The six European unions today wholeheartedly endorsed the ERC's decision to hold a European club rugby tournament next season despite the impending boycott by the top-flight French and English clubs.

Following a meeting of all six unions involved in the European Cup and the International Rugby Board, it was announced next year's tournament will go ahead as planned, although it remains to be seen who will represent France and England.

And in a thinly veiled threat levelled at the clubs involved in the dispute, the unions also announced their intention to "strengthen the governance of the game which must rest firmly with the IRB and National Unions as the elected guardians of the game at all levels.

"The Unions believe the English Premiership and French Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) clubs should participate in the tournament next season," read a statement released this afternoon, before adding, "The Unions do not want to be confrontational but will do what it takes to secure the game's future."

Earlier, Serge Blanco rejected the withering attack launched against him this week by IRB chairman Syd Millar, insisting his primary motive is not personal glory but safeguarding the future of the club game.

In a powerfully worded statement released on Monday, Millar slammed the "selfish" attitude of Anglo-French clubs.

He claimed French clubs chief Blanco was "naive", has shown a lack of respect towards other European clubs and said he could not understand how "one man should be allowed to bring European rugby to this state".

Blanco, chairman of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) -  the umbrella organisation of the top two divisions in France - has defended his role in the bitter stand-off. He claims he is simply protecting the rights of the clubs, and believes Millar should concentrate on his role as the "judge" of rugby.

"Passion within rugby can push us all to excess," he said in a letter sent to Millar. "But in this present case, certain parts of your statement of April 9th seem a verbal aggression, coming from a person who should normally be the judge of peace in the rugby world.

"The demand of the clubs is perfectly legitimate and does nothing to justify what you have presented them as rebellious egoists."

Both the LNR and their equivalent in this country, Premier Rugby, blame the Rugby Football Union's refusal to pass half their European Rugby Cup shares to the English clubs as the reason for their withdrawal.

The Anglo-French clubs insist the RFU in January reneged on a deal struck last autumn, something Twickenham top brass flatly deny.

"This breach of word is all the more incompehensible and unacceptable to the clubs," former France full-back Blanco continued. "We aren't demanding more money or that we should take the power, but simply that we should be recognised as a partner in the organisation of a competition which we participate in."

United European Rugby Unions and IRB statement in full

"Today in London representatives of the six major European Rugby Unions and the International Rugby Board met to ensure the future of the highly successful Heineken European Rugby Cup (ERC) competition. To achieve that, the Unions resolved to strengthen the governance of the Game which must rest firmly with the IRB and the National Unions as the elected guardians of the Game at all levels.

"Furthermore the six Unions unanimously supported the decision taken yesterday by the shareholders of ERC that the European Rugby Cup will take place next season and that all six participating Unions will provide teams.

"The meeting also confirmed:

"The establishment of a new five-year ERC participation agreement.
This agreement will see the six Unions as shareholders and will be based on club participation in France, England and Italy and provincial and regional participation in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Each national Union will have the right to invite teams from within its territory to participate in the ERC according to its own participation criteria. It will be up to each Union to decide how it wishes to structure its shareholding and financial arrangements with its participating teams. The Unions look forward to working with the clubs, provinces and regions in promoting, marketing and developing the ERC competition. The Unions believe the English Guinness Premiership and French Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) clubs should participate in the tournament next season.

"The primacy of the Game's governance rests with the national Unions. Rugby has seen tremendous growth over the last 12 years but has still some way to go to establishing an enduring financial base. The Game can only flourish if it is healthy at all levels. The Unions are the only bodies set up to achieve just that.

"The Unions do not want to be confrontational but will do what it takes to secure the Game's future.

"No other new tournaments will be sanctioned by the six national unions and IRB. This is an important consideration for the continued development and profile of ERC for all stakeholders including broadcasters, sponsors and supporters.

"The RFU and FFR will invite the Chairman of  the IRB to meet with Premier Rugby  Limited (PRL) and LNR in the coming  days. This will take the form of two separate meetings."