English rugby scores big result from Heineken Cup fate
ENGLISH clubs will win the power battle for European rugby today when a meeting decides the successor to the Heineken Cup.
A trans-national competition will have been wrested from union control for the first time, with entry and the proceeds evenly divided between members of the Premiership, Pro12 and French Top 14.
The English clubs’ triumph will see them getting everything they wanted when the dispute started.
Optimistic projections have the Rugby Champions’ Cup worth an annual £100million within five years.
Bristol have signed Ryan Jones from the Ospreys and expect the forward who has captained Wales more often than anyone else to play a role in the Championship play-offs once his region, currently fourth, are out of contention in the Pro12.