RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION chief executive Ian Ritchie is hopeful an agreement over European competition can be reached before next season.
The future of the Heineken Cup has been thrown into question in recent months, with English clubs refusing to take part in a competition run by European Rugby Cup.
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The idea of an expanded Aviva Premiership involving Welsh clubs has been mooted, but Ritchie insists the ideal scenario is for a deal to be agreed between the six nations involved over a continental tournament.
“We must understand the consequences of failure – they are not a good thing,” he is quoted as saying by Wales Online. “We are in a better place if we have a proper pan-European club competition. The alternatives are lesser to the ones we believe we should be working towards.
“All parties want to get a pan-European competition. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want that. Everyone wants it, the question is how we get there.
“We owe it to the fans, players and everybody involved in rugby to make sure we get this agreed. All of us have an obligation to bust a gut to reach an agreement. We need to get in a room as a matter of urgency and get proper, focused discussions to agree on the outstanding matters.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do because the prize of getting it right is infinitely preferable to the alternatives.”
This season’s Heineken Cup reached the midway point of the group stage over the weekend.
RFU chief calls for 'one more effort' to save European competition
RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION chief executive Ian Ritchie is hopeful an agreement over European competition can be reached before next season.
The future of the Heineken Cup has been thrown into question in recent months, with English clubs refusing to take part in a competition run by European Rugby Cup.
The idea of an expanded Aviva Premiership involving Welsh clubs has been mooted, but Ritchie insists the ideal scenario is for a deal to be agreed between the six nations involved over a continental tournament.
“We must understand the consequences of failure – they are not a good thing,” he is quoted as saying by Wales Online. “We are in a better place if we have a proper pan-European club competition. The alternatives are lesser to the ones we believe we should be working towards.
“All parties want to get a pan-European competition. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want that. Everyone wants it, the question is how we get there.
“We owe it to the fans, players and everybody involved in rugby to make sure we get this agreed. All of us have an obligation to bust a gut to reach an agreement. We need to get in a room as a matter of urgency and get proper, focused discussions to agree on the outstanding matters.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do because the prize of getting it right is infinitely preferable to the alternatives.”
This season’s Heineken Cup reached the midway point of the group stage over the weekend.
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