IRISH rugby officials yesterday reacted with acute disappointment and anger after London Irish notified Ireland the Irish manager, Pat Whelan that none of their players will be released to assist the Irish provinces in the European Cup prior to October 30th.

The refusal has brought particularly strong reactions from the president of the IRFU, Bobby Deacy, Whelan and Leinster manager Jim Glennon.

The decision was conveyed to Whelan yesterday morning and came after he, and the managers of Leinster, Munster and Ulster, Jim Glennon, Colm Tucker and Ken Reid, respectively, had met with officials of the trading company that runs the commercial affairs of the London Irish club in London on Wednesday afternoon. That meeting took place following a statement made last week by the club that they would not release the players.

Deacy said yesterday: The IRFU is profoundly disturbed and dismayed at this development for the following reasons.

"1, At recent meetings with officers of the Union, London Irish representatives gave their club's unreserved commitment as to the availability of their Irish contracted players for the European Rugby Cup.

"2, The London Irish coach, Mr Clive Woodward confirmed the availability of the players in writing to Mr Pat Whelan, honorary manager of the Ireland team.

"3, Certain insurances put in place by the union in respect of Irish contracted players of London Irish were extended at the express request of London Irish to cover the players' participation in the European Rugby Cup.

"4, The players will be denied European competition which is very relevant to the selection of the national team."

The repercussions could be considerable, not least with regard to the special relationship that exists between the IRFU and the club.

"So much for agreements written and verbal," said Whelan. "Not allowing the players' release until October 30th is a total waste of time. All but one of the series of matches in the European Cup groups will be over by then. The situation cannot be allowed to continue. We must get our players back here and the IRFU must be able to exercise control about their availability."

London Irish will compete in the European Conference which is run at the same time as the European Cup. But the club had consistently stated that was not a priority for them and they were prepared to allow their players to play in the much more important European Cup and that their priority was staying in the first division of the English league.

Glennon said: "I am not really surprised in the light of recent activity. What use are guarantees if they are not going to be honoured. It is quite obvious that the London Irish club, so long so closely associated with Irish rugby and with which it has claimed a very special relationship, has chosen "EPRUC (The English Professional Rugby Union Clubs) ahead of the IRFU and the best interests of Irish rugby. So much for old loyalties.

"We now know exactly where the London Irish loyalties are in respect of Irish rugby. I have no doubt at all that had the players known that would happen they would not have gone to London Irish. They were encouraged by London Irish to join that club because of its unique position with Irish rugby.

"I do not want to hear any more nonsense about the so called benefits for Irish players playing with English clubs. I think some of the players got some very bad advice in relation to their contracts. Maybe the Irish players will now realise the full implications of their haste to join English clubs."

Duncan Leopold, the chief executive of London Irish, said yesterday: "The decision was taken after the deepest possible thought and consideration. We are in a precarious position and are not playing well. The decision was taken in the context of that situation. At this stage I do not want to make any further comment. The club will issue an official statement after the weekend.

He said that no players had a release clause for the European Cup written into their contracts.

On the contracts issue, Leopold is correct. But he was one of the people who gave the guarantees to officials of the IRFU and to the branches.

The international squad players will all be travelling to Belfast tonight for the squad sessions tomorrow and Monday. They will be spoken to by Whelan on the club's refusal to allow their release, but it is unlikely that any more can now be done to change the situation.

Jeremy Davidson, one of the seven Ireland squad members with London Irish, said: "The matter is really out of the players' control. The negotiations were between the Ireland and provincial managers and the club. It is disappointing but I do not see that there is anything we can do."