European Rugby Cup claims BT deal ‘illegal’

A DEAL signed by the BT Group to broadcast European matches involving leading English clubs from 2014 is illegal, European Rugby Cup (ERC), which runs European rugby competitions, said last night.

ERC has been involved in talks about the European competition reform from 2014, with the French and the English clubs advocating a change in the qualification rules and a reduction from 24 to 20 clubs. BT Group has signed a £152 million exclusive agreement to broadcast English Premiership and European ties involving top English clubs from 2014, while ERC struck a four-year deal with the current rights holder BSkyB starting in 2013.

BT suggested they could create a new European competition to enable them to broadcast high-level games. “This is shocking because it is illegal,” ERC’s chairman Jean-Pierre Lux told a news conference held with the members of the seven French clubs qualified for this year’s Heineken Cup. “The English [delegates at the ERC] did not say anything about how the money from the deal will be shared between the domestic and European competitions and how it will be shared with the other countries’ [clubs],” he said. “They opened talks directly with some South African and French clubs. This has hampered the negotiations. It is hard to talk with them. We may have to move on without the English, though I do not want it.”

Apart from the TV rights issue, the French clubs re-

affirmed last night that they wanted a tightened schedule, with a cut to 20 clubs, and a change in the qualification rules could help to implement that.

“Is it really appropriate always to have two Italians clubs in the group stage? Is it normal that some teams automatically qualify while others have to fight for their place? I am not sure,” said AS Clermont general manager Jean-Marc Lhermet .

French and English teams need a top-six finish in their leagues to book a place in the Heineken Cup. However, three Welsh teams qualify along with three Irish, two Scottish (Glasgow and Edinburgh) and two Italian clubs regardless of their final ranking in the RaboDirect Pro 12 league.

The French and English have been asking for the RaboDirect league quota to be reduced to six teams instead of ten. The Heineken Cup winner and the Amlin Cup Challenge winners both qualify automatically for the next Heineken Cup.

ERC also announced yesterday that France will host the 2014 Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cup finals. The venues and precise dates for both games have yet to be confirmed, but they will be played on the weekend of 23-25 May.