England's top rugby clubs "insist they are justified" in asking for £12M ($20M) in compensation for "suspending the Aviva Premiership during the World Cup," according to Chris Jones of the London EVENING STANDARD. The Rugby Football Union is offering £6M ($10M) and although the 12 Premiership clubs "insist this is well short of an acceptable figure they insist they will not disrupt the build up to the tournament being staged in England from next September." Under the World Cup agreement, "no other competition can take place in England at the same time." Premiership Rugby Chair Quentin Smith said, "This is about compensation, not reward, with not a pound profit in any
claim. We have not plucked the figures from the air; there has been a
lot of forensic analysis with the clubs and their particular
circumstances" (EVENING STANDARD, 8/28). In London, Paul Rees reported talks have been going "on all year between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby." Premiership Rugby side Leicester CEO Simon Cohen said this week that "unless the clubs were offered adequate compensation, they should
play on during the World Cup and not be bound by the agreement between
the RFU and Rugby World Cup Ltd." Cohen: "It is not acceptable to simply expect
us to close down our businesses" (GUARDIAN, 8/27).
