It's not a question of the Heiniken Cup voting itself out of business. If it loses teams which is threatened, it's defacto voted out of business. You need two to tango. If this happens, a successor competition with media rights assigned by clubs with what is a lucrative proposal on the table has to be favourite. The attitude of the French sides being pivotal.
Welsh, Scottish, Italian and Irish teams and federations will not accept a European Cup run by the English and French. Why should we? The English are only kicking off cos they haven't won it for a couple of years.
No surprise that the ERC have declared this deal "illegal" - interestingly at a press conference with members of the seven French clubs in this years Heineken Cup. The ERC have also awarded the 2014 final to France - so they're definitely doing their best to keep the French on board and leave the English as the outsiders.
Reports over the weekend indicate that the English could leave the ERC and set up a new trans-national cup competition....with the South Africans!
Crazy!
Don't forget Sarries wanted to take some of their "home" games there this year but were refused; so there's some previous form.
It's not massively impossible (see also Super Rugby) to organise - a pain for away fans but is a flight to SA any worse than a flight to Romania or Italy?
Having a trans national tournament with English and South African teams presents another problem, namely the worldwide tv rights to the games in South Africa are currently held by News Corp!
Having a trans national tournament with English and South African teams presents another problem, namely the worldwide tv rights to the games in South Africa are currently held by News Corp!
I assume the BT deal wouldn't even cover it anyway, considering it specified 'future European competitions'.
What I'm not keen on is the idea of the random nature of the tournament.
Its unlikely to happen. It'd be impossible for South Africa to remain in Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship if they did so. There aren't enough months in the year, and besides they've only just signed deals to remain in both. It would effectively mean South Africa having to switch to the Northern Hemisphere calendar (including joining the Six Nations) and really that's not going to happen.
This is just Premiership Rugby attempting to say to the Celtic unions and France that they have alternatives. But they don't really.
I'm assuming this rumour involves the Currie Cup teams, as the Aviva Teams would be replacing one set of franchises (IRFU, WRU and Italy) with another.
I'm assuming this rumour involves the Currie Cup teams, as the Aviva Teams would be replacing one set of franchises (IRFU, WRU and Italy) with another.
The Currie Cup is still covered under the SANZAR tv deal, which means Sky in the UK.