New European rugby cup agreement set to be signed while Sky and BT talk of compromise

Rugby Union on the verge of a new European tournament

A new European Cup accord is set to be signed this week. The six nations that are party to the agreement were set to sign the agreement on Monday 17 March in Paris, however the document wasn’t translated into Italian until the weekend, and so the Italian Rugby Federation said that it needed longer to scrutinise the deal.

The administration of the tournament will be passed from European Rugby Cup Ltd to the auspices of a Six Nations committee, run day-to-day by an executive board said to be strongly influenced by the clubs and regions involved.

A new sub-committee (yet to be given a name) will be established to coordinate the commercial aspects of the tournament. The sub-committee will be constituted of representatives from each of the three leagues that will make up the tournament: the Premiership (England), Top 14 (France), Pro 12 (Wales, Scotland and Ireland). The new arrangement will give the English and French clubs an in-built majority in the decision making.