Schools and club issue set to be resolved

News round-up: The long-running saga over the vexed issue of schools' players being prevented from playing for their clubs appears to be nearing a resolution.

The management committee of the Leinster Branch took the lead in the latest impasse at their monthly meeting last Tuesday by recommending a compromise solution which is expected to be ratified by the full, 32-strong executive committee next Tuesday.

This issue was the product of a stormy Leinster Branch agm during the summer when a similarly-worded compromise was defeated by one vote, thereby allowing Section B schools, ie the stronger section, to refuse permission for their pupils to play even friendlies for their clubs.

Matters came to something of a head recently when the parent of one boy who was not released by his school to play club rugby issued notice of intent to issue High Court proceedings against both the branch and the IRFU on the grounds that such "blatant interference with the rights of young players" was unconstitutional.

Unsurprisingly, the schools lobby dug their heels in at a meeting of the section B schools last Tuesday which had been organised by the Leinster Schools' Committee. They restated their support of the original 1984 agreement that prohibited schoolboys from playing competitive under-age rugby with clubs, and the controversial Rule 1.12, recently temporarily suspended, which forbade schoolboys from even playing friendlies without the schools' written permission.

However, the management committee met last Tuesday and, seeking to provide some leadership on the issue, agreed both the 1984 agreement and Rule 1.12 be scrapped. Instead, they agreed on a compromise whereby section B schools could ring-fence nominated Junior Cup squads of 35, and Senior Cup squads of 50, somewhat larger than the defeated proposal at the agm.

While not perfect, this ought, in theory, to allay some of the well-founded fears of some clubs, such as those in the midlands, who do not draw from traditional rugby playing schools and, were such ring-fencing not in place, might effectively run into elite schools' teams in club colours and suffer demoralising defeats, as has happened in the past.

While next Tuesday's executive committee meeting is bound to be a stormy one, it is therefore hoped and anticipated the recommendation will be passed. A simple majority is required. If so, it is also hoped the aforementioned parent who has engaged a firm of solicitors on this issue, will be satisfied, and relent.

Nonetheless one source close to the parent in question - while maintaining this will probably be the case - says there remains a certain vagueness about the compromise, and specifically whether this will allow any schoolboy to opt for playing club friendlies, as opposed to being ring-fenced exclusively for his school, if he so wishes.

Furthermore, it is still not clear whether those who have been named in elite JCT or SCT panels will be permitted to rejoin their clubs and either play friendlies or tours if their cup commitments are over from, say, February or March onwards.

Maintaining some sort of contact with schoolboys whom very often the clubs will have introduced to the game in their mini-rugby sections can be a lifeblood for some clubs, and end-of-season friendlies or tours are effectively the only way of achieving this.

Ultimately though, it would appear some form of compromise and sanity will prevail. As one member of the management committee put it last night: "We felt it was time to provide some leadership on this or it might never be resolved, at least not within committee rooms. We've already wasted a huge amount of time debating this as it is."

Former Scotland outhalf Gregor Townsend, his country's most capped player, could be set to return to international rugby after being considered by new coach Frank Hadden for the autumn Test series.

Townsend's international career seemed over when Hadden's predecessor Matt Williams ditched him from the squad two years ago on the basis he would be too old for the 2007 World Cup.

Welsh rugby was reeling last night following the shock resignation of WRU chief executive David Moffett, who is returning to live in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Jonny Wilkinson could make his comeback ahead of schedule in Newcastle's English Cup clash against Sale on Sunday. The outhalf underwent an appendix operation last month.