Clubs are offered interim payments

The Rugby Football Union yesterday ignored the delay in the English Professional Rugby Union Clubs signing the agreement the two sides have reached and promised nearly pounds 1m to the First and Second Division clubs to help the poorer among them to settle their wage bills.

The payments of pounds 40,000 to each of the 24 clubs, the first installments of the pounds 8m they should share this season, are being made by the RFU on the basis that the agreement that was negotiated on 5 December is signed soon. The Epruc clubs met yesterday, but Kim Deshayes, Epruc's chief executive, said: "Unfortunately because of illness, an important document was not available for us to consider. So, we will reconvene on 7 January in the expectation that we can conclude the deal."

The RFU said that the payments were being made because the complex legal and taxation issues involved were delaying finalising the agreement.

The Scottish Rugby Union has turned down an appeal by Tim Grady, of Edinburgh Wanderers, against an 18-month ban imposed on him last month. Grady was cited following his side's Tennents National League match against Portobello FP on 12 October during which an opponent suffered facial injuries. The incident is the subject of current civil and criminal actions.

Coventry members rejected a takeover bid from Coventry City Football Club by a large majority at an extraordinary general meeting, where the preferred option was to explore the best possible deal with the London property group Leander. Under the Leander proposal, the club would become a plc and the property group would take a controlling interest by buying a million pounds 1 shares.

The referees' dispute which has disrupted this weekend's Welsh League programme could shortly be resolved. Following an emergency meeting of the Welsh Rugby Union general committee, WRU officials and referees' representatives will sit down together to try to settle the contentious issue of match fees which provoked this weekend's strike.