SYD MILLAR, the president of the IRFU, last night made it dear that Ireland's position on the renegotiation of the television contract for the Five Nations Championship has not altered.

Millar was responding to offers being made by Sky television to the individual unions in the wake of England's decision to break with precedent and negotiate their own television deal.

"We did not solicit any offer from Sky television nor have we had negotiations whatsoever with Sky. I have not seen any documents or details of the so-called offer.

"Our attitude is that the renegotiation of the television contract for the Five Nations Championship as far as the Four Home Unions are concerned is a matter for the Four Home Unions as a body and not for any individual country.

"We have not altered on that. Our policy is and continues to be as outlined in the statement we issued last week. There is a procedure laid down for dealing with television contracts. We are party to that procedure and intend to honour it."

Millar, in fact, is Ireland's representative on the television sub-committee of the four home unions.

Meanwhile, senior Welsh clubs have urged the Welsh Rugby Union to accept Sky's big money offer for TV rights. The clubs insist that the new deal, which English Rugby Football Union secretary Tony Hallett says could be worth £150 million to £200 million, is the only way of meeting enormous financial commitments at both club and international level.

Cardiff chief executive Gareth Davies insisted: "This has to be in the best long-term interests of the game. The clubs expect to receive all the monies, set aside for the club programmes wanted by Sky.

"But I strongly deny any suggestion that we are being greedy. We desperately need that extra income to fund the professional game and all we seek is money for the club competitions.

Sky's offer - which provides for a number of internationals, including some Five Nations games, to be televised live on terrestrial television and for highlights of all internationals to be offered to terrestrial television - has been made individually to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The offer follows an invitation from the Five Nations Television Committee for bids for international, representative and club rugby,