Statement from the Directors of ERC
The directors of ERC voted unanimously at a Board meeting in Dublin today (Wednesday, 5 February) to postpone all decisions including the release of further instalments of ERC’s distributable central revenues to the six shareholder countries until 19 February next when the Board will meet again to reconsider the issue.
The ERC Board of Directors is made up of representatives from the six unions of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Wales and Scotland, as well as representatives from three club bodies, namely the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), Premiership Rugby (PRL) and Regional Rugby Wales (RRW).
(Please see list of Board meeting attendees below)
The vote to postpone any decision followed preliminary advice received by the Board, and was taken in the best interests of the company after lengthy discussions.
The Board agreed unanimously that further detailed legal and other professional advice was necessary in order to facilitate the ongoing discussions in relation to the future of European club rugby tournaments and the distribution of funds deriving from the 2013/14 season.
Each season, ERC makes five payments of its distributable funds from its central revenues to the six participant countries from October through to September.
At the ERC Board meeting of 11 September 2013, it was decided that distribution payments should be approved by the Board before any funds are released. The first payment of €15 million (euro) was made in October 2013 following Board approval.
Mark Dodson and Ian McLauchlan, the directors of ERC representing Scottish Rugby, did not attend today’s Board meeting, while Regional Rugby Wales has chosen not to replace Stuart Gallacher who resigned as as a director of ERC in December 2013.
ERC Board directors in attendance:
Jean-Pierre Lux – ERC independent Chairman
Michel Palmié – FFR
Marcel Martin – LNR
Rob Andrew – RFU
Peter Wheeler – PRL
Fabrizio Gaetaniello – FIR
Andrea Rinaldo – FIR
Peter Boyle – IRFU
Philip Browne – IRFU
Roger Lewis – WRU
Also in attendance:
Derek McGrath – ERC
Roger O’Connor – ERC
Steve Phillips – WRU
ERC Board directors not in attendance:
Mark Dodson – SR
Ian McLauchlan – SR
Regional Rugby Wales has chosen not to replace Stuart Gallacher as its Board director
