How much control do the PRL want over European Club Rugby?

RFU wrote:As part of the Agreement, PRL shall be solely responsible for negotiating the sale of their own TV, media & Sponsorship rights and giving directions to ERC in respect of England's position on the sale of the TV, media and sponsorship rights related to the European Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup.

The deal sees the creation of a Professional Game Board (PGB) to oversee the new Agreement. The PGB has detailed terms of reference and decision-making powers. These are contained in the Notes at the end of the press release.

PROFESSIONAL GAME BOARD: Terms of Reference

1 To monitor the progress in implementing the terms of the Heads of Agreement. To ensure that all terms are implemented in full by all parties.
2 To draw up and approve the principle objectives for professional rugby in England each season no later than the 31 July for the following season. To monitor progress against these objectives throughout the year.
3 To review and monitor the performance of the England teams (Senior, Saxons, U20, Sevens) and the Premiership clubs in European competitions. To make appropriate recommendations to the RFU & PRL respectively.
4 To be responsible for drawing up the domestic professional season structure including England's position on the European Rugby Cup competitions.
5 To make recommendations to the RFU Management Board on the international match and tours schedule to maximise benefits for the England team.
6 To make recommendations to the RFU Management Board on England's policy with respect to the British & Irish Lions tours.
7 To make recommendations to the RFU & PRL on the IRB's Global Season' project if that project is still running.
8 To make recommendations to the RFU & PRL with respect to any replacement competition to the Domestic Cup and the Premiership A' team competition.
9 To review and approve the Premiership fixture list each season on the recommendation of PRL.
10 To review and recommend changes in the Criteria for membership of the Premiership to the RFU and PRL.
11 To review and monitor the operation of the Salary Cap. To make recommendations to PRL on any proposed changes.
12 To be responsible for developing and agreeing policy for all player welfare matters. To implement such policy when agreed.
13 To monitor all decisions taken by the Elite Rugby Director and club Directors of Rugby under the terms of the Medical Protocol.
14 To review and amend the List of Specialists and Experts from time to time.
15 To receive the report of the Independent Review Panel under the terms of the Medical Protocol. To make any decisions required on the recommendations in that report.
16 To be responsible for managing the Rugby Care joint venture. To ensure the smooth running of that venture.
17 To monitor all EPS playing statistics. To ensure compliance with the agreed match limits for all EPS players.
18 To monitor the EQP scheme results on a club by club basis.
19 To review the Premiership Regulations on an annual basis. To make recommendations to the RFU regarding any changes.
20 To receive and review the Elite Rugby Director's quarterly report covering progress being made against the season's objectives for the National Teams, Elite Coach Development, Elite Referee Development, Sports Science/Medicine and the National and Regional Academies.
21 To receive and review a quarterly report from the FDR Executive Director on the performance of FDR generally, the operation of the dual registration and loan scheme with Premiership clubs and the operation of the 'twinning' scheme with Premiership clubs.
22 To receive and review a quarterly report from the PRL CEO covering progress being made against the season's objectives on the performance of the Premiership and our clubs in the European competitions.
23 To receive and review a quarterly report from the PRA CEO on the performance of the PRA covering progress being made against the season's objectives in particular player welfare matters and concerns.
24 To receive an annual report from the RFU Disciplinary Officer. To make appropriate recommendations to the Disciplinary Officer on the application of IRB or RFU policy on discipline.

• The new Rugby Champions Cup is proposed to be under the overall regulatory responsibility of the Six Nations for compliance with IRB regulations, the provision of disciplinary services and the appointment of match officials.
  

• The three Leagues will organise and manage the new Rugby Champions Cup competitions and maximise all the commercial rights.
  

"The Rugby Champions Cup is a club tournament that will be run by clubs and it will be done so in a far different, leaner and more cost-effective way than ERC."

Whereas the board of ERC is made up of nine directors from the six unions and one each from Premiership Rugby, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) and Regional Rugby Wales, the Rugby Champions Cup's board would comprise delegates from the England and French clubs and the four countries that make up the Pro 12, (Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales), all three leagues having equal representation.

"ERC is costly to run for a nine-weekend competition," said McCafferty. "The LNR takes up more than half the year and the Premiership 26 weeks: both leagues are run by clubs under the regulatory guidance of their respective unions.

"It will be the same with the Rugby Champions Cup, where the board will be concerned with commercial issues and tournament organisation working in partnership with the unions who will be responsible for areas like referees, discipline and anti-doping."

McCafferty accepted that some of the Pro 12 directors would be union officials, with the professional teams in Ireland, Scotland and Italy all run by their governing bodies. "Those unions have a clear financial interest in the success of the tournament and it is right they are represented," he said.

What about Wales, where the regions, who this week declared their backing for the Rugby Champions Cup, are independent of a union which has not involved them in negotiations over Europe? "I do not think that would be an insurmountable problem," he said."Our cup will be a commercial and tournament business and w. e ha've given financial guarantees to all the Pro 12 countries. We have to be able to run the tournaments in the way that will allow us to generate the money to meet that commitment and it is essential that it is administered by the three leagues."

TJ wrote:Well too many clubs have not allowed their Fijians to play.  Glasgow have done.  It shows why the PRL power grab needs to be resisted.  Fiji 100th.  Let their best players play

Paul Ackford, London Times. wrote:A couple of weeks ago, I was in a cab with a senior executive of a Premiership club. It was late, drink had been taken and the talk turned to the state of European rugby politics, which, at that stage, appeared to be favouring the English clubs’ desire to exercise greater influence over the two European rugby tournaments.

“This is only the beginning,” the grandee said. “What if I were to tell you that some of us are looking at how we can run the whole of the professional game in England, including the national team. We reckon it would

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I have no idea why sole control of European rugby should rest with any national body - by all means let the PRL as a stakeholder have a say, alongside all the other stakeholders.  If they believe that they can get far superior media deals, by all all means offer them the chair of the commercial sub-committee that makes recommendations to the Board and is then charged with negotiations