THE RELEASE of London Irish players for the Irish provincial sides in the European Cup was the dominant theme on the Irish rugby scene last week. However, it was by no means the only event of consequence.

The London Irish affair was unfortunate, badly handled and caused a divide that should not, and need not, have occurred.

What could be the initial steps towards reconciliation between union and club and the five players who opted for the provinces and the club will take place this week. A meeting is being arranged between officials from London Irish and IRFU representatives. The meeting is at the request of the London Irish club and is a welcome development.

What has happened has unquestionably soured relations between London Irish and the IRFU, something both sides are well aware of. The five players' decision to opt for their provinces leaves them and the club in a difficult position. However, the situation is not irretrievable. There was talk of possible injunctions at the end of last week but that is exactly what it was talk and idle gossip.

There are rumours of the possibility of contracts being cancelled or fines being imposed on the five.

But a London Irish official said last Thursday the club would not be taking any precipitous actions. It was one of the more reasonable and sensible statements made. "We will let the dust settle and consider what is the best approach."

The atmosphere was tense last week and emotions were running high. The five players did what they thought was best. Those who opted not to play for the provinces and stayed with the club no doubt were prompted by similar motives. The bottom line is that the club failed to honour promises made verbally and in writing.

One person who has been centre stage is Ireland manager Pat Whelan. When Whelan took on the task of manager he took with it a considerable responsibility. He had made it clear from the outset that he saw the European Cup as an important part of his players' development and preparation for internationals.

With that in mind, he sought long before the season started to get guarantees about the players' availability and he was given assurances. It is important to bear this in mind. In seeking to have those assurances implemented, he can scarcely be accused of being dishonourable.

When problems arose he travelled to London to try and resolve the difficulties. He asked for nothing more than what he and the IRFU and the branches had been promised verbally and in writing.

A week never now goes by indeed, seldom a day goes by without some new and contentious element arising as rugby travels the increasingly rocky road from amateurism to professionalism. One of the big problems is that people are working behind the scene, so to speak, to put what they want in place.

There has been severe criticism of European Rugby Cup (ERC) about the handling of the organisation and commercial aspects of the tournament. I believe much of that criticism to be unjust and unfounded.

Last season, the European Cup was organised quickly and efficiently. It is very hard for any organisation to work in the atmosphere that currently prevails. The European Cup this season has had to be organised against a background of the problems between the English Professional Rugby Union Clubs (EPRUC) and the English Rugby Union (REU).

Clubs failed to sign the ERC participation agreement. Attempts have been made to organise other European competitions and to do television deals.

It is hard for ERC to finalise television deals and sponsorship when they do not know exactly what they have to sell. That is the position ERC has been in. In fact it was not until last Friday evening that the final details of the sponsorship agreement with Heineken were agreed. That is understandable considering the attitude of some clubs who had qualified for the European Cup.

LAST Friday week, a representative from the so called European Rugby Federation, the organisation supported by EPRUC, was in Ireland to meet representatives of the Irish First Division Clubs Association. The European Rugby Federation is the organisation trying to set up European competitions between clubs from Ireland, England, Wales, Italy and France. They are implying that clubs from these countries have made a commitment and are also hoping to get clubs from Scotland.

Last week they sent out tender documents to broadcasters asking for tenders for the television rights of the competitions they are trying to set up and trying is the operative word. These documents specifically imply that Irish clubs are under their wing. That is not so and the Irish clubs were unaware they were being used without their authority.

The Irish clubs are being used as a bargaining lever. I have spoken to three Irish club representatives who were at that meeting last Friday week and all three have made it absolutely clear that the meeting was no more than a fact finding exercise. In that respect, as all three have said, it was not in any way revealing other than in a negative sense.

"We have made no commitment whatsoever to the European Rugby Federation. We sent a representative to the meeting purely as a fact finding exercise and in fact little or nothing emerged from the meeting.

"We have no intention whatsoever of giving any commitment. We are members of the Irish First Division Clubs Association but work within the IRFU and will continue to do so. No one or organisation has any right to use our name without our consent and that has not been given nor will it be," said Willie John McBride, president of Ballymena.

The president of Lansdowne, Paul Inglis, was equally annoyed and adamant. "Quite honestly, Jonathan Price had nothing to offer when he spoke to us. It seems to me that some people are playing a game to suit their own ends and objectives.

"He has absolutely no right or authority to use our names as being allied to or members of the European Rugby Federation or in pursuit of what he or others may be trying to achieve. We will not act outside the jurisdiction of the IRFU and that thought had been made very clear."

That letter from the European Rugby Federation is the kind of activity that is taking place in rugby football and then people criticise ERC. It now imperative that Irish clubs distance themselves from the documents and activities of the so called federation.

In the interim quite a lot of progress was made last Friday when the IRFU met to consider yet again the club scene in Ireland. I gather they wild meet again later this week to advance the matter, They will meet all the Irish clubs on November 7th.