Leinster

chief executive

Mick Dawson

says the province will continue to pursue private money to fund rugby in the future.

Speaking in the Aviva to promote Leinster's upcoming game against Munster, Dawson also acknowledged just weeks from its beginning that he remains in the dark over sponsorship and scheduling for the new European Champions Cup.

Following billionaire Denis O'Brien's commercial arrangement with Johnny Sexton, which was a factor the return of the outhalf from France next season, Dawson said discussion of private agreements such as O'Brien with Sexton was off limits but players could enter into sponsorship arrangements with whoever they wanted.

Prodigal son

“We understand that Johnny looks like the prodigal son coming home again. But I really wouldn’t go down the road of discussing contracts because I don’t think it’s right.

“What the player does in terms of his own sponsorship arrangements are [sic] up to himself. And what we do is our business. Again with respect that’s not an area I want to get into. I don’t want to discuss it because . . . all speculation in the newspapers, it hasn’t been confirmed or denied by anybody and it’s not going to be confirmed or denied here today.”

On the lack of certainty over sponsors for the competition and the details of Leinster’s second away match in the European Champions Cup, Dawson agreed that the start of the season had been far from perfect.

One of the sponsor's names is known, Heineken, but the others are not. Having excoriated the ERC for their organisation of the Heineken Cup last year, the current organisation have found themselves red-faced and disorganised in a far from ideal beginning .

“Yeah it’s not [ideal],” said Dawson. “The time lines were so tight and it’s probably difficult to get people to sign up for big ticket items. You want them to start in the first of September and really most people have spent their budget.

“So I think it will be next year before we get the full benefit. I don’t know any more than you do in relation to sponsorship. I would like to know when we are travelling to Castres, or wherever we’re going. I think we should know hopefully by the end of this week.”

Television deals are largely in place for the tournament and they generate the most money.

But the fact remains the chief executive of one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the competition remains in the dark about some important details of this year’s competition, due to start on October 17th.

“Yeah, that’s true. When you say it’s not professional . . . it’s not perfect,” corrects Dawson. “To the best of my knowledge Heineken have signed up again but I don’t know who the other three are . . .”

Dawson was also unconvinced on the success of the IRFU's "Project Player" scheme, which has been running for some years now. Very few non-Irish players, who have completed the three-year residency to qualify for Ireland, have successfully come through the system to play for the national team.

Lack of success

Several have struggled to earn a regular place on the provincial sides, with the possible selection of

Jared Payne

ahead of a home-grown player like Connacht’s

Robbie Henshaw

in Joe Schmidt’s next squad ironically showing the project’s lack of success as much as its success.

"The project thing, at this stage, is probably unproven as to whether it has worked for the IRFU," said a refreshingly candid Dawson. "The best example we've had would probably be Richardt Strauss who came over and did his time.

“You’d always ask the question: ‘If the guy is prepared to come over here as a project, why doesn’t he stay in his home country?’ ”

Strauss won the 2005 Under 19 World Cup with South Africa but was never capped for the Springboks at senior level. The hooker signed for Leinster in 2009 and after three years living here was named in the Irish team to play against South Africa in November 2012, where he played in the front row against his cousin Adriaan Strauss.

But generally the rate of getting a project player into an Irish Test side has not been good. “No, no,” said Dawson. “There has been some good ones, there have been some not so good.”