IRFU to report on proposals for the game here

THE IRFU, following recent meetings, is to inform the clubs on Monday of its recommendations on such critical matters as the structure of next season and the suggestion that the union contract up to 100 players.

At a meeting on September 27th, the IRU committee representatives from the branches presented the views as outlined to them by the clubs. Subsequently, a special meeting was held by the IRFU on October 11th to consider the issues.

In the interim, and prior to the meeting on October 11th, the officers of the IRFU met representatives from the first division clubs to hear their views and concerns.

It was announced following that meeting that the IRFU intended to address the feasibility of contracting around 100 players within Ireland. I gather this will now happen. This was aimed at offering encouragement to Irish players to stay in Ireland and also to prompt Irish players with English clubs to return to Ireland.

In order to expedite decisions in that vital area, a sub-committee was set up under the chairmanship of Billy Lavery, the man who helped draw up the contracts for the Ireland squad and who also rewrote the laws of the IRFU to bring them into line with the IRFB rulings on professionalism and other matters. The report of the Lavery committee was submitted this weekend to the full IRFU committee.

Among the matters discussed by the union in the past two days was the feasibility of inaugurating an All Ireland Cup, to be run on a seeded basis. It was also agreed that a fully professional team management structure at provincial level would be necessary to maximise the potential to be gained from having up to 100 players under contract.

The manner in which this can be implemented was examined by another sub-committee under the chairmanship of IRFU senior vice president Niall Brophy. That committee also reported its findings this week. It could be that in future players will be contracted at provincial rather than national level.

The first and second division clubs have arranged a meeting in Dublin on Tuesday to discuss the IRFU findings and recommendations; the third and fourth division clubs will hold a separate meeting the same day.

The IRFU will meet representatives from all the senior clubs tomorrow week. That meeting will take place in Dublin.

The IRFU president, Bobby Deacy, is to hold a press conference in Dublin on Monday evening on the IRFU findings.