English clubs refuse to back down in row with SRU
Premier Rugby insist they are not singling out the Scottish Rugby Union for special treatment after three English-based players were barred from taking part in a Scotland training session.
The body which represents England’s Guinness Premiership clubs instructed Leicester lock Jim Hamilton, Gloucester scrum-half Rory Lawson and Northampton wing Sean Lamont to sit out yesterday’s session at Murrayfield.
At the behest of the clubs, the trio played no part, with Scotland head coach Frank Hadden describing the situation as “most unsatisfactory”.
Premier Rugby claimed they were not obliged to release players in weeks where there is no international match.
They reiterated that position today, stressing their interpretation of the International Rugby Board’s regulation 9.4 differed to the SRU’s own take.
The rule stipulates that any player selected for international duty who refuses or is unable to present himself will be barred from representing their club side for the duration he should have been with his country – plus another 10 days - unless his national union agree otherwise.
A Premier Rugby spokesman said: “We as a group of 12 clubs unanimously agreed that we would always allow the release of players during international Test weeks within IRB windows.
“We feel their (the SRU’s) interpretation (of regulation 9.4) is that they’re saying they should be allowed any player at 14 days’ notice. We think this gives them a 52-week window which is unfair and disproportionate.
“The only way we can make it fair is to apply our policy across all nations and that’s what we have tried to do.”
Premier Rugby wrote to each national governing body during December, outlining their stance.
However Scotland have threatened – in what Hadden described as a last-resort move – to ask the IRB to intervene, which could mean the English-based trio being barred from playing in the Premiership this weekend.
The Premier Rugby spokesman added: “As I understand it, they (the SRU) are happy for the players to play for their (English) clubs this weekend.”
Scotland, fresh from beating Wales, do not play again in the RBS 6 Nations Championship until they take on Italy at home on February 24.
Hadden said yesterday: “We have been discussion with the IRB and our understanding is that the IRB have been in touch with the RFU (Rugby Football Union), and the RFU have contacted the clubs and said that they must comply with regulation nine, and they have chosen not to do so.
“The regulations say you have to give a fortnight’s notice. We’ve given them two months’ notice.
“I would say the clubs believe the rule doesn’t apply to them, but we believe it does, so we are going to have to try to resolve that. The players were told in no uncertain terms that they weren’t to train.
“They weren’t called back to their clubs, but they were told not to train. It’s undoubtedly a very frustrating situation.”
He added: “We have good relations with the clubs individually. We don’t want to go there, but there are sanctions available.”
