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Clubs have no time for North-South challenge

Chris Hewett
Thursday 19 September 2002 00:00 BST
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The last time Twickenham hosted a major international match with no Englishmen on view, France and New Zealand produced a World Cup classic of such dimensions that rugby was lifted several rungs up the global sporting ladder.

Precious few anticipate any such benefit from the deeply controversial Barbarian-style North-South Challenge fixture on 30 November, which, it was confirmed yesterday, will be played at the 75,000-seat stadium with the blessing of the Rugby Football Union.

Needless to say, there was no accompanying blessing from England's leading professional clubs. In fact, they were incandescent. "I cannot understand why Twickenham is hosting so meaningless a match," said Howard Thomas, the chief executive of Premier Rugby. "We have a full Premiership programme scheduled for that weekend, and the marketing of a rival attraction in London compromises our sponsors, our broadcasters and our supporters. The fixture falls outside the agreed international window and the clubs will not release their players."

Embarrassingly for the International Rugby Board, which is driving the cross-hemisphere fixture as a means of raising money for developing nations, the game also clashes with the quarter-finals of the Celtic League competition and an important round of the French Championship between Biarritz and Montferrand.

While a smattering of big southern hemisphere names have agreed to turn out for a reported match fee of £10,000 – they will be in Europe anyway, having played in the autumn Test programme – the northern hemisphere side may find itself stacked with sundry Welshmen whose clubs have failed to make the knock-out stage of their domestic tournament.

Not that the IRB seems remotely disconcerted by the many grievances expressed by the club movement. With both England and France bidding to host the 2007 World Cup, the governing body can bring serious pressure to bear on those unions. Indeed, Twickenham officials were busily talking up their support yesterday – "We're providing the stadium and we hope the game is a great success," one commented – while admitting, in the same breath, that they were not in a position to provide any big-name players. By way of tugging the heartstrings of the rugby public, the IRB trotted out Pio Bosco Tikoisuva of the impoverished Fijian union and Tu'ivanuavou Vaea, the chairman of the equally destitute Tongan union, to thank the world game for its assistance.

"We find it reassuring to know that bonds of common interest unite Test-playing countries in a sense of welfare," Tikoisuva said. The new IRB chief executive, Mike Miller, waxed equally lyrical: "The match promises to raise a great deal of money for those countries in need and will demonstrate once again the community spirit that underpins the game." Or not, as the case may be.

Meanwhile, the Scotland coach, Ian McGeechan, dealt some heavy blows in naming a 35-strong training squad for next year's World Cup. Duncan Hodge, James McLaren and Gordon Simpson were among those omitted as was the Leeds flanker Cameron Mather. England, meanwhile, have called in two young Sale forwards, the hooker Andy Titterrell and the second row prospect Chris Jones, for next week's get-together in Surrey.

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