Larkham Edinburgh deal in trouble

[Burgs]

Larkham Edinburgh deal in trouble

By Peter Jenkins
July 08, 2007

STEPHEN Larkham's farewell Test on Australia soil was marred last night by dramas in Scotland that could cost the Wallaby a $700,000 overseas deal.

The veteran five-eighth, who won his 100th cap in the victory over the Springboks at Telstra Stadium, is poised to join the Edinburgh club on a two-year deal after the World Cup in France.

But a row between Edinburgh bosses and the Scottish Rugby Union led to angry warnings yesterday from the national body that they would consider closing down the glamour club based at Murrayfield.

The two organisations are at loggerheads over funding Edinburgh officials claim they are owed by the SRU.

As the disagreement escalates, Edinburgh have refused to release frontline players to the Scottish squad currently in training for the World Cup and are also threatening to take legal action in their fight over the money.

A source in Scotland said the SRU has no intention of shifting its stance and that Edinburgh's future was under a cloud less than two months before the northern hemisphere season begins.

Larkham rejected offers from France and Japan to take up the contract in Scotland, said to be worth more than $350,000 a season.

[Thequeerone]

The other person who could be in trouble is Chris O Young - this story is a real watch this space - Scotish rugby seems to be in major trouble

[Jess]

I like to think that even if this deal falls through that several other European clubs would be competing to get their hands on Larkham given he's such a class act and I'm sure O'Young could find a new club also.

Still... it is a shame to see politics taint such a wonderful game and community.

[hopep]

I thought O'Young was going to Glascow? who are the SRU darlings so he should be OK.
the SRU are cutting of their nose here - Latham will still go.
Scotland with only 1 club would be the laughing stock of the home nations, and the world.

[Burgs]

Well, maybe the Rugby World anyway

[The EnForcer]

Other countries are thinking about strategies to win the world cup and we are fighting over paying the players...can't bloody believe it!

[The InnFORCEr]

Other countries are thinking about strategies to win the world cup and we are fighting over paying the players...can't bloody believe it!

you mean you can't believe the Scots are being so tight fisted with their cash

[shasta]

you mean you can't believe the Scots are being so tight fisted with their cash

[Thequeerone]

Edinburgh quit SRU

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai...9/urrup109.xml

By Telegraph online and agencies
Last Updated: 11:05am BST 09/07/2007


Edinburgh row escalates

Edinburgh have confirmed they wish to resign as an Associate Member of the Scottish Rugby Union.

The resignation notice, which takes immediate effect, was sent by the club's owner, Bob Carruthers, to SRU Secretary Graham Ireland.

Under IRB Regulations, as a result of Edinburgh Rugby's withdrawal from membership, no club or team that is a member of any Rugby Union and in membership of the IRB is now permitted to play against them.

Furthermore, as the club is no longer an Associate Member of the SRU, it is not entitled to be a member of the SRU Club Accident Insurance Scheme, which is only open to member clubs.

Edinburgh Rugby's contracted players, therefore, are no longer insured by the governing body's scheme for the purposes of training or playing.

The resignation has come as a result of the continued disagreement between the club's owner Carruthers and the SRU.

Carruthers claims the club are yet to receive money from the SRU for their participation in the Magners League and Heineken Cup last season.

Carruthers says the substantial sum they are believed to be owed is in the region of £500,000. The SRU, however, say they have "fully complied with the terms of the contract with Edinburgh Rugby Limited" and have expressed dismay over allegations that they had not.

[Burgs]

On man, this is a shocker
A couple too many ego's in the same room I think?

[Em-Forcer]

Yeah - we have more problems within one code than you guys have between union and AFL over there...

Guess it was inevitable with the SRU as governing body running two of the teams (now only one, since the demise of Borders Rugby) and Edinburgh having been franchised out. So the governing body is also their competition...!

And when Edinburgh's owners tried to bid for another team (can't remember if it was Glasgow or if they tried to rescue Borders), SRU basically said that a commercial company couldn't run two teams in the same competition.

So I sense a power struggle going on...

[Burgs]

Yeah, Carruthers made an offer on Borders to save them Em. Expect a full storm from TEF in the next day or two, we were talking about it this morning and he's pretty fired up and gone off to research it all!

[hopep]

Question for EM-Forcer.
If Edinburgh are not in the SRU any more, can they apply to join say the English or another union?
trying to think of what Caruthers has in the back of his mind.

But I agree, flushing scottish rugby down the toilet for 1/2 a million is just daft. You could'nt even get a half decent Celtic player for that, let alone and entire club.

[frontrow]

What a shame, and what about all the players who are now training without any insurance, one incident then there could be another case for the solicitors, suing carruthers for the whole shambles...Only solution is for everyone to sit idle and wait, not too beneficial in a RWC year for Scotland...
$500,000 is chicken feed really, sort it out...

[shasta]

I don't know much about the franchising arrangements in European Rugby, but there seems to be problems emerging apart from this tragedy in the making.

I'm thinking mainly about clubs holding back their players from internationals. In this case a franchise owner is using this tactic as a means of extortion, whether he's right about the money he's owed or not. So it's not the usual "club first, country second" scenario.

Perhaps the IRB has missed the boat in this area compared to FIFA. Or maybe it says, as I think, the only way to get a good balance back is to construct some sort of "World Rugby Calendar" for each year.