Standing room only at Dublin event
Amlin Challenge Cup holders and three-time Heineken Cup champions, Leinster Rugby, were among the four clubs present at today’s Irish launch of the 2013/14 European club rugby season in Dublin.
There was standing room only at Sky Ireland’s headquarters for the event which was attended by the Head Coaches and captains of Connacht Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Munster Rugby and Ulster Rugby, as well by a large media contingent.
Photographs attached from today’s Irish launch of the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup in Dublin featuring Michael Swift (Connacht captain), Leo Cullen (Leinster captain), Johann Muller (Ulster captain) and Peter O’Mahony (Munster captain). More available free for use from www.inpho.ie
Speaking at the launch, ERC Chief Executive, Derek McGrath, expressed the hope that a solution would be found for a new European club rugby Accord for the 2014/15 season and beyond.
“There has to be hope for a solution because the competitions have become so important to everyone. Not just in a financial sense, but also in terms of what they represent to the players, the fans and the sponsors,” said McGrath.
“We’re 15 months into the process of formulating a new Accord, and we absolutely understand the frustration of the fans who must be wondering why a group of administrators are finding it difficult to come up with a solution to what is arguably the best club rugby competition in the world.
“But to date, we haven’t had proper engagement, and we haven’t had a genuine focus on the interests of the competitions. There are only two certainties in this situation – when the process began and when it ends. So the door is still open and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
“ERC stands by its record over the past 18 years and so far, we haven’t seen any credible alternatives which provide a better, substantiated solution. We’re hoping that sense will prevail.”
Leinster’s Leo Cullen, the only captain in the history of the tournament to lift the Heineken Cup three times, said: “I’d very much like to see a European competition obviously with Leinster in the thick of it. I understand some of the questions being posed by other shareholders, but I think I can speak on behalf of a lot of our players when I say that the Heineken Cup is a phenomenal tournament to be part of.”
Pat Lam, Heineken Cup winning captain with Northampton Saints in 2000 and Head Coach of Connacht Rugby, said: “I got a taste of real success back then with guys who I was playing with week in, week out. When I bump into the likes of Freddy Mendez, Gary Pagel and Paul Grayson now, we all have that incredible memory of a Heineken Cup final which we’ll share forever.
“It’s such a great tournament, admired all around the world, so that’s why it’s critical that everything gets sorted out for the sake of northern hemisphere rugby. It’ll be a tragedy if the Heineken Cup is not around next year.”
ERC will stage a further tournament launch in Glasgow tomorrow (Wednesday, 2 October) with a fifth event in Milan next Monday during the build-up to this season’s European club rugby kick-off on 10 October.
