Clubs welcome IRFU league decision

The majority of views of the All-Ireland Senior Clubs Association regarding the restructuring of the All-Ireland League have been accepted by the IRFU.

The Union yesterday released a statement confirming that following a meeting, the AIB All-Ireland League for the 2005-06 season will comprise three Divisions of 16 teams divided into equally balanced sections of eight.

The teams will play each other home and away.

The Union also announced that they had discussed the introduction of an All-Ireland Cup and approved its inauguration for next season 2005-06. As yet the format and scheduling has not been decided, but that it will be finalised over the coming months.

The agreement brings the clubs and Union closer together following what was a mini revolution against the original restructuring proposals put forward by the governing body.

That in turn spawned the Senior Clubs Association, which then came up with its own ideas about how club rugby should move forward and how the leagues should be structured in order to profit the game.

The IRFU had originally proposed that the new model would be based on 'strong' provincial leagues, which in turn would lead the formation of three leagues on an annual basis.

The decisions were reached after the Union received extensive feedback through a Consultative Strategic Process. But those ideas were overwhelming rejected by the clubs.

The Senior Clubs Association yesterday reacted very positively to the Union decision and the new formats and sees the Union's change of heart as the best way forward for the health of the grass roots game.

"That's precisely what we recommended," said the Senior Clubs spokesman Hugh Coyle last night.

"It is pleasing that we are in agreement with the Union and we would like to offer full co-operation in making the new format a success.

"We are very pleased that this format has been accepted and we believe that it will invigorate the league and that clubs will accept it as being the best way forward. The clubs are not in bad shape as some people believe and this new structure is going to be helpful to them.

"It is also refreshing that the Union have agreed with us on this issue and we hope that future co-operation will be as equally positive.

"It is refreshing, too, that the Union are open to ideas and that will be appreciated by all of the stakeholders in Irish rugby."

Dublin Club St Mary's and Limerick club Garryowen also reflected a positive view of the IRFU's decision.

"It is what all of the clubs wanted," said Declan Madden of Garryowen.

"What they (IRFU) were proposing was a recipe for mediocrity. This is much better than what the Union were proposing, which was crazy.

"It is certainly a positive response from the IRFU but they had no choice in the matter. All or most of the clubs were against them," he added.

The main obstacle for accepting the Union's original offer was that the clubs believed that it would stifle the game and pull it back to the provinces, which is where it had come from.

"There was a huge majority in favour of this format," said John Doddy of St Mary's.

"We'd certainly be happy about it. We couldn't see how the original Union proposal could have benefited the clubs."

The decision comes on the back of AIB agreeing to sponsor the league for another season, having done so for seven years.

The IRFU as good as accepted that they simply binned their own proposals in the face of huge resistance and accepted the view of the clubs.

"This format reflects the views of the Branches and the clubs as expressed to the union through the AIB All-Ireland League Working Party," said yesterday's statement.