SRU braced for clash with English clubs

SCOTLAND and Wales are fearing the possibility of heading into next year's World Cup without England-based internationalists as the thorny 'Regulation Nine' issue threatens to affect their summer plans.

Naming his autumn Test squad in Cardiff yesterday Wales coach Warren Gatland stated that he would consider leaving out all Welsh players based in England from next year's World Cup if Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) did not relax its use of 'IRB Regulation Nine' - a regulation prescribing when players must be released for international duty - and allow players to attend summer camps.

PRL have sent a letter to unions underlining that it has no intention of allowing players attached to Premiership clubs to join their international squads until 4 August, 2011, as per the 'Reg 9' agreement for played to be released 35 days before the opening World Cup match.

Wales have warm-up games arranged with England next August, where England are expected to field internationalists released by English clubs two weeks' earlier under an agreement struck between the PRL and RFU.

Gatland, who will remain as Wales coach until after the 2015 World Cup after agreeing a four-year extension to his contract, said: "It is completely ridiculous to say the players will finish (the season] in May but not be available for national squads until August - two days before we play England in our first warm-up game. If a player playing across the bridge is unavailable until 4 August it is highly unlikely they will be considered for the World Cup squad."

Scotland would be more heavily handicapped if Andy Robinson was to take a similar view with at least eight genuine squad candidates - Rory Lawson, Alasdair Strokosch, Jim Hamilton, Scott Lawson and Alasdair Dickinson (all Gloucester), Euan Murray (Northampton), Allister Hogg (Newcastle) and Kelly Brown (Saracens) - under PRL control. Scotland plan to launch their pre-World Cup camp in the second week of June with games against Ireland on 6 August and Italy a fortnight later, but PRL insisted none of those players named would be permitted to join Robinson's squad until 4 August, even for training.

The IRB declined to comment, but the SRU insisted that they would be urging the international body to find a better deal. Asked if it would impact on Robinson's planning, SRU spokesman Dominic McKay said: "The (4 August] date will certainly not help our planning. The build-up starts much earlier than that and we have two warm-up games in August for what is the major tournament in world rugby.

"We are looking for clarity and for the IRB to take a leadership position to ensure that the integrity of the World cup is secured. They are the guardians of the game and the World Cup and it's important that all players have the opportunity to be successful on the world stage"

Robinson names his autumn Test squad at Murrayfield tomorrow and is expected to address the issue then.