Saracens Chair Wray: English, French Would Be 'Crazy' To Stay In Heineken Cup

Premiership rugby club Saracens Chair Nigel Wray said that the top Premiership and French sides "would be 'crazy'" to remain in the Heineken Cup after this season, according to Robert Kitson of the London GUARDIAN. Wray is promising a "better" competition no longer run by the unions. The Premiership owners are "due to meet on Wednesday to discuss what a new tournament will look like." Wray, adamant there "can be no significant changes" under the existing structure, said, "The English and French clubs would, in my opinion, be quite crazy to stay in the existing tournament under the existing rules. The minority -- in terms of revenue producing -- nations outvote the English and the French 4-2 so, surprise, surprise, not much is going to change." The English and French clubs "already have a broadcaster in place in the shape of BT Sport." Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty said that "an Anglo-French event will go ahead whether or not anyone else joins in" (GUARDIAN, 9/15).