H-cup will settlement be reached?

First topic message reminder :

Please keep this board free of your Ideas what the H-cup should be, whos in the wrong, etc etc.

This is just for answering the one Question;

Will a settlement be reached by all 6 nation Unions and representives, for a European Competation?

Back when this orginally started I thought there would be a few changes, and it would continue, but now after looking into it more I'm not so sure, actually I'm now thinking that the Unions are apart, and a common middle ground will not be reached.

Ok in discussions to start demanding high and they come down to a middle ground, but this time I think that the demands are to high so that the middle ground would be unacceptable.

Qualification
English/French want it reduced to 20 teams top 6 from each league (at least one from each Union Pro 12)
This is asking that the number of representives in Pro 12 drops by 4 teams, Meaning each Union will either lose one of 2 teams each season.

Maybe they will reach compromise on this?

Format, once qualifiers and method this should be straight forward.

% of profit.
English/French want that split 33% to each league. meaning thier share increases by 8% (from 25% up to 33%) each, and IRFU/WRU/SRU/FIR share reduces by around 5% each (13% down to 8%)

which I cannot see as being acceptable to any Union, esp the IRFU, I don't believe the 4 unions will accept anything less than the current arrangement, they may agree a greater part goes toward prize money for Q-finalist etc etc. But if the French/English are to push this point its where it could all collaspe.

TV rights
English want each nation to sell their own and pool the european share, I cannot see the IRFU/WRU/SRU agreeing to this. Even the RFU are waiting to see what happens. I won't go into details as its been done to death but if PLC insist on this method, I can see deadlock being reached.

Over all then I see that Deadlock can be reached at about 3 different stages, I think its a lot to overcome and progress is painfully slow. Personally I don't see an agreement being reached and we will have a year without any European rugby while the discussoins continue. (Yes I'm away there is another year to go, but I think each will be slow in conceding any ground, and will take the hit of a year without Europe to show they are serious).

Thoughts

Will a settlement be reached by all 6 nation Unions and representives, for a European Competation?

Pretty intresting thanks rugby fan.

A few points are good, wage cap maybe should be tied to % of income like football prem league are sort of introducing. but I'll leave that issue to English fans.

I don't think anyone can argue that ERC isn't a bit outdated, BT tv deal shows that maybe they weren't getting the most value for the tourament (although they may have accepted less from SKY, knowing it would get a bigger TV viewership? promoting the cup more)

However I don't think wholesale changes are needed, a body that is closly monitered by all the Unions to be getting the best deal, shoould be put in place, ERC at present same to make the deal and unions just ratify it, this needs checked that it is the best deal. same for sponsorship and everything else.Iindependent non-executive directors should be put in to make the deals and each union checks it.

However I don't believe Unions should sell there own TV rights ESP in UK and Ireland where one broadcaster covers 4 unions.

People same Top 14 teams make more for games in Top 14 than in Europe, and there is no way this should be true, H-Cup should be the money maker, and have all teams trying thier best in it, not just trying to get into it, therefore Prize money the team recieves directly, should be changed from quarter finals, to 3rd in group getting a payment and increasing payments after that.

The TV element of the HC is probably the biggest contention but then I don't see anyone complaining about the French deal with Canal+ who televise the French home HC fixtures, which go into the ERC pot which is the same as the proposed BT deal.

Unless of course the actual split shows how much the PRL get for their own league games which scares the other Unions who consequently want to scupper it in favour of a Sky deal.

It wouldn't surprise me.

Bump Anyone heard anymore on this subjects its all gone rather quiet?