CRISIS

The Irish and Scottish unions decided to go it alone in their own competition next season after the WRU signed a deal to take part in a new Anglo-Welsh Cup involving the regions and 12 top English sides.

Newport Gwent Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell said today: "We're anxious to hear what the WRU have to say and whether they have a plan B.

"The current situation is of no benefit to Welsh, Scottish or Irish rugby but until we are told the whole situation I wouldn't like to comment further."

The WRU delivered a withering response to the decision by their Irish and Scottish counterparts to cancel the 2005-06 Celtic League season.

The Celtic League Association announced the move following a meeting in London where Wales announced their agreement with the Rugby Football Union for a competition to replace the Powergen Cup.

This led to scheduling problems for the Celtic League and drew a furious response from their Celtic partners.

As a result, there will be a cross-border competition between Irish and Scottish clubs only, leaving Welsh teams with just 15 guaranteed games next season, six in the Heineken Cup, six among themselves and a minimum of three in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

However, the revenues offered by playing English clubs (£200,000+ per region) are thought to have made the risk worthwhile for the WRU, whose group chief executive David Moffett said: "The decision by Ireland and Scotland smacks of childishness and I can't understand it.

We told them we had signed up to the Anglo-Welsh Cup but also that the Celtic League was our most important competition and that we remain totally committed to it.

"Whether Italy came in and we played the league home or away, or they stayed out and it remained home and away, we felt we could accommodate the new cup.

"You have to feel sorry for Irish and Scottish rugby supporters. Given the state of their rugby on and off the field, I'd have thought Scotland would do everything in their power to play in a meaningful tournament.

"This seems a final decision from them over the Anglo-Welsh issue, but I'm always hopeful and we'll see what happens in the next few days."

The Anglo-Welsh Cup will consist of the four Welsh regions and 12 Zurich Premiership sides competing in four groups stage of four.

The knock-out stage will begin in March with the final at Twickenham the following month. There remains optimism on all sides that the Celtic League can be revived for the season 2006-2007 with the possible inclusion of Italian clubs.

But what Wales must now decide is whether to press ahead with their new plans with perhaps extra games between the regions or whether to pull out of the Anglo-Welsh Cup and return to the Celtic League fold.

A statement from the Celtic League Association said: "The Scottish and Irish rugby unions are disappointed that the Welsh Rugby Union did not consult its partners in the Celtic League prior to making commitments to the Anglo-Welsh Cup, given the serious negative consequences it has on the Celtic League.

"It is hoped that discussions may continue between the Irish, Scottish and Welsh rugby unions along with the Italian Rugby Federation to structure a new competition in season 2006-07 which would incorporate four Irish teams, three Scottish teams, four Italian teams and four Welsh teams."

The Scottish hierarchy are far from happy with the actions of the WRU.

An SRU spokesman said: "This is clearly far from perfect. There is a dilution in the breadth of the competition for this coming season.

"But we sincerely hope Italy and Wales will join us in a newly-expanded competition in 2006-07.

"We have to try to maximise revenue and this is clearly not clever from that viewpoint. "But, from the view of the elite player, there will be 12 guaranteed games in the new Scottish-Irish competition plus an unspecified number of games in a cup tournament plus the Heineken Cup.

"We will also have eight international matches which would take us to 26 games before the cup competition is taken into account.

"Experts talk about 30 to 33 games being the optimum number of games for a player to play in the season.

"In some respects, we are not all that far away, but we are not going to pretend it is a situation we are happy with because we are not.

"Some might seek to paint this as an unmitigated catastrophe but I don't believe it is that either.

"However, in terms of player burn-out, we are not that far away from the optimum number of games. But the route we have arrived at for that number of games is clearly not clever."