WELSH Rugby Union chief David Moffett and the premier clubs hold a last ditch meeting today to try to resolve the problems on the future structure of the game.

No meetings took place between Moffett and the clubs yesterday on the future and whether it will be five regions or nine clubs.

There was telephone contact between clubs chairman Derrick King of Bridgend and Moffett, but there was no common ground and the whole situation looked like drifting to the dreaded nine-club scenario.

But the clubs came back to request a meeting today, probably anxious that the deadline for entering the number of teams into the two European competitions is tomorrow and nothing is in place.

For all their demands for funding of £8.1m for a five-team structure next season the clubs, or the majority of them, don't want nine either.

And despite suggestions from the clubs that Moffett promised them £8.1m last week, which he denies, the clubs want to reach a deal.

Moffett says he informed the clubs simply that he would try for the higher figure and he gave them no guarantees whereas the clubs wanted everything in writing.

Moffett is now adamant there is no more than £7.5m available, the three combined teams of Newport and Ebbw Vale, Neath and Swansea and Bridgend and Pontypridd to receive £1.76m each for three years and the single entities of Cardiff and Llanelli to receive £1.36m each for those two years because of the discrepancy in costs.

That leaves a club like Llanelli angry because that figure is less than they receive now. But the clubs for their part insist the five-team plan cannot go ahead without funding of at least £8.1m and they insist they will not back down.

Somehow a compromise will have to be reached at today's meeting or it will be nine clubs next season.

ERC, the European governing body, also insist that at least one Welsh team must play in the Parker Pen competition.

If the five-team scenario does get the final go-ahead at the eleventh hour later today, Cardiff are the team most likely to play in the second tier competition.