Blanco demands shares and respect
Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) president Serge Blanco insists the failure to resolve shareholding issues was the decisive factor behind the “irreversible” decision of French clubs to go ahead with their boycott of next season’s European competitions.
Blanco, head of the umbrella organisation of the leading French clubs, confirmed on Thursdy that France’s Top 14 clubs would be activating a threat made in January to withdraw from the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup tournaments in 2007/08.
In going ahead with the boycott, Blanco insisted the clubs would not be “walked all over”.
“We don’t have the desire to quit, but moreover we don’t want to suffer,” he said.
“The French clubs have made their choice.
“The alternatives do not satisfy us, insofar as we don’t have the ownership that we asked for.
“We love the European Cup as much as anybody else. The French clubs have invested a lot in this competition.
“But we can’t continue to be walked all over. Either respect us or don’t respect us. The only way to respect us is to give us the shares.
“We did all we could to bring about a solution. We did not kill the European Cup. There just weren’t sufficient guarantees for the French clubs.”
A LNR statement soon after Blanco’s announcement confirmed the boycott.
It read: “The management committee of the LNR decided on January 16 that in the current state of negotiations, the LNR could not commit itself to a new agreement in the organisation of the European Cups for future seasons and that, by consequence, French clubs would not be able to compete in the next edition of the European Cups.
“This decision was linked to the failure of negotiations about a new agreement recognising especially the degree of ERC shares for the professional leagues representing the clubs.
“Since this date, actions aimed at finding a solution to the situation have been looked into, in particular the attempts at mediation by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) president [Bernard Lapasset].
“The LNR management committee convened today note an absence in the development of the situation, despite the proposition of the FFR president regarding a new sharing-out of internal shares.
“The management committee can as a result confirm the French clubs will not participate in the next edition of the European Rugby Cup.
“The LNR regrets having to make such a decision.”
Blanco was quick to make it clear there were no plans for a replacement competition involving English and French teams to be held next season.
“No, we will organise nothing at all,” Blanco added at a hastily-convened press gathering at Orly Airport, just south of Paris.
“Today isn’t about finding another competition. Our only desire was to find a common ground which allows the clubs to exist together for a longer time. We are sad that we haven’t found this.
“The English have their own position. We thought we could find an agreement.
“Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, which has led us to make the first move and accelerate the movement, because we have to prepare for next season.”
Fixture congestion in France caused by this year’s World Cup – and a perceived undermining of the Top 14 French league as a consequence – is thought to be another powerful factor behind French clubs’ militant stance.
But Blanco was adamant the main stumbling block was the shareholding issue.
“Since 2005, we [French clubs] have been asking for greater recognition,” he said.
“If the French and English clubs had had their part of the shares, there would have been no problem.
“I think it’s a shame that certain people don’t have this acknowledgement.
“We wanted this competition to go ahead for the sport’s sake.
“But we don’t want what has been offered.”
