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On Tuesday we discovered that BT Vision had penned a deal for exclusive television rights for clubs playing in the Aviva Premiership, including European games from 2014.
The announcement prompted European Rugby Cup (ERC) blazers, after a meeting in Dublin on Thursday, to issue a note of concern over the sale of rights that had apparently been sold already in June.
Months of increasingly loud sabre-rattling from England, and to a lesser extent France, over the current state of the Heineken Cup has finally come to a head. The inevitable legal battle will cast a shadow over Europe’s premier club rugby competition in its last year under the current deal.
This development is clearly a manifestation of the malcontent of Leicester Tigers chief executive Peter Wheeler. The move smacks of sour grapes from a man whose team has spent the last decade looking up at the summit, twice as losing finalists. After ten years with only two English wins, both over London Wasps, he has picked up his oval ball and gone home.
Nobody would begrudge the English or French teams cashing in, however the proposed restructure of Heineken Cup would see a reduction in the number of teams qualifying from the Rabo Pro 12. It would also not guarantee qualification for representatives from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.
Irish teams have won five of the last seven Heineken Cups, with Leinster the current champions, but it is the impact on the weaker domestic games in Italy and Scotland that is of greatest concern. In the 11 previous seasons of the Rabo Pro 12, honours have been even between Welsh and Irish sides, with only a silver medal for Edinburgh in 08/09.
BT Vision’s chief suit Marc Watson was delighted with the coup, coming on the back of a successful bid for a partial rights deal for England’s top football competition, the English Premier League. It has been a good year for the challenger organisation.
The European Challenge Cup board are due to meet on 18th of September at its headquarters in Dublin. All eyes will be on Stephen’s Green with Peter Wheeler and co. in town for what have become showdown talks.
Watch this space.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.