Clubs meet RFU to end tug of war over players

The RFU terminated the Long Form Agreement (LFA), a charter governing all dealings between club and country, and the matter is due to end up in court in February unless agreement is reached. The clubs want compensation for the extra days that England require their top players and want the LFA to be tweaked.

New Zealand swept the board in the International Rugby Board Awards in Paris. Daniel Carter was named the International Player of the Year, the All Blacks the Team of the Year and Graham Henry the Coach of the Year.

This year's Varsity Match on 6 December, the 124th clash between Oxford and Cambridge, will be the last sponsored by MMC to end a 30-year association.