Growing opposition to the IRFU's proposal to dissolve the Connacht team could drag in the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association (IRUPA), whose chairman, Liam Toland, has strongly indicated its membership - which numbers 116 players - might even take the most drastic of actions in such an eventuality.Gerry Thornley reports.
Reflecting the anger and increasingly militant feelings within the IRUPA, Toland yesterday warned that "the union might be surprised by the depth of feeling amongst the players. I don't think the IRFU realise how seriously we take these proposals, and they may not realise how far the players are willing to take this."
Because of the timing in the season, with the four provinces engaged for the last two weeks in European action, it's been difficult to organise a group meeting, admits Toland, but representatives have briefed the Connacht, Munster and Ulster squads while he has addressed his Leinster team-mates.
They were, he said, "disgusted" by the union's proposals and unanimously agreed they would explore what action was required to prevent Connacht being disbanded.
"The vast majority of the players are concerned by the move to lose one of the four professional teams. The players have displayed their commitment, consistently and excellently, towards the contracts they have signed - in many case they have gone above and beyond what was expected of them when competing in Europe. All four of them have reached the quarter-finals or better of the European competitions, and Connacht were the first province to do so."
Toland cited the example of Eric Elwood.
"In 13 or 14 years with Connacht he has consistently ignored money and success abroad. Is this how the IRFU are going to reward him and his team, by retiring them before their time?
"If Munster don't qualify for the knock-out stages and lose €250,000, are they the next team to go?" asked Toland rhetorically.
Toland praised the IRFU for creating "a template which is the envy of the world. We as players would hope to maintain the success that both the IRFU and the players have created."
But, he observed: "Amateuristic committee men have failed to maximise the rescources. In seven years they haven't constructed one corporate box in the whole of Ireland. One of the most successful aspects of the game has been the professional players and teams, yet we're the ones expected to carry the cost and sacrifice one-quarter of our members."
According to chief executive Philip Browne, the IRFU is set to lose €4 million this season and €7 million next season, and are obliged to reduce costs. Nevertheless, an IRFU blueprint for the Irish game incorporates a reduction in the professional playing pool from 120 to 90. One of the options to meet this end - and seemingly the most popular among the union hierarchy - is to disband Connacht.
This has provoked outrage in the province, prompting a gathering of 600 people at a public meeting in the Radisson Hotel in Galway last Wednesday. A Connacht Branch delegation hope to meet all the TDs in the province and others from neighbouring counties at Buswell's Hotel on Wednesday. One of the branch's delegation at that meeting is the former Mayo East TD and one-time Connacht player Seán Calleary, from the Ballina club.
"We need to show that there is political support for us as well," he said last night. "This is just pure discrimination."
The Connacht Branch delegates on the committee, Jeff Smith and Billy Glynn, will endeavour to put forward alternative cost-cutting measures, as well as additional revenue sources - rather than jettison the province's professional entity.
Even if the vote goes against Connacht on Thursday, they have recourse to a full council meeting - the ultimate governing arm of the union - in early February. Furthermore, the hastily-formed Friends of Connacht have hired a train from Galway on Thursday to supplement a planned march by at least 1,000 supporters from Baggot Street to Lansdowne Road in advance of the committee meeting.
That meeting has been moved from the Berkeley Court Hotel to the committee room under the West Stand at Lansdowne Road. As one Connacht representative observed, perhaps because it has more exits.
Rejecting Connacht claims that a secret deal has been done with the Scots and the Welsh, an IRFU spokesperson "categorically" denied any agreement is in place for a 10-team Celtic League comprising just three Irish provinces. He added: "The issue of Connacht is part of a wide, sweeping series of savings from top to bottom of every single aspect of the union's affairs, encompassing the club game, professional rugby and general overheads."
