Newport seek Montgomery release in time for Europe

The Heineken Cup is the West End stage of northern hemisphere rugby, all bright lights and big-name attractions. How frustrating, then, that a number of the very biggest names – Percy Montgomery, Graeme Bond, Bruce Reihana – will not feature in the competition this side of Christmas because of stern, not to say draconian, registration regulations imposed by European Rugby Cup Ltd, the tournament administrators.

New signings must be registered with their clubs and their host unions, and be available to play, from 20 September. This rule, introduced as a means of avoiding a repeat of the unholy legal rumpus surrounding the transfer of the Welsh international prop Peter Rogers from Newport to Cardiff two years ago, ensures that some of the most exciting southern hemisphere talent signed by British clubs will miss the entire pool stage of the competition.

This same rule covers the revamped Parker Pen Challenge Cup, formerly known as the European Shield, and will deny Harlequins, for instance, the services of the former Springbok captain Andre Vos, who is not expected in London until mid-autumn because of Currie Cup commitments in South Africa. By the time he becomes available, Quins may be out of the tournament.

Montgomery, the Western Province utility back,has signed for Newport, who face Toulouse, London Irish and Edinburgh in a particularly difficult Heineken group. He, too, has Currie Cup commitments, but the Welsh club are so desperate, they have sent representatives to Cape Town in the hope of negotiating an early release.

Bond, the brilliant Wallaby centre bound for Sale, is not expected in the north west until mid-October, while the All Black wing Reihana will not link up with Northampton until his New Zealand National Provincial Championship commitments permit. The Midlanders are resigned to registering Reihana in January, always assuming they have reached the knock-out stage. At least they will be able to field Mark Connors, the Australian international forward, in the pool stage, which begins on 11 October. Connors is already at the club.

Cardiff, meanwhile, have had some success on the registration front. They have persuaded Western Province to release the full-back Donavan van Vuuren six weeks early and may well play the newcomer in their opening Heineken match against Biarritz, the French champions. "There was an element of urgency, as final registration for the Heineken Cup is due shortly," Rob Wagner, the Western Province managing director, said. "WP's loss is Cardiff's gain."

Josh Lewsey, the Wasps full-back, has an outside chance of playing in this weekend's Premiership fixture with Bristol at Adams Park after a positive scan on an injury to his right leg. Lewsey feared he had suffered a break in the shin area after a collision during Sunday's defeat at Newcastle, but medical checks revealed nothing more serious than soft tissue damage. There was no such good news for the Edinburgh scrum-half, Graeme Burns, however. Burns, injured during the Celtic League victory over Swansea last Friday night, is expected to be incapacitated for some months with a torn medial ligament in his right knee.

Ireland's selectors have called the Leinster No 8, Victor Costello, and the Munster flanker Alan Quinlan into the Test squad for this weekend's friendly international against Romania in Limerick. Eddie O'Sullivan, the coach, needs cover for two other back-rowers, Anthony Foley and Eric Miller, both of whom are suffering from rib injuries.