IRFU reject Welsh view

CELTIC LEAGUE: The IRFU yesterday went on the counter-offensive in the war of words over the future format of the Celtic League, as they and their Welsh counterparts remain at loggerheads over the direction the competition should take.

Outlining plans for the structure of this and forthcoming seasons, the union's director of rugby development, Eddie Wigglesworth, and the chief executive, Philip Browne, gave a press briefing to clarify the IRFU's position, pointing out there simply isn't the room in the rugby calendar for the kind of Celtic League expansion which the Welsh desire.

The proposed structure for this season allows for up to 24/25 games for Ireland's international players, including 14 Tests, and eight or nine games for their provinces - which doesn't factor in the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup or the Celtic League.

For the 2003/2004 season, in which Ireland will hopefully be participating in the World Cup finals in October in Australia, 13 Tests would be augmented by 10 or 11 provincial games for the international players.

The IRFU would accept an increase in the Celtic League which would allow for a 12-game league programme, wherein each participant plays the other, with the top eight then qualifying for the quarter-finals. "We don't want to start before August 28th and we don't want midweek games," said Wigglesworth.

What's more, stressed Browne, the participation of international players in the Celtic League is "crucial to the viability of the Celtic League in terms of sponsorship and the standard of the competition".

Nor could the IRFU withstand expansion of the provincial squads from 32 professionals to about 39. "We don't have the money, it's as simple as that," said Wigglesworth.

Wigglesworth stressed the Scots were largely supportive of the IRFU's views, and the task was to convince the Welsh. All the while, Wigglesworth stressed financial viability and player welfare/longevity were of primary importance in devising seasonal structures, all the more so given the small pool of about 120 professional players in Irish rugby, and bearing in mind the International Board's recommended wind-down time of eight weeks.

"Quite simply, we can't find eight weeks as things stand," said Wigglesworth.

An example presents itself next season, when the IRFU need the proposed August games against Scotland, Wales and Canada for financial reasons (especially with no autumn internationals at home next season) and to prepare Ireland for the World Cup. Taking into account the unwanted Tests next June against Australia, Fiji and Tonga, that would only leave four to five weeks of wind-down time.

Keith Grainger, the Newport chief executive, recently criticised the IRFU for being selfish and short-sighted. "The Irish want it all their own way. Things are going well for their provinces and their national team at the moment so they probably don't want to rock the boat."

Wigglesworth pointed out yesterday that whereas Welsh rugby, for historical reasons, is very much driven by the clubs upwards, Irish rugby is driven from the top, Test rugby, downwards. Test rugby funds the professional game in Ireland.

A potential solution would be for the Welsh to trim their top tier down to about five or six clubs instead of the existing nine which is competing in the Celtic League but for a host of reasons that is almost impossible to achieve.

And as Browne pointed out, the IRFU "sacrificed what was a vibrant and highly successful interpovincial championship" to accommodate the Celtic League.