Blessing for European union

Leading English clubs - in particular Bath and Leicester - impatient to test themselves in official European competition will have to wait until the season after next, but will then do so with the blessing of the Rugby Football Union, writes Steve Bale.

The union announced yesterday that it would not give its blessing to any form of European league next season, for which the Courage League's top two have been agitating, but would be looking thereafter to reduce the number of league games so that a new competition could be accommodated. It is only last season that the Courage programme was expanded by two- thirds to make it home and away.

"Our problem is that the structured season just does not allow any more club rugby, but we are now in a position to say that if there is any club competition in Europe, then rugby union - not just the Rugby Union - will organise it and not some outside marketing company, and that we want it on a Saturday," John Jeavons- Fellows, the RFU competition chairman, said.

"Making room is the problem. We would not support, for next season, any involvement of our clubs in European competition, but we are not closing the door. In fact, we are extremely interested in such a competition. The committee is in the process of doing the groundwork and we hope that sooner rather than later we shall see some white smoke."

The RFU will now consider alternatives including reducing the size of the First Division, doing away with home-and-away fixtures and/or getting rid of the Divisional Championship, so as to make room for the new venture. The two English clubs - who with Cardiff, Swansea, Toulouse and Brive form the organising board for a putative competition - had wanted to go ahead next season despite the resentment of other clubs unhappy at their self-accorded special status.