ENGLAND's Five Nations rivals yesterday all but sounded the death knell for the historic championship following the Rugby Football Union's deal with BSkyB.

The incoming president of the Irish Rugby Football Union, Bobby Deacy, described the development as "immense and simply tragic". It was potentially "the point of no return" for the tournament, he said.

In a statement issued by the IRFU, the union expressed disappointment with the English RFU's decision.

"In common with the SRU and the WRFU, the IRFU had hoped that England would see the wisdom and justice in standing by the procedures laid down. Therefore, it is tragic to see what has happened and the potential consequent effects," the statement said.

Fred McLeod, the Scottish representative on the Five Nations Committee, said: "We are pretty confident England will be asked to make alternative arrangements for the 1997-98 season".

The Twickenham hierarchy also received thinly veiled warnings that the consequences of their action could go well beyond participation in the international showpiece.

McLeod, who is also the Scottish Rugby Union vice president, added: "I would like to make it clear to the RFU that this decision will jeopardise matches at all age group levels, not just full international matches. They will also now have difficulties finding match officials."

The Welsh Rugby Union reacted with "great disappointment", but fell short of calling for England's immediate expulsion from the Five Nations Championship.

WRU secretary Edward Jones said in a statement: "It is with great disappointment that the WRU finds a fellow union breaching an agreement between the two unions, acting against tradition and expected conduct in the sale of a joint property."

And Vernon Pugh, chairman of the WRU and also chairman of the International Board, said from Australia, where he is touring with the Wales national side: "It is with great regret that one finds England acting in this way. It is against the tradition of what was once a great union."

McLeod continued: "Today's announcement by the RFU means that it is therefore an extremely sad day for Five Nations rugby.

"While there can be no formal conclusion to the RFU's decision until the Five Nations Committee meets again next month, it will have inevitable consequences for the format of the Five Nations Championship."

Current Irish union president Dr Syd Millar made clear in a recent interview that England's exclusion from the Five Nations would be inevitable if they went it alone. "If they sign the deal with Sky, that is the end of it," he was quoted as saying.

And Deacy was equally unequivocal today. "The consequences of England's decision are immense and simply tragic for a competition which has been in place for such a long time," he said.

Deacy added that his organisation had received no advance official notice of the TV agreement from the RFU and said: "Like the other participating countries, we in the IRFU had hoped that England would stand by the procedures already in place."

He stressed, however, that the present Five Nations arrangement still had a year to run and emphasised that the IRFU would "honour our agreements and obligations".

Jones said: "The WRU will now further consider its position before proceeding further."

But he insisted that the planned Anglo Welsh competition between Courage and Heineken division one teams would go ahead as planned.