European Cup:The top English clubs will join their French counterparts in a boycott of next season's European Heineken Cup unless Twickenham agrees to changes in the way the tournament is run.

Last night the 12 Premiership clubs agreed to pull out of the European and European Challenge cups if the Ligue Nationale de Rugby decides at a meeting on Thursday to activate the boycott threat made in January.

The reaction of the Rugby Football Union was that the Premiership clubs are contractually bound to play in the two European competitions until the end of the 2008-09 season. They intend taking out a writ in the British High Court this week seeking an expedited hearing after failing to receive an assurance from the 12 that they would remain in the tournaments.

The French and English clubs are furious at the RFU's decision not to be bound by an agreement reached in principle by European Rugby Cup Ltd, the European Cup's organising body, in October which would have seen the French, Italian and English unions hand over some of their ERC shares to their clubs as part of a seven-year accord to replace the one which ends next month.

"I spoke to LNR officials yesterday morning and they will be pulling out of next season's European Cup unless the RFU accepts the October 2006 agreement," said Premier Rugby (umbrella organisation for the 12 Premiership clubs) chief executive, Mark McCafferty.

"We would join them, because the European Cup would be a totally different competition without the French. As things stand, the French and English clubs are out of the European Cup."

The European Cup would not be financially viable without the French and English, and its absence would squeeze the vulnerable three Celtic unions, who have been caught in the crossfire between the RFU and Premier Rugby over a new agreement for the management of elite players. An ERC board meeting arranged for today has been cancelled and a scheduled meeting will go ahead on April 11th-12th.

"We have made significant concessions to the RFU in terms of allowing England greater access to our players but in return we want a greater say in the competitions we play in to allow us to grow our businesses," said McCafferty.

"This has been portrayed as a financial issue but that is not the case, and what we are asking for is far from unreasonable."

Serge Blanco, the LNR president, said French withdrawal this week was a formality, adding: "We have made a decision which we will confirm on Thursday having held off for a week in case the RFU changed their mind. We refuse to be held hostage by the RFU."

Premier Rugby say they remain committed to a European competition involving all current participants. But the likely absence of leading French teams next term has left Premier Rugby describing any European tournament as "not a genuine European competition".

Just 24 hours after England booked a record three European Cup semi-final places, there is now the extreme likelihood of European heavyweights like Leicester and Wasps not being involved next term.

Premier Rugby issued the following statement on behalf of shareholders yesterday.

"Premier Rugby has made, and stands by, its proposals to the Rugby Football Union which would provide significantly increased player release time for England and establish a platform for future international success which is vital for the whole game.

"As part of these proposals, Premier Rugby is seeking that their clubs have equal shares and votes with the RFU in a new five-year commitment to European competitions, to which the clubs have contributed so much success.

"Without this, the English clubs would otherwise be the only independent clubs not to have shares. Premier Rugby has been negotiating for the last 16 months with its other European partners to establish a new agreement once the current one comes to an end after this season.

"It is a point of frustration that an agreement in principle reached in October 2006 with our European partners has so far been rejected by the RFU.

Guardian Service