycotting?

Question

Seen on the news quickly that there may be a Boycott and something to do with voting and French clubs? Anyone know any more?

Answer 1

Its the 'old farts' again..

Answer 2

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_un...

Thats the latest chap ,,, no HC next year... no lose WC year

Answer 3

gav got it right, at the end of the day it is about money!

Answer 4

The RFU has a contract till 2009 with the english clubs. It determines their obligations....Now, regarding to the European Cup, the national leagues agreed to give their home clubs 50% of their shares of European Cup. Which means clubs would have more power over the competition they take part in...

As far as I know, the french league has already done it but the RFU has decided not to. According to a Sunday newspaper I read a few weeks ago (I think it was the Times), they had plan to transform the rugby union landscape in England, mainly with a new geographic relocation of ther clubs. It means that some historic clubs will either disappear or put aside of any major tournament. The RFU aimed at tagetting a broader audience, more incomes....

Do you get a better picture now?

Answer 5

The French clubs instigated this - the RFU has gone back on the spirit of an agreement made last year to distribute shares in itself to all the clubs. This would give them official voting rights and thus more power. Now they have said they are not going to do that after all, and it took months of negotiations to agree. So the French are boycotting, and the English have said there's no point without the French so they're boycotting too. that just leaves the Celtic countries really, and they're not enough to make the competition economically viable.

Answer 6

i drank all the lager!!!!

Answer 7

The French clubs are only bluffing. They need the Cup as much as all the other teams do. The Premiership clubs are only tagging along in the hope that they will get more power over the RFU.