European tournament gets go-ahead

A "European club rugby tournament" will take place next season despite the current boycott staged by top English and French clubs.

European Rugby Cup shareholders agreed to hold a tournament in 2007/2008 following a meeting in Dublin.

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It will include teams from all six of the current participating nations - England, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy.

The tournament's structure will be discussed and agreed by ERC board members.

Today's meeting was attended by representatives from the six participating unions, plus English and Italian club representatives and a regional representative from Wales.

Currently, England's Guinness Premiership clubs and leading French sides will not participate in the Heineken Cup or European Challenge Cup next term.

They withdrew last week, blaming the Rugby Football Union's refusal to hand English clubs half their shares in ERC.

If the likes of Leicester, Wasps and Gloucester do not return to the fold, it means clubs from National League One such as Doncaster, Rotherham and Cornish Pirates would provide probable English representation in Europe next season.